1950s comics: 50 popular comic strips from the funny pages

Favorite 1950s comics. Popular comic strips from 1954

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1950s comics: A trip down memory lane

You — or your parents or grandparents — might remember some of these popular comic strips from the funny pages back in the ’50s. These were the days when the newspaper was the primary source of entertainment and the comic strip section was a daily dose of humor, adventure, and drama. Syndicated and running in newspapers nationwide, everyone could follow along with the exploits of their favorite characters.

Girl with the Sunday newspaper comics - Funny pages from 1952 at ClickAmericana com

Comic strips were a fun part of American pop culture over the last century, capturing the imaginations of readers across the country. From superheroes to everyday folks, these strips offered a mix of humor and excitement. Classics like Flash Gordon brought futuristic adventures, while Blondie delivered laughs with its domestic antics. Li’l Abner provided a satirical look at rural life, and Nancy charmed readers with her simple yet engaging escapades.

Comic strips in the ’50s covered a wide range of genres. Western fans had Hopalong Cassidy, while mystery lovers could follow the intriguing cases of Mandrake the Magician. For those who enjoyed more down-to-earth stories, The Heart of Juliet Jones offered romantic drama, and Barney Google combined humor with everyday situations. This variety ensured that there was something for everyone in the comic strips of the 1950s.

Color comic strips from the 1950s at ClickAmericana com

These comics transcended entertainment — they also reflected the social and cultural trends of the time. Characters like Tillie the Toiler and Myrtle showcased the changing roles of women, while The Lone Ranger and Brick Bradford echoed the era’s fascination with heroes and adventure. The universal appeal of these strips helped to shape the collective memory of a generation.

For your retro viewing pleasure, we’ve gathered over 50 comic strips from this memorable era, bringing back names like Etta Kett, Curly Kayo, Grandma, Moon Mullins and many more. Take a look!


Vintage Sunday comic funnies: Abbie an’ Slats (1952)

Vintage Sunday comic funnies Abbie an' Slats 1952

Vintage Sunday comic funnies Abbie an' Slats 1952 (1)

Vintage Sunday comic funnies Abbie an' Slats 1952 (2)

Vintage Sunday comic funnies Abbie an' Slats 1952 (3)

Vintage Sunday comic funnies Abbie an' Slats 1952 (4)


Vintage ’50s comic strip: Ferd’Nand (1952)

Vintage comic strip 1952 - Ferd'Nand


Old fifties funnies: Smilin Jack (1952)

Vintage comic strip 1952 - Smilin Jack


Funnies section Eveready Battery ad – The child who wouldn’t drown (1952)

Funnies section Eveready Battery ad - The child who wouldn't drown 1952 (2)

Funnies section Eveready Battery ad - The child who wouldn't drown 1952 (3)

Funnies section Eveready Battery ad - The child who wouldn't drown 1952 (4)

Funnies section Eveready Battery ad - The child who wouldn't drown 1952 (5)

Funnies section Eveready Battery ad - The child who wouldn't drown 1952 (1)


Hopalong Cassidy and Rip Kirby

The San Francisco Examiner – Mar 1 1954

Fifties comic strips Hopalong Cassidy and Rip Kirby - The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 1 1954

ALSO SEE: Mad world: See 30+ vintage MAD magazine covers, and find out the magazine’s history


Flash Gordon by Mac Raboy

The Philadelphia Inquirer – Jun 6 1954

Fifties comic strip Flash Gordon by Mac Raboy - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Jun 6 1954


Fifties comic strips Barney Google and Mandrake the Magician

The San Francisco Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips Barney Google and Mandrake the Magician - The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 18 1954


Blondie and Grandma

The Bristol Herald Courier – Aug 9 1954

Fifties comic strips Blondie and Grandma The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954

MORE: See some old-fashioned Dairy Queen shops from the ’50s


Duck and Lil Abner

The Bristol Herald Courier – Aug 9 1954
Fifties comic strips Duck and Lil Abner The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954


Freckles and his Friends and Kerry Drake

The Ogden Standard Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips Freckles and his Friends and Kerry Drake - The Ogden Standard Examiner - Oct 18 1954


Hale Frontier Scout and Bugs Bunny

The Ogden Standard Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips Hale Frontier Scout and Bugs Bunny - The Ogden Standard Examiner - Oct 18 1954


Fifties comic strips Henry and Jiggs

The Bristol Herald Courier – Aug 9 1954

Fifties comic strips Henry and Jiggs - The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954


Hopalong Cassidy and Rip Kirby

The San Francisco Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips Hopalong Cassidy and Rip Kirby - The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 18 1954

MORE: Why old drive-in movie theaters were popular, and what they were like


Etta Kett

Intelligencer Journal Jun 28 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Etta Kett - Intelligencer Journal Jun 28 1954


