Tom Heintjes
@hogansalley
Cartooning fun, facts, and ephemera from Hogan’s Alley, the Eisner Award winner for Best Comics Magazine
The Spirit's archenemy, The Octopus, first appeared in "The Postage Stamp," which was published 80 years ago, on July 14, 1946.
The great Pat Oliphant has departed this mortal coil. He was truly one of the greats—a paradigm shifter if ever there was one. Hogan’s Alley #25 will have a long appreciation of this singular genius.
The More You Know Monday (“This Curious World” by William Ferguson):
In "Blondie," Dagwood first collided with Mr. Beasley, the postal carrier, 90 years ago, on July 13, 1936. (Their collisions would become one of the strip's most enduring tropes and even made it into the TV adaptation's opening credits.) Here's their first collision:
Fritzi and Nancy Before Sluggo (“Fritzi Ritz” strips from July 3-8, 1933):
Jules Feiffer’s “Clifford” (part of the syndicated comic book insert starring The Spirit) first appeared on July 10, 1949. (Perhaps it’s apocryphal, but the story is that in lieu of a raise, Feiffer was given his own page in the Comic Book Section.) Here’s the character’s debut page:
"Betty Brown, Ph.G." by Boody Rogers, originally published on October 17, 1938, and titled "Bad News."
Here's another sneak peek at Hogan's Alley #25: the opening spread of a long profile of Helen Kane, one of the formative influences on Betty Boop. Or was she? This article goes into the sensational legal imbroglio between Kane and the people who were enjoying great financial success with Betty Boop.
During a newspaper delivery strike in 1945, NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia took to the airwaves to read the comics to listeners who were deprived of comics pages. He did this 3 times: July 1, 8, and 15. Here, you can hear recordings of the mayor reenacting the comics: www.archives.nyc/blog/2025/10...
The “James Bond” comic strip first appeared on July 7, 1958. It adapted Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, published in 1953. The strip was written by Anthony Hern and drawn by John McLusky, and apart from the covers on some Bond novels, the strip was 007’s first visual representation.
Fritzi and Nancy Before Sluggo (“Fritzi Ritz” strips from June 26-July 1, 1933):
Slice-of-Life Sunday (employers used to be able to come right out and say it):
As her movie opens, Kara encourages you to pick up a copy of her favorite comics magazine! www.hoganmag.com/stores
In Edgar Martin’s “Boots and Her Buddies,” Boots and Rod’s son, Davey Ruggles, was born 80 years ago, on July 4, 1946. Here’s that strip and the next two days:
Happy Fourth of July! In lieu of going outside in the heat and being around people, enjoy these fireworks, courtesy of Ernie Bushmiller.
From the NYT: Because nothing says “celebrate independence from England” like the music of an English band. @nytpitchbot.bsky.social