The newspaper comic book strip industry isn't nearly as large as it once was. During its heyday plenty of artists and writers were competing against one another for those all-important paper slots. They had to grab the attention of the reader, through their witty dialogue and fun art styles.
The art style is integral to the success of a comic strip. Some of the most iconic comic strips of all time have been elevated because of the visual choices the creators/artists made. Wacky caricatures, whimsical sketches, and over-the-top drawings have all contributed to a medium that takes an alternative look at the world.
10 Peanuts
Peanuts was created by Charles M. Schulz who wrote and illustrated the comic strip. It was syndicated by United Feature Syndicate and then Universal Uclick/Andrews McMeel Syndication. With the original run starting in 1950, it's fair to say that the concept had a lot of potential and Schulz's artistic talents have a lot to do with its longevity.
Peanuts is incredibly simple in its visual style. Schulz used basic geometric shapes for all Peanuts character designs, with solid continuity across their round faces and small frames. The Peanuts comics were known for more populated background settings compared to most of the medium, giving a sense of realism to each scene. Schulz was a fan of creating still frames. He would have a character stand in a single position for a few panels to create a pause before launching into a sudden piece of action.
9 Garfield
Garfield was initially created by Jim Davis and was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate and United Feature Syndicate. It has run since 1976, beginning as a strip called Jon. Compared to other comic strips, Garfield's visual style is so entrenched in the brand that it has carried over to the character's animated adaptations.
The hilarious Garfield was a little more cartoony than most comic strip characters and once the vibrant colors were added to the palette, the grumpy cat and his world were truly brought to life. Davis would usually use very sparse backgrounds to instead put the focus on the characters. Their style is reminiscent of Looney Tunes designs, with the flexibility of the characters allowing for over-the-top moments of physical comedy.
8 Calvin And Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes was imagined by Bill Watterson and debuted in 1985. It was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate. It is widely known for its black-and-white style of art, despite the fact that the stories have also been published in color. The comic put the focus on the bond between the two titular characters, as they continued to learn the ways of the world.
Calvin and Hobbes was always a little more experimental in its artistic style. Rather than the soft curves of other comic strips, it instead opted for jagged lines and sketchy character designs. Each frame felt different, with the backdrops changing rapidly. Calvin and Hobbes' art style ultimately produced a sense of adventure, with a natural energy imbued in each page thanks to the unexpected choices of lines.
7 The Family Circus
Previously known as The Family Circle and The Family-Go-Round, The Family Circus series was ultimately founded by Bill Keane. It began in 1960 and was syndicated by Register and Tribune Syndicate and King Features Syndicate. The comic relied on the comedy of its core nuclear family and their misadventures in a seemingly mundane world.
The Family Circus didn't rely on character designs that were overly groundbreaking or innovative. In fact, that was a part of its charm. Its art style created the sense that this was a run-of-the-mill family that wasn't at all extraordinary. But that simplicity led to its single-panel relatability. The art also put the focus on the captions and acted as if it was a snapshot of anyone's life. The control Keane therefore showed over the art was all the more important for its storytelling.
6 The Far Side
The Far Side was crafted by Gary Larson. It ran from 1979-1995, giving the artist a huge array of opportunities to truly hone in on his unique style. It was syndicated by Chronicle Features and Universal Press Syndicate and was designed as a satirical comic known for its absurdist humor.
The Far Side's basic premise thus meant that the art style had to be just as malleable and ridiculous to allow for higher-quality visual gags. The Far Side had a style unto itself, with the world defined by its caricatures and larger-than-life approach to object and background design. Larson wanted to make as much of an impact as possible in a single frame. In this case the louder the art, the better.
5 Dilbert
The work-based comedy comic Dilbert was created by Scott Adams. It began running in 1989 and has been syndicated by Universal Uclick and United Feature Syndicate. The strength of Dilbert has always been its witty writing and the art style had to complement its non-stop gags.
Dilbert is elevated by its visual humor, with Adams relying on a cartoonish rubbery quality to his characters and world. Although the backdrop is always sparsely populated, the quirkiness of the characters themselves makes up for that. There are clear stylistic choices here, with the simplicity of the basic facial features somehow conveying more emotion. The boring business attires are a wonderful touch, contrasted with a range of wacky hairstyles. Adams has created a balancing act between office mundanity and visual flare.
4 The Addams Family
The world may know The Addams Family because of the live-action movies, animated features, and TV show Wednesday. But The Addams Family was a comic strip created by Charles Addams in 1938. It appeared in the New Yorker originally and was immediately defined by its macabre art style.
The Addams Family is starkly different from many other comic strips in the industry. The single-panel storytelling technique is especially effective because of the portrait approach that Addams had taken. Each comic is a detailed work of art, with the characters enthused with horror elements to truly play into their wacky backstory. Every Addams Family comic is truly a visual feast, with Addams putting even more detail into the background world-building to create its trademark gloomy atmosphere.
3 Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat is far from the cleverest comic strip character, but he was a fantastic catalyst for George Herriman's comedy. Krazy Kat debuted in 1913 and was syndicated by King Features Syndicate. The gag-of-the-day approach to storytelling meant that the visuals truly had to carry the whole brand.
Krazy Kat is reminiscent of the classic animated cartoons that children would have grown up with in the 1940s and 50s. In fact, this art style was thus ahead of its time. It helped pioneer slapstick techniques, with the animal leads moving in unnatural ways to best convey the narrative. The background scenes were always built up in realistic ways so the absurd character designs stood out. The lead designs are incredibly famous despite how bare they are in their detailing.
2 Life In Hell
Life in Hell was imagined by Matt Groening in 1977. The comic strip was syndicated by Copley News Service, and it had become well known for its unique satire and often use of black comedy. Aimed at a slightly older target audience, its intellectual writing was matched with absurdist art choices.
Life in Hell has created its fair share of adorable characters, thanks to the artistic style Groening has made famous on The Simpsons. The rounded and rubbery characters all share the same kind of detailing across the face that can be found on the animated series. Groening would often strip back any background distractions to focus further on the characters themselves. There's a humor-filled quirkiness to the way the characters move across the page that isn't replicated anywhere else.
1 Blondie
Blondie is a comic strip that was created by Chic Young in 1930. It has been syndicated by King Features Syndicate and is famous for how it has adapted with the times. While the roles of the lead characters may change, the art style has remained consistently bizarre throughout the entirety of its run.
Blondie's color palette has certainly aided in defining its look, with the garish and bright choices helping it to stand out from its muted competition. The character designs themselves massively vary throughout the comic, with the leading family actually consisting of two contrasting aesthetics. One is a little more realistic, while the other is caricature based. The art style often relies on still backgrounds, giving the opportunity for the characters to explore space across panels leading to environment-based storytelling.