Old Flames by Nell Brinkley

Nell Brinkley's *Old Flames* exemplifies the Sunday newspaper comic's visual sophistication in the 1910s. A single large portrait dominates the upper half, its intricate pen linework and radiating composition drawing the eye inward. Below, two smaller narrative panels advance the story through sequential action and dialogue. The strip demonstrates how newspaper comics developed key formal conventions: recurring characters, panel progression, and lettered speech to convey plot and personality. Brinkley's decorative, detailed style—influenced by advertising illustration—helped elevate the comic strip from simple gag format to genuine narrative vehicle, establishing the visual grammar that would define the emerging comic book medium.