Outbursts of Everett True

A two-panel gag strip featuring the irascible Everett True, whose name describes his volatile temperament. In the top panel, a bland figure offers New Year greetings; True demands originality. Below, True demonstrates his own 'original' idea by literally dunking the man headfirst into water. The strip's humor depends on visual escalation and True's hair-trigger reactions to minor social infractions. Published in newspapers during the early comic strip era, *Outbursts of Everett True* exemplified the slapstick comedy and recurring-character format that defined daily strips. Artist James Swinnerton's bold linework and economical panel layout helped establish visual conventions still used in comics today.