The Pranks of Pantomime Pete

A six-panel Sunday strip following Pete, a silent comic character in the tradition of stage pantomime, through a series of escalating gags involving a "10¢ a Peep" show box. The strip demonstrates the visual vocabulary developing in early newspaper comics: sequential panels advancing a narrative, exaggerated poses and expressions conveying action without dialogue, and recurring character types. Pete's slapstick encounters with an older man build from simple con to chaotic destruction, each panel advancing cause-and-effect through composition and gesture alone. The strip reflects the influence of vaudeville and music hall performance on early comic art, where physical comedy and visual storytelling took precedence over text.