Frederick Opper’s strips are probably the closest thing to slapstick on a comics page I’ve seen… the humor is usually physical, which often seems odd on a static comics page. For some reason, it works for Opper. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve had the chance to read a lot of Opper lately. If you’ve been enjoying them, you’ll want to watch for The Comics Journal #284 which will have a feature on Opper. Dirk Deppey on ¡Journalista! recently noted:
The Comics Journal #284, currently at the printer, will contain a generous selection from such Opper strips as Happy Hooligan, Alphonse and Gaston, and the aforementioned Maud, as well as a lengthy and informative essay on the pioneering cartoonist’s career by Jared Gardner.
Here are some other Opper strips from Coconino Classics.
Here are some other Opper strips at Barnacle Press.
Click here to read the lambiek.net entry on Frederick Opper.