Quoth the Doctor, 'Nevermore'

This comic strip by Arnot demonstrates the visual conventions emerging in early newspaper comics. The six-panel sequence follows a doctor character through escalating misadventures, using speech balloons, sequential framing, and slapstick action to advance the narrative. The recurring protagonist and his interactions with supporting characters typify the daily strip format that flourished in the 1910s. Newspaper comics of this era established the foundational grammar—panel borders, dialogue placement, and character consistency—that would define the medium. Artists working in newspapers created the visual vocabulary that made comic books possible, blending illustration with narrative structure across multiple frames.