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Andy's Early Comics Archive
Comics from 1783 to 1929
Wilhelm Busch
1860-1900 (The Magazine Comics Period)
Early Comics in Print
If you have questions about early comics, please direct them to this mailing list: Platinum Age Comics
Copyright © 2011 by Andy Konky Kru
Home Early Comics Links Abstract Comics Other Comics Konky Kru
Comics from 1783 to 1929
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This is a presentation of historical comics, intended to enlighten and amuse students of comics history, (and to provide their teachers with reference material.)
Maybe these early comics will also inspire some of today's comics artists.
Most were scanned by me, ususally from books or magazines lent to me. Sometimes I get sent a dvd with scans someone made from his own collection.
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Wilhelm Busch
1860-1900 (The Magazine Comics Period)
| Album Noel (all) 1900 (collecting work from previous years) (This link presents all the pages from the book in one go. Most of them are also listed separately by author). |
G. Andral 'La clŽmence d'Auguste' (Le journal pour tous' 1895) |
F. von B. 'Der schlaue Pepi - oder - Die geraubte Gans' (Fliegende Blätter vol 82) |
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Johann Bahr 'Der kurzsichtige Bassgeiger' (The short-sighted bass-player) (without words)  'Schnelles Wachstum' (Fast Growth) (without words)  'The Mechanical Racehorse' (originally in 'Lustige Blätter' 1892, here also from 'Picture Magazine' 1893)  Die Rivalen auf dem Eise (Lustige Blätter 1892)  Die verrätherische Fata Morgana (Lustige Blätter 1892) (without words)  (Speech by Professor Strubelmann on how to take care of your hair) (Lustige Blätter 1892)  Der kluge Plüsecke (Lustige Blätter 1892)  'Der Sonntagsfrevler - oder - Die verbotene Angelei' (Lustige Blätter 1892)  'Der gefoppte Schwarzseher' (Lustige Blätter 1892) (without words)  |
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Baric - 'Histoire de Martin Landor' ou 'La musique des enfants' ecrite par Kroknotski, dessinée par Baric' 1865 This is only partially a picture story (ie comic). But it shows a different way how the Struwwelpeter influened picture books. Also, it's a precursor of McCay dream-stories, with equal visual brilliance.  |
Frank Beard 'It Didn't Work for a Cent' (from Puck 'On the Road' 1889)  |
Edouart Bernard 'Une ligne résistante' (Polichinelle 1898 - Journal humoristique hébdomadaire pour la famille)  |
C.J.Budd 'The Bill-Poster's Revenge' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897) |
R.F. Bunner - (The Circus Lion) (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897) (without words) |
Léonce Burret
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Randolph Caldecott The Rivals  The Wynchdale Steeplechase (scroll sideways)  Our Haymaking  Carlyon's Christmas  |
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Caran D'Ache La Loi de la Femme  Trappeur d'Arkansas ou Une Erreur Judiciaire (1893)  A popular Favourite (originally from 'La Caricature', before 1893) (a variation on 'The Virtuoso' by Busch)  (Catching the train) (before 1893)  La Vie de Chateau 1897  A la Houzarde (Le Rire, 2.November 1895)  Querelle d'Allemand (Le Rire - 25 January 1896)  Le Ténor enteté  |
George Chicki - Souvenirs Bachotiques (1870) (graphic novel in the manner of Töpffer)  |
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Christophe (Georges Colomb) La Fontaine ModernisŽ - Le Renard et la Cigogne (Petit France 1901, Number 108  Le Malices de Plick et Plock (Petit France 1902, Number 122) This page shows how much Christophe was influenced by German cartoonists. Wilhelm Busch's Icepeter motiv is turning up again, and more directly the various dwarf stories by Lothar Meggendorfer or Johan Bahr.  Le Baron de Cramoisy (Vll) - Le Petit Francais Illustré 1901  |
Emile Cohl 'Logement a Louer' (Polichinelle 9.Mai 1897)
(That's the same Cohl famous for creating the first animated cartoon.) |
J.B. Clark 'Le Maleurs d'un chat' (from 'Album Noel', 1900)  |
C.Cyl 'Peche ˆ la ligne' (from 'Album Noel', 1900)  |
A.S.Daggy 'A new use for the Japanese Umbrella' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897) (without words) |
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Dalrymple 'The unexpected always happens' (from 'Puck's Library')  (At the theatre) (Le Rire, 11.Mai 1895 - originally published in Puck)  'His Diploma'  |
