Can the Ethiopian Change His Skin or the Leopard His Spots?

Nell Brinkley's Sunday page demonstrates the visual storytelling conventions that shaped early comics. A single narrative unfolds across sequential panels: a woman in elaborate costume surrounded by formally dressed men, with extensive dialogue presented in speech balloons beneath the image. Brinkley's ornate line work and attention to fabric texture exemplify the decorative style favored in newspaper illustration of the era. The composition relies on reader familiarity with recurring characters and serialized narratives—the foundation of comic strip reading. By 1910, such Sunday pages had become standard features in major newspapers, establishing the panel-based visual grammar and character development strategies that would define the emerging medium.