Mutt and Jeff

Mutt and Jeff was a comic strip that was started by Bud Fisher in 1907 under the title A. Mutt. The Strip remained for 75 years, was continued by several signatories and was the basis for several hundred films.

Content

At first it was in the comics to Augustus Mutt who likes to bet on horses passionate and mostly loses. Highlight of the stories was that these were real horses, which should start at the appearance of the respective Strips day; Therefore, the strip appeared on the sports page of the San Francisco Chronicle. The figure of the former boxer Jeffrey aka Jeff first appeared on March 27, 1908, when Mutt met him in a madhouse. In 1910 Jeff was an integral part of the comic; from 1916 his name appeared also in the title. The adventures revolved initially only to events on the racecourse, the two title characters later went on trips, where they met, among others, on Pancho Villa and participated in the First World War. In 1908 it also comes to an unsuccessful candidacy Mutts for the office of U.S. president.

Draftsman and publication

Inventor and the first illustrator was Bud Fisher. On November 15, 1907 appeared on the sports page of the San Francisco Chronicle.zum first time his strip A. Mutt, which had a strong resemblance to a few years earlier appeared Strip A. Piker Clerk by Clare Briggs. Fisher was so successful that he was lured away with his strip after just four weeks of William Randolph Hearst's San Francisco Examiner. Later Fisher, who had early secured the rights to the Strip changed, to Wheeler Syndicate, leading to a dispute with the Hearst Group by, since Ed Mack was hired by Hearst to sign Mutt and Jeff continue. After completion of the Fisher positively outgoing dispute Mack was hired by Fisher and created in the 1920s, a majority of these drawings Already quite early Fisher had begun to let draw his comics wizard and this only to sign, because it is as its title character enjoyed going to horse racing. In the 1920s, therefore, the artist was hired Billy Liverpool to relieve Fisher. Another assistant Fishers was at that time still largely unknown George Herriman. Also unknown was the still young Maurice Sendak, who also assisted in the 1940s Fisher.

The artist Al Smith was from 1932 Ghost illustrator for Fisher and sparked Liverpool and Mack from. After Fisher's death in 1954, Smith took over the comic strip official. He assisted in the 1950s and 1960s, Joe Dennett. In 1980, George Breisach took over the strip of Al Smith. Two years later, the comic strip has been set.

Unlike many other successful comic strips of the era remained A. Mutt or Mutt and Jeff for a long time without Sunday page; the strip was published only six days in the week week. Only in 1918 a Sunday page has been set up. From 1910, were reprinted in book form in newspapers published daily strips; Fisher reached with Mutt and Jeff 23 different volumes.

Since 1911 numerous Mutt -and- Jeff - films were produced, most of them as cartoon. In total, over 300 films have been published. As early as 1910 there was the first musicals and stage shows.

Reception

In the 1922 novel, Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis reads the title character Adventures of Mutt and Jeff. Andreas C. Knigge sees Bud Fisher as those who managed to establish with Mutt and Jeff daily strip the. For Franco Fossati are the reasons for the popularity of comics in the "simple gags and intentionally paradoxical comedy ". The charm of the early strips of the series was reported to Marc Weidenbaum also that the readers share with Mutt the thrill of the bet and could bet for or against him, since the horse actually started. Jeff as the second character in the series have given new life, after the original concept had worn. Although the drawings Fishers were " crude and awkward ," the comic was so successful that " mutt'n'jeff " was passed as a name for an odd couple in the common usage of English.