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Deb Un essai (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
Souvenir de pêche (from 'Album Noel', 1900)  |
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Jules Dépaquit Le Bourreau trop vigoureux - ou - erreur n'est pas compte Zola veut séduire l'académie Carneval (1897 - Le Rire) 
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Dio Biding 'La méchanceté' (from 'Polichinelle' 9.Mai 1897) |
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Doës Polly's Little Joke (from 'Le Papillon', reprinted in Picture Magazine 1893) 
Subjection (from 'Scribner's Magazine') 
How Pierre sent his Boots by Telegraph and got a Receipt for them (from 'La Revue illustré, reprinted in Picture Magazine 1893) 
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A. Douhin 'Génération Spontanée' (from 'Journal Amusant' 11. November 1899) |
M. Dunk 'How a Famous Hunter Won a Reputation' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897) (without words) |
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Fernand Fau (Champagne) (Le Rire, 11.Mai 1895)  La Création du monde  Le Duel Pini-Thomeguex (Le Rire, 11.Mai 1895) Cartoon with a speechballoon, influenced by Caran d'Ache.  Échos de la semaine prochaine (Le Rire, 14 April 1896)  Interviews printaniers (Le Rire, 4.Mai 1895)  Etre président de la république (Le Rire, 14 April 1896)  |
A. B. Frost 'He was a Tenderfoot' (from Scribner's Magazine Vol.XIII No.1, January 1893 )  |
Gerlach 'A Tale of a Lamp and a Bath' (from'Universum', reprinted in Picture Magazine 1893) |
Godefroy 'A Comfortable Smoke' (from Revue IllustrŽ - reprinted Picture Magazine 1893) |
W.M. Goodes 'The Funniest Thing He ever Saw' (Bear & Fishing Rod) (from Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897) (without words) |
F. Graetz 'Die Wirkung der afrikanischen Sonne auf das Kilimandscharo-Gebiet' (1892) (Lustige Blätter)  |
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Syd B. Griffin 'Snap-Shots'/A Friend in Need 
His Name was Mud (from Puck's Library) 
Let Her Go  |
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O. Herford 'The Bow Legged Admiral and the Educated Dog' (Harper's Round Table, 1897) 
'The Lost Joke Recovered by Xray'(Harper's Round Table, 1897) |
Livingstone Hopkins 'Professor Tigwissel' (1875) - very early U.S. newspaper comic
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F.M. Howarth Récréation Chinoise (from 'Album Noel', 1900)  Editor and Poet (Puck 1894)  'An ingenious Device' (originally published in Life - reprinted in Picture Magazine 1893)  'Lovers of Art' (originally published in Life - reprinted in Picture Magazine 1893)  'Pelle et Brouette' (originally published in Puck, reprinted in 'Polichinelle' 31 July 1898)  Le Portrait trop resemblant et la veuve trop démonstrative' (originally published in Puck - reprinted in Le Rire, 4.Mai 1895)  Un enlevement acrobatique ou le vrai amour ne connait pas d'obstacles' (originally published in Puck - reprinted in Le Rire - 9 May 1896 )  The dog at the butcher's (orginially published in 'Judge' - reprinted in Le Rire, 2.November 1895)  An Assisted Flirtation (Puck 28. July 1897 )  Easily Arranged (Puck 28. July 1897 )  External link (John Adcock's Blog) Selfportrait & short strip |
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A. Jensen 'Der Abgeordnete und der Wähler' (Lustige Blätter 1892) (the often repeated visual joke of relating the size of people to their power or importance)  'Die 'Vermehlung' des Schornsteinfegers' (Lustige Blätter 1892)  'Die Ratte' (Lustige Blätter 1892)  'Ein armer Lahmer' (Lustige Blätter 1892) 
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Charles Keene (1823-91) 'The Adventures of Miss Lavinia Brounjones' (Punch 1866)
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W.C.Kemble 'An Ingenious Escape' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897)
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Kerlie? 'Histoire de deux chinois et d'un enfant trop malin pour son age'  'Histoire lamentable de Prosper et de sa soupe' 
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C. Koch (Deutsche Bilderbogen 162 - Gustav Weise Stuttgart) 
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Ch. Lagemann 'Der zerstreute Professor oder Eine Überraschung' (Lustige Blätter 1892)  |
Le Bocain (jeune ou vieille?) (Le Rire, 11.Mai 1895) 
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Achille Lemot (aka Uzès)
