AP Newsfeatures, aka AP Features, was the cartoon and comic strip division of

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

, which syndicated strips from 1930 to the early 1960s.

History

Origins

In February 1930, I. M. Kendrick, executive assistant to AP president Kent Cooper, announced a March 17, 1930, launch for the Associated Press Feature Service, with an initial nine units, including a daily news cartoon, various comic strips and several panels. With the expansion of the Associated Press Feature Service to include a comprehensive comic strip and cartoon service for evening papers, AP that April announced plans to provide a similar service for morning papers. Cooper commented:

The 1930 launch

The first nine features: * ''Gloria'', a daily "pretty girl" strip with continuity, by Julian Ollendorf (who also worked on the animated ''Topics of the Day'' and ''Sketchographs'') * ''Homer Hoopee'', a daily family strip by Fred Locher (former creator of ''Cicero Sapp'' for the ''New York Evening World'') * ''Colonel Gilfeather'', an imitation of ''

Our Boarding House ''Our Boarding House'' is an American Panel (comics), single-panel cartoon and comic strip created by Gene Ahern on October 3, 1921 and syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association. Set in a boarding house run by the sensible Mrs. Hoople, it d ...

'' in a daily three-column panel by Dick Dorgan (brother of the cartoonist

Tad Dorgan Thomas Aloysius Dorgan (April 29, 1877 – May 2, 1929), also known as Tad Dorgan, was an American cartoonist who signed his drawings as Tad. He is known for his cartoon panel ''Indoor Sports'' and comic strip '' Judge Rummy'', as well as the ma ...

) * '' Scorchy Smith'', an aviation-adventure strip by John Terry (who also worked on animated cartoons) * ''Rollo Rollingstone'', a daily strip by Bruce Barr * ''Modest Maidens'', a two-column "pretty girl" panel by

Don Flowers Don Flowers (1908–1968) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated panel ''Glamor Girls''. Flowers was noted for his fluid ink work, prompting Coulton Waugh to write that Flowers displayed "about the finest line ever bequeathed ...

* news cartoon by Lance Nolly (formerly of the ''Austin American'' and the ''Dallas News'') * three-column village life feature by Oscar Hitt * two-column cartoon by Aleyn Burtis The AP service eventually made a full page of daily strips available, including ''

Dickie Dare ''Dickie Dare'' was a comic strip syndicated by AP Newsfeatures. Launched July 31, 1933, it was the first comic strip created by Milton Caniff before he began ''Terry and the Pirates''. The strip ended on October 12, 1957. Publication history ...

'' and ''

Oaky Doaks ''Oaky Doaks'' was an American newspaper comic strip, which ran between June 17, 1935, and December 30, 1961. It was distributed by AP Newsfeatures for more than 25 years, illustrated by veteran magazine cartoonist Ralph Fuller and scripted by AP ...

''. Other strips carried by AP included C. Mozier's ''Junior's Viewpoint'' (1935), Aldine Swank's panel ''Beautyettes'' (1935), Frank Stevens' ''Li'l Chief Hot-Shot'' (1945–46), Ed Sullivan's ''The Nerve of Some People'' (1945–46),

George Wunder George S. Wunder (April 24, 1912 – December 13, 1987) was a cartoonist best known for his 26 years illustrating the ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'' comic strip. Born in Manhattan, Wunder grew up in Kingston, New Y ...

's ''See for Yourself'' (1946), Rome Siemon's ''Little Moonfolks'' (1952),

Bud Sagendorf Forrest Cowles Sagendorf (March 22, 1915 – September 22, 1994), better known as Bud Sagendorf, was an American cartoonist, notable for his work on King Features Syndicate's '' Thimble Theatre Starring Popeye'' comic strip. Personal life Born ...

's ''Spur Line'' (1954-55) and Sylvia Robbins' panel, ''Don't Do That'' (1950–56). ''How Christmas Began'', which first appeared in 1951 and ran annually for five days each Christmas week, was drawn in an outline form, minus blacks or shadows, so children could color the panels. Flowers also created ''Oh, Diana!'', which was continued by Bill Champe and Phil Berube after Flowers left AP for

King Features King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial c ...

. Virginia Clark was drawing ''Oh, Diana!'' in 1947. Flowers' other AP creation, ''Modest Maidens'', was taken over by AP staff artist Jay Alan. AP carried a set number of strips, so a new strip was not added until one was dropped. When the ''Oaky Doaks'' daily debuted on June 17, 1935, it replaced Harold Detje's ''Be Scientific with Ol' Doc Dabble'' which ran from June 6, 1932, until June 15, 1935. In a similar fashion, when

Milton Caniff Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an People of the United States, American cartoonist famous for the ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips. Biography ...

learned of an opening while he was working on AP spot illustrations, he spent the weekend drawing samples, and Caniff's strip career was launched when his ''Dickie Dare'' began in 1933. The following year, ''Dickie Dare'' was taken over by

Coulton Waugh Frederick Coulton Waugh (; 10 March 1896 – 23 May 1973) was a cartoonist, painter, teacher and author, best known for his illustration work on the comic strip ''Dickie Dare'' and his book ''The Comics'' (1947), the first major study of the ...

