Polly and Her Pals — November 29, 1922

Cliff Sterrett's *Polly and Her Pals* launched in 1912 and became one of the most visually inventive strips in American newspapers. This four-panel daily finds Pa pitching a scheme to profit from 'Amalgamated Mops,' with Ma — labeled 'the Cautious Critter' in the strip's header — playing skeptic alongside a young salesman who must prove himself. The gag turns on the old proverb about counting chickens before they hatch, delivered deadpan in the final panel. Sterrett's draftsmanship is confident: crosshatched plaid, expressive silhouettes, and speech balloons that carry distinct vocal personalities. Newspaper dailies like this one are the direct ancestors of the comic book — same panels, same balloons, same recurring cast — syndicated nationally and read by millions before a single stapled pamphlet existed.