A topper in

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

parlance is a small secondary strip seen along with a larger

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 ...

. In the 1920s and 1930s, leading cartoonists were given full pages in the

Sunday comics 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 ...

sections, allowing them to add smaller strips and single-panel cartoons to their page. Toppers usually were drawn by the same artist as the larger strip. These strips usually were positioned at the top of the page (hence their name), but they sometimes ran beneath the main strip. Toppers were introduced by

King Features Syndicate 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, editoria ...

during the 1920s, enabling newspaper editors to claim more comic strips without adding more pages. The practice allowed newspapers to drop the topper and place another strip or an additional advertisement into the Sunday comics section. They also made it possible to reformat a strip from full-page size to tabloid size.Markstein, Don. Toonopedia
/ref> In 1904,

Frederick Opper Frederick Burr Opper (January 2, 1857 – August 28, 1937) is regarded as one of the pioneers of American newspaper comic strips, best known for his comic strip '' Happy Hooligan''. His comic characters were featured in magazine gag cartoons, c ...

drew his ''

And Her Name Was Maud ''And Her Name Was Maud'' is a comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper. It first appeared in the Hearst newspapers on July 24, 1904.Happy Hooligan ''Happy Hooligan'' is an American comic strip, the first major strip by the already celebrated cartoonist Frederick Burr Opper. It debuted with a Sunday strip on March 11, 1900 in the William Randolph Hearst newspapers, and was one of the first p ...

'', and it ran along with ''Happy Hooligan'' until both strips came to a conclusion on October 14, 1932. On May 16, 1926,

Harold Knerr Harold Hering Knerr (September 4, 1882 – July 8, 1949) was an American comic strip creator, who signed his work H. H. Knerr. He was the writer-artist of the comic strip ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' for 35 years. Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, H ...

began ', a topper to ''

The Katzenjammer Kids ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' is an American comic strip created by Rudolph Dirks in 1897 and later drawn by Harold Knerr for 35 years (1914 to 1949).Barney Google ''Barney Google and Snuffy Smith'', originally ''Take Barney Google, F'rinstance'', is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck. Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a large international readership, appearin ...

'' was ''Parlor Bedroom and Sink'', which evolved into ''Parlor Bedroom and Sink Starring Bunky'' and eventually was titled simply ''Bunky''. In the mid-1930s, DeBeck added alongside ''Bunky'' a single-panel topper, ''Knee-Hi-Knoodles'', depictions of kids' funny remarks (contributed by readers). ''Bunky'' spawned the

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

, "Youse is a viper, Fagin." A big fan of ''Bunky'' was pulp author Robert E. Howard, who liked to quote from the strip, as noted by his friend Tevis Clyde Smith:

Spinoffs

Characters in toppers sometimes turned up in the main strip, such as Herby appearing in '' Smitty'', and Kitty Higgins joining the cast of ''

Moon Mullins ''Moon Mullins'' is an American comic strip which had a run as both a daily and Sunday feature from June 19, 1923 to June 2, 1991. Syndicated by the Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate, the strip depicts the lives of diverse lowbrow characte ...

''. In a few cases, the topper introduced characters later developed into a successful Sunday page, as happened when ''

Krazy Kat ''Krazy Kat'' (also known as ''Krazy & Ignatz'' in some reprints and compilations) is an US, American newspaper comic strip, by cartoonist George Herriman, which ran from 1913 to 1944. It first appeared in the ''New York Journal-American, New Yor ...

'' became a spin-off from ''The Family Upstairs'' and Roy Crane's ''

Wash Tubbs ''Wash Tubbs'' is an American daily comic strip created by Roy Crane that ran from April 14, 1924 to 1949, when it merged into Crane's related Sunday page, ''Captain Easy''. Crane left both strips in 1943 to begin ''Buz Sawyer'', but a series of ...

'' appeared over J. R. Williams' '' Out Our Way with the Willets'' Sunday strip. The ''Wash Tubbs'' Sunday strip ran in that format from 1927 until 1933, when Crane launched ''

Captain Easy '' Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune '' is an American action/adventure comic strip created by Roy Crane that was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association beginning on Sunday, July 30, 1933. The strip ran for more than five decades until it ...

'' as a Sunday page (featuring Wash Tubbs as a secondary character).

Gene Ahern Eugene Leslie Ahern (September 16, 1895 – March 6, 1960) was a cartoonist best known for his bombastic Major Hoople, a pompous character who appeared in the long-run syndicated gag panel '' Our Boarding House''. Many of Ahern's comic strips took ...

's topper ''The Squirrel Cage'', which ran above his ''

Room and Board Room and board is a phrase describing a situation in which, in exchange for money, Manual labour, labor or other considerations, a person is provided with a place to live as well as meals on a comprehensive basis. It commonly occurs as a fee at h ...

