Etta Kett

Etta Kett is a teenage girl whose name playfully puns on "etiquette," originating as a newspaper comic strip before appearing in Dell's anthology comics. The strip centered on the social adventures and mishaps of a good-natured American teen navigating everyday life.

Etta Kett is a Golden Age gem who made her comic book debut in Dell's Popular Comics #93 in 1943, stepping into a wonderfully eclectic lineup that included Smilin' Jack, Felix the Cat, and Smokey Stover — the kind of all-star anthology company that defined the era's irresistible grab-bag charm. What makes her story genuinely remarkable is the longevity: a presence in comics stretching from 1943 all the way through 1997, a span of roughly 54 years that speaks to a character with real staying power across generations of readers. Her appearances across Popular Comics and Family Funnies place her squarely in the warm, slice-of-life tradition that Dell did so well, and her inclusion in Tijuana Bibles: Art and Wit in America's Forbidden Funnies signals she's earned a place in the broader cultural history of the American comic strip. For collectors with a soft spot for the Golden Age's more personal, everyday storytelling, Etta Kett is a name well worth seeking out.