I don't know if H.T. Webster ever did a color Sunday strip (maybe
The Timid Soul), but his single panels are some of the most evocative of what I imagine small town life in the early and mid twentieth century to have been like.
Under titles like "The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime," "Life's Darkest Moment," and "Boyhood Ambitions," he chronicled those instances that created memories that last forever, and made it easy for the reader to share both the ecstasy or the pain of his characters, as the case may be.
This is one of my favorites: the captains of industry being held captive by their lack of clothes. Classic stuff.
Webster's style is realistic, certainly in substance if not drawing technique, and funny without any need to exaggerate for effect.
But he could be quite poignant on occasion too, not the least in his series on dogs, as above.
Casper Miquetoast, the Timid Soul, was his most famous recurring character, a man who shied away from even the slightest hint of confrontation (however innocuous).
I wonder if he ever did a panel combining "The Timid Soul" with "The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime"-- it would be nice to see Casper come out on top just once, even if only in his imagination.
There's something about these cartoons that really promotes the idea of empathy for our fellow humans, and I think that's a worthwhile accomplishment-- in fact I wish that were more evident in today's popular culture.
I read a fair amount about classic comic strips, but H.T. Webster's name doesn't come up nearly as often as he deserves. I hope my casting a spotlight on him here earns him at least a few more fans.
I don't know if H.T. Webster ever did a color Sunday strip (maybe The Timid Soul), but his single panels are some of the most evocative of what I imagine small town life in the early and mid twentieth century to have been like.
Under titles like "The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime," "Life's Darkest Moment," and "Boyhood Ambitions," he chronicled those instances that created memories that last forever, and made it easy for the reader to share both the ecstasy or the pain of his characters, as the case may be.
This is one of my favorites: the captains of industry being held captive by their lack of clothes. Classic stuff.
Webster's style is realistic, certainly in substance if not drawing technique, and funny without any need to exaggerate for effect.
But he could be quite poignant on occasion too, not the least in his series on dogs, as above.
Casper Miquetoast, the Timid Soul, was his most famous recurring character, a man who shied away from even the slightest hint of confrontation (however innocuous).
I wonder if he ever did a panel combining "The Timid Soul" with "The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime"-- it would be nice to see Casper come out on top just once, even if only in his imagination.
There's something about these cartoons that really promotes the idea of empathy for our fellow humans, and I think that's a worthwhile accomplishment-- in fact I wish that were more evident in today's popular culture.
I read a fair amount about classic comic strips, but H.T. Webster's name doesn't come up nearly as often as he deserves. I hope my casting a spotlight on him here earns him at least a few more fans.
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