Charlie Chaplin's Comic Capers | |
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![]() Daily comic from E.C. Segar's tenure on the series. | |
Author(s) | Stuart Wallace Carothers, Warren & Ramsey, Elzie Crisler Segar |
Current status/schedule | Canceled daily strip |
Launch date | 29 March 1915 (daily) 12 March 1916 (Sunday) |
End date | July 15, 1916 (daily) September 16, 1917 (Sunday) |
Syndicate(s) | Keeley-Handy Syndicate |
Publisher(s) | Chicago Herald, M.A. Donohue & Co. |
Genre(s) | Gag-a-day, Humor Slapstick |
Charlie Chaplin's Comic Capers was an American gag-a-day celebrity comics comic strip by Stuart Carothers [1] and later Elzie C. Segar starring Charlie Chaplin. It ran in syndication from March 29, 1915, until September 16, 1917. [2] It was one of the earliest comic strips inspired by the popularity of a celebrity.
Charlie Chaplin's Comic Capers was published in the Chicago Herald. [3] The comic strip cashed in on the tremendous popularity of the comedian at the time. It was created by Stewart W. Carothers in March 1915, [2] who drew and wrote the stories until his tragic early death from defenestration. [1] Two cartoonists credited as Warren and Ramsey took over the series until they were replaced by Elzie C. Segar, at that time still an amateur. [4] On February 29, 1916, Segar published his first Chaplin strip. The daily version ran until July 15, 1916. His Sunday version ran longer, from March 12, 1916, until September 16, 1917. [5] [6] It was his first professional cartooning job. Contrary to his predecessors, who mostly borrowed ideas from Chaplin's films, Segar thought up his own jokes. He gave Chaplin a tiny sidekick named "Luke the Gook" to act as a straight man to his gags.
In 1917, five books were published by M.A. Donohue & Co., in 'Best of' style collections. Four of them being painting/coloring books. [7] These books are considered to be from the Platinum Age. [8]
Published collections;
Despite Chaplin's popularity, the comic strip wasn't a huge success in the United States, mostly due to the fact that all artists involved were basically amateurs.