Abe Martin was an American newspaper gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Kin Hubbard and published from 1904 until 1937 in The Indianapolis News and other newspapers.[1]
| Abe Martin | |
|---|---|
 First recognized Abe Martin cartoon | |
| Author(s) | Kin Hubbard |
| Current status/schedule | Concluded gag-a-day strip |
| Launch date | December 17, 1904 |
| End date | 1937 |
| Syndicate(s) | John F. Dille Co. (c. 1916–1937) |
| Publisher(s) | The Indianapolis News |
| Genre(s) | Humor comics |
Character
editAbe Martin was an anti-hero character, making wisecracker jokes and uttering sayings which became popular over the country. He made his first appearance on December 17, 1904.[2] Originally the character's locality wasn't specified, but in a strip from February 3, 1905, he announced: "I'm goin' ter move ter Brown County Tewmorrow", which he did.[3] At the time the character's popularity was such that by 1910 over 200 newspapers carried the strip and special almanacs were made.[4] Notable fans were George Ade, Will Rogers, and James Whitcomb Riley.[2] In an interview with Dick Cavett, S. J. Perelman said Groucho Marx read and quoted Hubbard's writing.[5]
Early version
editThe Indianapolis News published a cartoon by Hubbard on September 15, 1904, featuring another character named Abe Martin.
Other one-panel cartoons of the era
editExternal links
edit- "List of Hubbard's 'Abe Martin' books". The Indianapolis News. August 7, 1944.
Sources
edit- ^ Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780472117567.
- ^ a b Weaver, Bill. "Abe Martin Lives," Our Brown County. Accessed Nov. 18, 2018.
- ^ Abe Martin History Archived September 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Brown County State Park website. Accessed Nov. 18, 2018.
- ^ Abe Martin's Almanac for 1909, p. 0, at Google Books[dead link]
- ^ Groucho & Cavett, American Masters DVD, bonus materials, 2021
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