Early Comic Strips 1898-1916

Joseph Pulitzer was one of the first publishers to understand the power of illustrated drawings to increase newspaper circulation and to influence public opinion. In 1884, The World began printing an editorial cartoon on the front page of the daily paper. Five years later, in 1889, it introduced the first full page of black and white "funnies" as a regular feature in the Sunday paper, The World's Funny Side. By 1900, Joseph Pulitzer's color printing press had been producing color, comic supplements for the Sunday paper for six years.

This ten year tribute celebrating the contribution of cartoonists to The World includes some of the best comic artists of the day including Richard Felton Outcault, creator of Hogan's Alley and The Yellow Kid.