'', is notable because of the repetitive use of the nonsensical question, '"Nov shmoz ka pop?", which was never translated yet became a national

. As a consequence, ''The Squirrel Cage'' is today better remembered than ''Room and Board'', despite its 17-year run. On at least one occasion, a character exited the topper and dropped down into the main strip. This happened on April 17, 1938, when an absent-minded character in the ''Rosie's Beau'' topper realized he was in the wrong place and climbed down into the first panel of ''

Bringing Up Father ''Bringing Up Father'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 2, 1913, to May 28, 2000. The strip was later titled ''Jiggs and Maggie'' (or ''M ...

'', arriving in the living room of Maggie and Jiggs. During the 1940s, ''Snookums'' ran as the topper above ''Bringing Up Father''. In the final episode of HBO's '' The Pacific'' (2010), Robert Leckie (

James Badge Dale James Badge Dale (born May 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chase Edmunds in '' 24'', Robert Leckie in '' The Pacific'', State Trooper Barrigan in Martin Scorsese's ''The Departed'', Luke Lewenden in '' The Grey'', Eric Sa ...

) is seen reading ''Snookums''. During its long run, ''

Pete the Tramp ''Pete the Tramp'' is an American comic strip by Clarence D. Russell (1895–1963) which was distributed by King Features Syndicate for more than three decades, from January 10, 1932 to December 22, 1963. Howard Eugene Wilson, in the ''Harvard Ed ...

'' had several topper strips, as detailed by comic strip historian

Allan Holtz Allan Holtz () is a comic strip historian who researches and writes about newspaper comics for his Stripper's Guide blog, launched in 2005. His research encompasses some 7,000 American comic strips and newspaper panels. In addition to his contribu ...

Toppers bottom out

In half-page format comics, toppers at times appeared at the bottom; if removed, the remaining comic fit in a third page. Some toppers consisted of only a single panel, an example being those that accompanied '' Joe Palooka'' in the mid-1940s. Holtz notes: And further: Some strips continued to supply toppers into the 1960s, and in a few cases even the 1970s. ''Maw Green'' in ''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' is a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and it made its debut on Aug ...

'' was the last Sunday strip topper, except for the brief use of the topper

parodies A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

''Sawdust'' and ''The Invisible Tribe'' in ''

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...

''. Many newspapers in the late 1980s ran Jim Davis' '' U.S. Acres'' alongside Davis' own ''

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human ...

'' (also the most popular comic at the time). However, both were stand-alone strips and sold separately (also, unlike most toppers, ''U.S. Acres'' also had a daily strip until very late in its run). Some

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

and

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

comic artists have used toppers in their work, though not in the context of a Sunday strip. The strip '' Fat Freddy's Cat'' appeared as a topper in the underground

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' is an Underground comix, underground comic about a fictional trio of Cannabis culture, stoner characters, created by the American artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in ''The Rag'', an u ...

''.

Tony Millionaire Tony Millionaire (born Scott Richardson in 1956) is an American cartoonist, illustrator and author known for his syndicated comic strip ''Maakies'' and the ''Sock Monkey'' series of comics and picture books. He lives in Yarmouth, Maine at Pleas ...

's weekly comic strip ''

Maakies ''Maakies'' is a comic strip by Tony Millionaire. It began publication in February 1994 in the ''New York Press''. It has previously run in many American alternative newsweeklies including '' The Stranger'', ''LA Weekly'' and ''Only''. It has a ...

'' is perhaps the only contemporary syndicated strip to run a topper (which appears at the bottom of the main strip and lacks a consistent title). Toppers have also been used in some comics by

Chris Ware Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American cartoonist known for his ''Acme Novelty Library'' series (begun 1994) and the graphic novels ''Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth'' (2000), ''Building Stories'' (2012 ...

and

Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes (; born April 14, 1961) is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in '' Eightball'', a solo anthology comic book series. An ''Eightball'' issue typical ...

to mimic the format of a

page. A variant of the topper, "throwaway" panels containing a "throwaway gag" (inessential to the thrust of the strip) remain common , and allow different formats depending on available space.

Notable toppers

*''

Alley Oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters an ...

'Dinny's Family Album'' (1934-1937) *''

Barney Google ''Barney Google and Snuffy Smith'', originally ''Take Barney Google, F'rinstance'', is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck. Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a large international readership, appearin ...

'Bughouse Fables'' (1926), ''Bunky'' (originally ''Parlor Bedroom and Sink'', 1926-1948), ''Knee-Hi-Knoodles'' (single panel, 1934-1935) *'' Blondie'The Family Foursome'' (1930-1935), ''Colonel Potterby and the Duchess'' (1935-1958, running as a stand-alone strip until 1963) *''

Boob McNutt ''Boob McNutt'' was a comic strip by Rube Goldberg which ran from June 9, 1918 to September 23, 1934. It was syndicated by the McNaught Syndicate from 1922 until the end of its run. Publication history Comics historian Don Markstein traced ...