.Holtz, Allan. ''Stripper's Guide''
/ref> In 1944, Charles Elsworth Honce became the assistant general manager of all AP special services, overseeing AP Newsfeatures and World Wide Photos, and that same year M. J. ("Joe") Wing stepped in as the general editor of AP Newsfeatures. The strips variously carried the tag "AP Newsfeatures," "AP Features" or in some cases, "The A.P."

AP Sunday comics

Over a decade passed before AP finally introduced

Sunday strip The Sunday comics or Sunday strip is the comic strip section carried in most western newspapers, almost always in color. Many newspaper readers called this section the Sunday funnies, the funny papers or simply the funnies. The first US newspap ...

s on March 7, 1942, in the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

''. The initial line-up: *''

The Adventures of Patsy ''The Adventures of Patsy'' was an American newspaper comic strip which ran from March 11, 1935, to April 2, 1955. Created by , it was syndicated by AP Newsfeatures. The Phantom Magician, an early supporting character in the strip, is regarded by ...

'' *''

'' *''Homer Hoopee'' *''Modest Maidens'' *''Neighborly Neighbors'' *''

'' *'' Scorchy Smith'' *''Sport Slants'' *''Strictly Private'' *''Things To Come'' AP sports cartoonist Tom Paprocki's ''Sport Slants'' began with the Sunday strips in 1942 and continued until March 6, 1955. Fred Locher worked with Rand Taylor on ''Homer Hoopee'', and Phil Berube drew the strip's final three years (1953–56). Hank Barrow wrote and drew ''Things to Come'', an AP Sunday feature focusing on speculative technology. The title derived from

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

The Shape of Things to Come ''The Shape of Things to Come'' is a work of science fiction by British writer H. G. Wells, published in 1933. It takes the form of a future history which ends in 2106. Synopsis A long economic slump causes a major war that leaves Europe dev ...

'' (1933). When Barrow departed in 1949 or 1950, the feature was taken over by Jim Bresnan. The Associated Press discontinued distribution of comic strips in 1961.

AP Newsfeatures strips and panels

*''

'' (1935–1954) originally by Mel Graff * ''Be Scientific with Ol' Doc Dabble'' by Harold Detje (June 6, 1932–June 15, 1935) * ''Beautyettes'' by Aldine Swank (1935) * ''Colonel Gilfeather'' / ''Mister Gilfeather'' / ''The Gay Thirties'' (March 17, 1930–Fall 1934), originally by Richard W. Dorgan — as ''Colonel Gilfeather'', appeared in about 80 newspapers; title later changed by Al Capp and then again by

* ''

'' originally by

and then

(July 31, 1933–1957) * ''Don't Do That'' by Sylvia Robbins (née Sneidman) (1950–1956) * ''Gloria'' by Julian Ollendorff (March 17, 1930–?) * ''Homer Hoopee'' (March 17, 1930–1956), originally by Fred Locher & Rand Taylor, then by Phil Berube * ''How Christmas Began'' by Sylvia Robbins (née Sneidman) (1951–?) * ''It Happens That Way Sometimes'' by Oscar Hitt (1930) * ''Junior's Viewpoint'' by C. Mozier (1935) * ''Li'l Chief Hot-Shot'' by Frank Stevens (1945–1946) * ''Little Moonfolks'' by Rome Siemon (1952) * ''Modest Maidens'' (March 17, 1930–October 20, 1945)Jay, Alex
"Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Don Flowers,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (Oct. 4, 2016). by

and then Jay Alan * ''Neighborly Neighbors'' (c. 1936––1955) originally by Oscar Hitt (c. 1936–1938) and then John Milt Morris (1938–1955) * ''The Nerve of Some People'' by Ed Sullivan (1945–1946) * ''

'' (June 17, 1935–1961) * ''Oh, Diana!'' (1931–c. 1947) originally by

and then Bill Champe, Phil Berube, and Virginia Clark * ''Puffy the Pig'' (October 13, 1930–c.1935) by

(1930–1931), then by W. A. Kolliker (1931–1933),

, and Mel Graff * ''Rollo Rollingstone'' (March 17, 1930–1933) originally by Bruce Barr (1930–1932) and then Tom Paprocki (1932–1933)Russell entry
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Accessed Nov. 3, 2018. * '' Scorchy Smith'' originally by John Terry (March 17, 1930–December 1961) * ''See for Yourself'' by

(1946) * ''Sport Slants'' by Tom Paprocki (March 7, 1942–March 6, 1955) * ''Spur Line'' by

(1954-1955) * ''Strictly Private'' / ''Peter Plink'' by Quin Hall (1940s) * ''Things To Come'' originally by Hank Barrow, then by Jim Bresnan (c. 1941–January 30, 1955)Holtz, Allan
"Obscurity of the Day: Things To Come,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (October 08, 2006).

References

{{reflist Comic strips Comic strip syndicates Newsfeatures