Splinters by Steinigans

This Sunday strip follows a clown and pursuing dogs through six sequential panels, each advancing a simple narrative: the clown flees his canine followers, attempts to shake them off, and eventually surrenders to their persistence. Steinigans employs the visual conventions that defined early newspaper comics—word balloons anchored to speakers, varied panel sizes for pacing, and expressive line work. The recurring cast of character types (fool figure, animal companions) reflects vaudeville traditions adapted to the comics page. Published in Sunday editions, such strips established the formal vocabulary—layout, timing, dialogue placement—that would structure the medium for decades to come.