The art of creating sequential pictures to depict events is as old as cave paintings. But when was the first Science Fiction comic strip produced?
Most would claim Action's, Batman and Superman were the first back in 1938, though Superman actually dates a few years before that. But they were not. Dick Tracey, Orphan Annie, Popeye all featured in their own comics before the 30's. And many others featured at least one Sci/Fi strip.
So I've been digging.
The first 'Comic' is widely regarded as being 'Hearst's Sunday Journal' in 1896. Featuring Richard Felton Outcault's The Yellow Kid. It sold for 5 cents.
Felton is also attributed as being the inventor of the speech balloon.
As far as Science Fiction goes the first modern strip appears to be Alex Raymonds Flash Gordon. First featuring in 1934 and quickly becoming the basis of the often repeated Saturday Cinema Matinees, plus a whole range of promotional toys. Perhaps his claim to fame, because he was beaten to the comic press some six years earlier in 1928 by Buck Rogers in Amazing Stories. (More visions of farting rockets!).
Looking even further back there are other comics that also featured comic strips. The best I can come up with at present is Princess of Mars, by Paul Edgar in an American comic called Treasure 1912 and 'A son of the Stars' by Fenton Ash in 'Young England' magazine in 1908. The later may perhaps be considered more of a heavily illustrated novel than comic, so some may reasonably call foul.
The earliest Sci/Fi strip I can find so far is is by Heath Robinson, inventor of fantastic machines, called Uncle Lubin and tells of the theft of a baby and the creation of a balloon to sail to the moon to regain it. http://bugpowder.com/andy/ebc.robinson.contents.html
Can anybody get us further back?
Most would claim Action's, Batman and Superman were the first back in 1938, though Superman actually dates a few years before that. But they were not. Dick Tracey, Orphan Annie, Popeye all featured in their own comics before the 30's. And many others featured at least one Sci/Fi strip.
So I've been digging.
The first 'Comic' is widely regarded as being 'Hearst's Sunday Journal' in 1896. Featuring Richard Felton Outcault's The Yellow Kid. It sold for 5 cents.
Felton is also attributed as being the inventor of the speech balloon.
As far as Science Fiction goes the first modern strip appears to be Alex Raymonds Flash Gordon. First featuring in 1934 and quickly becoming the basis of the often repeated Saturday Cinema Matinees, plus a whole range of promotional toys. Perhaps his claim to fame, because he was beaten to the comic press some six years earlier in 1928 by Buck Rogers in Amazing Stories. (More visions of farting rockets!).
Looking even further back there are other comics that also featured comic strips. The best I can come up with at present is Princess of Mars, by Paul Edgar in an American comic called Treasure 1912 and 'A son of the Stars' by Fenton Ash in 'Young England' magazine in 1908. The later may perhaps be considered more of a heavily illustrated novel than comic, so some may reasonably call foul.
The earliest Sci/Fi strip I can find so far is is by Heath Robinson, inventor of fantastic machines, called Uncle Lubin and tells of the theft of a baby and the creation of a balloon to sail to the moon to regain it. http://bugpowder.com/andy/ebc.robinson.contents.html
Can anybody get us further back?
