Humpty Dumpty

A comic-strip interpretation of the classic nursery-rhyme egg character, this Humpty Dumpty debuted in the humor magazine Life in 1917, illustrated by Rea Irvin, bringing the familiar egg-shaped figure from traditional folklore into early American comics.

Few characters can claim a Platinum Age pedigree stretching all the way back to 1917, but this Humpty Dumpty — brought to life by the legendary Rea Irvin in the pages of Life — is exactly that kind of rare find. Over a remarkable publishing span touching nearly a century, the character has turned up across a wonderfully eclectic range of titles, from classic Four Color issues to the cozy, jam-packed world of Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest, sharing pages with beloved Archie universe staples like Jughead Jones, Moose Mason, and Pop Tate. Six catalog appearances may sound modest, but for a character whose roots reach into comics' earliest era, each one is a small piece of history worth tracking down.