(all from 'Album Noel', 1900) Avec de la tenacité Un jeune inventeur 'A.L.' 'Fourrures a l'essai! C'est que la vie (A.L. in the squiggly border) Une Faute de Gugusse (the classic hosepipe gag) Une tartine pour trois Maladroit mais rusé Un farceur attrapé ou un voleur envolé Punition mériteée Valeur du temps Une lecon de botanique Ce qu'il en coute d'apprendre à un éléphant à se balancer Un tour de force Rira bien qui rira le dernier Les cinq sens (not a comic) 
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Luc Luguey Le Rire - 14 March 1896  La nuit de noces du Viveur (containing small speechballoon) 
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Alfred Le Petit - 'En Chasse' ('Polichinelle' 9.Mai 1897)  |
Leoy (Variation on 'The Virtuoso' by Busch) (reprinted in Picture Magazine 1893)  |
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H.Malatesta 'Le voleur bien volé' 1895 (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
'Le bon pauvre et le mauvais riche' (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
'Le Fils d'Adoption' 1896 (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
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M. Mandl 'Praktische Verwertung der neuesten Mode' ('Practical application of the latest fashion') (1885) (Fliegende Bl&amul;tter vol 82) |
George du Maurier 'The Philosopher's Revenge' (Punch 1866) |
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Chas May Un sac, un homme, un chien & un tonneau (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
Dans la cave (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
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Hy Mayer 'How the Dromedary became a Camel' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897)
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John Mclenan 'The Flight of Abraham - as reported by a Modern Daily Paper' (Harper's Weekly 1861)  |
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Lothar Meggendorfer Aus den Kinderjahren eines Kautschukmenschen (from the infant years of the plastic man)  Rache ist süss (Revenge is sweet)  Die schlauen Zwerge (The Clever Dwarfes)  Misslungene Arretierung (Unsuccessful Arrest)  Liebesgram und Heilung (Love sickness and Recuperation)  Das bockbeinige Schwein und der Philosoph (The recalcitrant pig and the philosopher)  Die Macht der Musik' (FB 1888) 
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Mob L'aumone Un drame Pêche difficile Repos Troublé 
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M. Monnier 'La Punition d'un Gourmand' (The punishment of a glutton) ('Le Petit Francais' 26.April 1902)
A forerunner of McCay's dream comics !!!  |
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Moriss - Interruption Piquante (Note - The chap is reading the magazine in which the comic is published)  |
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Peter Newell (Policeman and Matchstick) (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897)  'Introduction' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1896) 
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Adolf Oberländer Illustrierte Anzeige - Ein Grotesktänzer, durch Kabalne dem Ballett entrissen, empfielt sich als Bodenwichser  Ein jedes Tierchen hat sein Pläsierchen - 1885  Zufalls Tücke - oder - Unfreiwillige Illustration - 1885  Die kurzsichtige Tante (The shortsighted aunt) 1903  Münchener Tartarus (1865)  Die unterbrochene Trauung (1865)  Täuschung - (text with three illustrations) (1865)  Der Wunderdoktor (1865)  |
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Fred Opper (before 1900)
(see also the post-1900 Opper Index) The Wicket Seal Hunter and the Clever Seal  His Doctors, and how they didn't do him any good  A Real English Outfit in America  In Maine  The Result of Feeding a Neapolitan Greyhound on Macaroni  The Power of Habit  A Close Shave  (The Pretty Typewriter)  Mike Cassedy's Toothache  A Distinct Success  Saved - A Tale of Simple Heroism Rewarded  The latest dodge  A story of the road  A Quick Response  A slight error of judgement  Not quite out of practice  True too his word (Puck 28. July 1897) 
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Photo Comics Le premier cigare  Histoire d'un nid (not photos, only traced from photos) 
Saluting the Flag - 1912 
Hunter and Dog 1899 
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Emile Piery - Fantaisie sur le duel (from 'Polichinelle' 31 July 1898)