'Bertha the Siberian Cheesehound'' (1926, started as a topper but soon became a supporting character with Boob) *''

Boots and Her Buddies ''Boots and Her Buddies'' was an American comic strip by Edgar Martin that ran from 1924 to 1968, syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Some newspapers presented the strip under the shortened title ''Boots''. The character of Boots ...

'Babe 'n' Horace'' (1939-1968) *''

'Rosie's Beau'' (1926-1944), ''Snookums'' (1944-1956) *''

The Bungle Family ''The Bungle Family'' is an American gag-a-day comic strip, created by Harry J. Tuthill, that first appeared in 1918. Originally titled ''Home, Sweet Home'', it first appeared as part of a series of rotating strips in the ''New York Evening Mai ...

'Little Brother'' (1926-1937), ''Short Stories'' (1937-1938) *''

The Captain and the Kids ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' is an American comic strip created by Rudolph Dirks in 1897 and later drawn by Harold Knerr for 35 years (1914 to 1949).Hawkshaw the Detective'' (drawn by

Gus Mager Charles Augustus Mager (1878–1956), better known as Gus Mager, was an American painter, illustrator and cartoonist during the first half of the 20th century. He was the creator of several comic strips, notably ''Hawkshaw the Detective'' and '' S ...

, 1931-1952) *''

Connie Connie is a given name. It is often a pet form (hypocorism) of Concetta, Constance, Cornelia, or Cornelius. Given name or nickname Women * Connie Achurra, Chilean chef * Connie Binsfeld (1924–2014), American politician * Connie Booth ...

'The Wet Blanket'' (1931-1936) *''

Count Screwloose Count Screwloose is a character in the comic strip ''Count Screwloose from Tooloose'' by Milt Gross, introduced on February 17, 1929. The count is portrayed as a mentally ill man who frequently leaves Nuttycrest Sanitarium, the insane asylum where ...

'Banana Oil'', ''Babbling Brooks'', ''Otto and Blotto'' *''

'Crimestopper's Textbook'' (1949-present, now running as a throwaway panel) *''

Ella Cinders ''Ella Cinders'' is an American syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed for most of its run by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page foll ...

'Chris Crusty'' (1931-1941) *''

The Family Upstairs ''The Family Upstairs'' is a play in three acts by Harry Delf. It has a medium-sized cast, one setting, and quick pacing. It is a domestic comedy, centered around the five-member apartment-dwelling Heller family, their endless bickering, and the ...

'' (bottom, first Krazy Kat appearance) *''

' Fat Freddy's Cat'' (bottom, underground imitation of vintage strip format) *''

Felix the Cat Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer during the silent film era. An anthropomorphic black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, he was one of the most recognized cartoon charac ...

'Laura'' (1926-1935), ''Bobby Dazzler'' (1935-1940) *''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

Jungle Jim Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle ...

'' (1934-1954, sometimes published as separate strip) *'' Freckles and His Friends'Hector'' (1944-1973) *''

Gasoline Alley ''Gasoline Alley'' is a comic strip created by Frank King and distributed by Tribune Content Agency. It centers on the lives of patriarch Walt Wallet, his family, and residents in the town of Gasoline Alley, with storylines reflecting traditio ...

'That Phoney Nickel'' (1930-1933, bottom), ''Little Brother Hugo'' (1944-1973) *''

The Gumps ''The Gumps'' is a comic strip about a middle-class family. It was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917, until October 17, 1959. According to a 1937 issue of ''Life'', ''The Gumps'' was i ...

'Cousin Juniper'' (1944-1955) *''

Happy Hooligan ''Happy Hooligan'' is an American comic strip, the first major strip by the already celebrated cartoonist Frederick Burr Opper. It debuted with a Sunday strip on March 11, 1900 in the William Randolph Hearst newspapers, and was one of the first p ...

And Her Name Was Maud ''And Her Name Was Maud'' is a comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper. It first appeared in the Hearst newspapers on July 24, 1904.Harold Teen ''Harold Teen'' is a discontinued, long-running American comic strip written and drawn by Carl Ed (pronounced "eed"). Publisher Joseph Medill Patterson may have suggested and certainly approved the strip's concept, loosely based on Booth Tarkingt ...

'Josie'' (1935early 40s) *''Hollywood Johnnie'Movie Struck'' (1946-1948) *'' Joe Palooka'Fisher's Looney Legends'' (1932-1933), ''Fisher's History of Boxing'' (1933-1937), ''Joe Palooka's Album'' (1938-1943), ''War Time Anecdotes'' (1943-1945) *''

The Katzenjammer Kids ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' is an American comic strip created by Rudolph Dirks in 1897 and later drawn by Harold Knerr for 35 years (1914 to 1949).Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbilly, hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written a ...

