From the exhibition
Outbursts of Everett True
· October 21, 1906

A two-panel Sunday strip featuring Everett True, the cantankerous protagonist who channels his frustrations into public confrontations. The top panel shows True lecturing a cab driver about street crossing etiquette; the bottom depicts him literally bouncing the driver on the curb. Artist Ben Baxley's work exemplifies the slapstick humor dominating early newspaper comics, employing bold inking, sequential panel arrangement, and speech balloons to convey narrative and character voice. *Everett True* ran from 1905 to 1927, establishing the recurring-character format that became foundational to comic strip storytelling. The strip's emphasis on physical comedy and social observation reflected the gag-comic tradition that bridged Victorian illustration and modern cartooning.
Public domain, restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain