Medium: Newspaper Comics
Originally Appearing in: The New York Herald
First Appeared: 1902
Creator: Richard F. Outcault
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"Buster Brown" is one of the most phenomenal merchandising successes in
the history of comics. Millions of people are familiar with Buster Brown
shoes, introduced at the 1904 World Fair but hardly anyone is aware
of the character's comic strip origins. R. F. Outcault introduced "Buster Brown" in 1902 and he was loosely based on a boy near his home in Flushing, N.Y. Like the "Yellow Kid", Buster also got into trouble every Sunday, but it was a "nicer grade of trouble". Buster's constant companion was his dog, Tige, said to be the first talking pet in American comics. Tige's speech was never observed by adults. He sometimes functioned as a half-hearted conscience for Buster, sometimes as a sentry, and sometimes as a Greek chorus, commenting on the action without directly taking part. |