'Washable Jones'' (1935), ''Advice fo' Chillun'' (1935-1943), ''Small Change'' (1942-1944) *''

Little Annie Rooney ''Little Annie Rooney'' is a comic strip about a young orphaned girl who traveled about with her dog, Zero. King Features Syndicate launched the strip on January 10, 1927, not long after it was apparent that the Chicago Tribune Syndicate had ...

'Ming Foo'' (1935-1943) *'' Little Jimmy'

Mr. Jack ''Mr. Jack'' is an American comic strip by Jimmy Swinnerton which ran in William Randolph Hearst newspapers from August 30, 1903 until 1935. Mr. Jack, a philandering playboy tiger, may be the first developed cartoon animal character, a type ...

'' (1926–1935) *'' Little Joe'Ze Gen'ral'' (1943-1960s) *''

'Maw Green'' (1933-1973)ran along the bottom, last Sunday comics topper *'' Mickey Finn'Nippie: He's Often Wrong!'' (1936-1946) *''

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...

'' ''Silly Symphony'' (1932-1945) *''

'Kitty Higgins'' (1930-1973) *''

Mutt and Jeff ''Mutt and Jeff'' was a long-running and widely popular American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Bud Fisher in 1907 about "two mismatched tinhorns". It is commonly regarded as the first daily comic strip. The concept of a newspape ...

'Cicero's Cat'' (1933-1972) *''

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 ...

' The Nut Bros: Ches and Wal'' (1931-1965) *'' Out Our Way with the Willets'

'' (1927-1933) *''

'Pete's Pup'' (1932-1935), ''The Topper Twins'' (1935), ''Snorky'' (1935-1939) *''

Polly and Her Pals ''Polly and Her Pals'' is an American comic strip, created by cartoonist Cliff Sterrett, which ran from December 4, 1912, until December 7, 1958. It is regarded as one of the most graphically innovative strips of the 20th century. It debuted as ...

'Dot and Dash'' (1926-1928, originally ''Damon and Pythias''), ''Belles and Wedding Bells'' (1930-1943, originally ''Sweethearts and Wives'') *''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'The Medieval Castle'' (1944-1945) *''

Red Ryder Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

'Little Beaver'' (1938-1946) *'' Reg'lar Fellers'Daisybelle'' (1934-1940), ''Zoolie'' (1944-1949) *''

'The Squirrel Cage'' (1936-1947) *'' Skippy'Always Belittlin'' (1926-1940) *'' Smitty'Herby'' (1931-1974) *'' Smokey Stover'Spooky'' (1935-1972) *''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

'Lois Lane Girl Reporter''.Holtz, Allan. "Obscurity of the Day: Lois Lane, Girl Reporter" January 11, 2007.
/ref> *'' Sweeney & Son'Jinglet'' (1933-1960) *'' Texas Slim and Dirty Dalton'Buzzy'' (1943-1953) *''

They'll Do It Every Time ''They'll Do It Every Time'' is a single-panel newspaper comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which had a long run over eight decades, first appearing on February 5, 1929, and continuing until February 3, 2008. The title of the strip became a pop ...

Little Iodine ''Little Iodine'' is an American Sunday comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which was syndicated by King Features and ran from August 15, 1943 until August 14, 1983. The strip was a spin-off of ''They'll Do It Every Time'', an earlier Hatlo crea ...

'' (spinoff, 1943-1983), ''Hatlo's Inferno'' (1953-1958) *''

Thimble Theatre Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Tillie the Toiler ''Tillie the Toiler'' is a newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Russ Westover who initially worked on his concept of a flapper character in a strip he titled ''Rose of the Office''. With a title change, it sold to King Features Syndicate ...

'The Van Swaggers Starring Aunt Min'' (1926-1943) *''

Tim Tyler's Luck ''Tim Tyler's Luck'' is an adventure comic strip created by Lyman Young, elder brother of '' Blondie'' creator Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip ran from August 13, 1928, until August 24, 1996. Characters and story ...

(1935-1945) *''

Toots and Casper ''Toots and Casper'' is a family comic strip by Jimmy Murphy, distributed to newspapers for 37 years by King Features Syndicate, from December 17, 1918 to December 30, 1956. The strip spawned many merchandising tie-ins, including books, dolls, p ...

'It's Poppa Who Pays!'' (1926-1956) *'' Up Anchor'Water Lore'' (1968-1972) *''

Winnie Winkle ''Winnie Winkle'' is an American comic strip published during a 76-year span (1920–1996). Ten film adaptations were also made. Its premise was conceived by Joseph Medill Patterson, but the stories and artwork were by Martin Branner, who wrote ...

'Looie'' (1931-1962)

Spinoffs

Toppers bottom out

Notable toppers

References

Further reading