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H.W. Philips - A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897) |
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Karl Pommerhanz Ein Frechdachs  Der getäuschte Arzt  Die Benutzte Gelegenheit  Die kleinen Verwandlungskünstler  Der Herr Professor und das Feuerwerk  Das boshafte Geschwisterpaar  Die Pferdelspieler  Der kleine Turner und seine Lebensrettung  Bestrafte Unhöflichkeit (1892) 
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J. S. Pughe A Small Story with a Large Application (from Puck 28.July 1897) |
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Benjamin Rabier Le Lion Télescopé (Le Rire - 11 April 1896 )  Gontran à Trouville (Le Rire - 27 June 1896 )  |
Carl Reinhardt (Die Landpartie) (Deutsche Bilderbogen fŸr Jung und Alt Nr.96) |
Reichert 'Un Drame en deux actes avec trois personnages' (from 'Album Noel', 1900)  |
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Emil Reinicke Das jähzornige Nashorn' (The angry Rhino) (1886)  Die verschwundene Wurst - Eine merkwürdige Begebenheit (FB 1885)  Irren ist Menschlich (to err is human) (FB 1884)  Iberus - Eine antimusikalische Ballade (FB 1884)  Dr. Mokel in Afrika (FB 1884)  Sächsisches Landsknechtlied (FB 1885)  Das Kegelspiel - Historisches Gedicht (FB 1885)  Der Kluge Elefant (The clever elephant) (1902)  Der durstige Jumbo' (Thirsty Jumbo) (1902) 
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K.Rey 'Une histoire qui finit mal'(from 'Album Noel', 1900)  |
F. Reznicek
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F.T. Richards It's an Ill Wind Blows Nobody Good (Harper's Round Table, 1897)  The Fakir and the Prestidigitateur (Harper's Round Table, 1897)  An Occidental Transformation (Harper's Round Table, 1897) 
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Charles Ross & Marie Duval
'Ally Sloper' (magazine pages rearranged for an early reprint in bookform, 1867)    |
A.Rusden 'La Peau du Lion' (from 'Album Noel', 1900) 
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H. Scherenberg Der Bauer und der Kobold (The peasant and the kobold) Die entführte Wurst (The kidnapped sausage) Das Ständchen (The serenade) Ferientag eines Zerstreuten (Holiday of someone very distracted) Die Drei Wünsche (The three wishes) 
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Schmelzer 'Hansl und Gretel - oder - Nach und nach' (1865) (Fliegende Blätter vol.46) |
R. Schönborn (Drei Räuber) (Deutsche Bilderbogen Nr.105)  |
Schliessmann 'Der SechsfŸssler - ein Clownscherz' (The six-footer, a clownish joke) |
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James A. (Affleck) Shepherd (1867-1946) Index Parrot and Dog (Boys' Own Paper 1891) (uses plot-relevant speechballoons)  Les Grenouilles et le héron (from 'Album Noel', 1900)  |
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C. Storch Der Automobilfahrer wider Willen (The unwilling motorist)  Bestrafter Geiz (Punished Selfishness)  Blinder Eifer (Blind Zeal)  Glück im Unglück - Storch after Pomerhanz  Gnom und Maulwurf (Gnome and Mole)  Der Maler und der Stier (The Painter and the Bull)  Verunglückter Musikuntericht (The music lesson that went wrong)  Die Zwerge und der Fischer (The Dwarfs and the Fisherman) 
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H. Storkmann (French reprint) (originally published in Fliegende Blätter) |
James Francis Sullivan |
John Theele 'Die fŸnf Sinne' (The five senses) (Lustige Bl&aumml;tter 1892) |
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M. Tucker 760 - - 'The Stolen Cigar or The Monkey who got it in the Neck' Tucker ?  |
M. Vaiselow 'Das gewohnte Stichwort' (Lustige Bl&aumml;tter 1892)  |
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Gustav Verbeek 'The Hunter's Strategy' (Harper's Round Table, Annual 1897)  'A quelque chose malheur est bon' (The Swan)  |
S. Vitou 'Der Photograph in der WŸste - Vorzug der Revolver Camera' (Lustige Bl&aumml;tter 1892)  |
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Zim (Eugene Zimmerman) Index Blackville (originally published in 'Judge')  (Mule Récalcitrant) (originally published in 'Judge')  ('Le Renseignement exact') (originally published in 'Judge') 
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Early Comics in Print
If you have questions about early comics, please direct them to this mailing list: Platinum Age Comics
Copyright © 2011 by Andy Konky Kru
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