100 Years of American Newspaper Comics #[nn]

Edited by Maurice Horn, this illustrated encyclopedia is a genuine treasure chest for anyone who loves the funnies — a century of American newspaper comics gathered between two covers. The cover itself makes the scope irresistible, assembling a cheerful crowd of strip characters spanning generations: a bald kid in a yellow gown waving atop a Sunday News Comics section, Calvin and his tiger bounding along the bottom, a yellow-trenchcoated detective, a blond couple strolling with a small dog, a cat-and-mouse duo, a figure in a pointed hat, a tall stilted character, a soldier, and a speeding rocket overhead. Published in 1996, it's a vibrant snapshot of just how richly diverse — and wonderfully weird — the newspaper comics tradition truly is.