The Lone Ranger and a certain Duck

The San Francisco Examiner – Mar 1 1954

Fifties comic strips Lone Ranger and Duck The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 1 1954


Brick Bradford and Adventures of Patsy

Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Brick Bradford and Adventures of Patsy - Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954


Fifties comic strips Moon Mullins and Nancy

Fifties comic strips Moon Mullins and Nancy - The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954


Myrtle and Secret Agent X-9

The San Francisco Examiner – Mar 1 1954

Fifties comic strips Myrtle and Secret Agent X-9 - The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 1 1954

MORE FROM THE COMIC PAGES: 30 retro-futuristic space-age inventions we’re still waiting for


Myrtle and The Heart of Juliet Jones

The San Francisco Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips Myrtle and The Heart of Juliet Jones - The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 18 1954


Orphan Annie and Secret Agent

The Bristol Herald Courier – Aug 9 1954

Fifties comic strips Orphan Annie and Secret Agent - The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954


Roy Rogers and Dick Tracy

The Bristol Herald Courier – Aug 9 1954

Fifties comic strips Roy Rogers and Dick Tracy - The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954

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Curly Kayo

The Daily News Journal Feb 23 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Curly Kayo - The Daily News Journal Feb 23 1954


Fifties comic strips Roy Rogers and Dick Tracy

The Bristol Herald Courier – Aug 9 1954

Fifties comic strips Roy Rogers and Dick Tracy - The Bristol Herald Courier - Aug 9 1954

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Vintage comics from the ’50s Freckles and Alley Oop

Intelligencer Journal Jun 28 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Freckles and Alley Oop - Intelligencer Journal Jun 28 1954


Invisible Scarlet O’Neil and Ella Cinders

Marin Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Invisible Scarlet O'Neil and Ella Cinders - Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954


Steve Roper and L’il Abner

The Ogden Standard Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips Steve Roper and L'il Abner - The Ogden Standard Examiner - Oct 18 1954


The Lone Ranger and a Duck

The San Francisco Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strips The Lone Ranger and Duck - The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 18 1954

MORE: Remember vintage coin-operated rides? Horses, spaceships, boats & more from the ’50s


Big Ben Bolt

The Philadelphia Inquirer – Apr 18 1954

Fifties comic strip Big Ben Bolt - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Apr 18 1954


Bringing up Father

The San Francisco Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strip Bringing up Father - The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 18 1954


Fifties comic strip Funny Business by Hershberger

The Ogden Standard Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strip Funny Business by Hershberger - The Ogden Standard Examiner - Oct 18 1954


On our Way by J R Williams

The Ogden Standard Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strip On our Way by J R Williams - The Ogden Standard Examiner - Oct 18 1954

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Rusty Riley

The Philadelphia Inquirer – Jun 6 1954

Fifties comic strip Rusty Riley - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Jun 6 1954


Tillie the Toiler

The San Francisco Examiner – Mar 1 1954

Fifties comic strip Tillie the Toiler - The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 1 1954

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Fifties comic strip Tillie the Toiler

The San Francisco Examiner – Oct 18 1954

Fifties comic strip Tillie the Toiler - The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 18 1954


Will Yum

Oakland Tribune – Jul 18 1954

Fifties comic strip Will Yum - Oakland Tribune - Jul 18 1954


Fifties comic strips Barney Google and Mandrake the Magician

The San Francisco Examiner – Mar 1 1954

Fifties comic strips Barney Google and Mandrake the Magician - The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 1 1954


Modest Maidens panel

Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Modest Maidens panel - Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954


Muggs and Skeeter and Brick Bradford

The Daily Notes May 26 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Muggs and Skeeter and Brick Bradford - The Daily Notes May 26 1954

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Vintage comics from the ’50s – Big Sister and Mutt and Jeff

Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954

Vintage comics from the '50s Big Sister and Mutt and Jeff - Daily Independent Journal Jan 7 1954

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Vintage comic strip – The Gumps (1956)

Vintage comic strip 1956 - The Gumps


Sunday comics: Harold Teen (1956)

Vintage comic strip 1956 - Sunday - Harold Teen


Early Peanuts with Charlie Brown and Snoopy (1956)

Vintage comic strip 1956 - early Peanuts with Charlie Brown and Snoopy


John Sevier – Nolichucky Jack – An Old Glory story (1956)

Vintage comic strip 1956 - John Sevier Nolichucky Jack - An Old Glory story


Old ’50s comic strip: Penny(1957)

Vintage comic strip 1957 - Penny


Pogo (1957)

Vintage comic strip 1957 - Pogo funnies


Men at Work (1957)

Vintage comic panel 1957 - Men at Work


There Oughta Be a Law comic (1957)

Vintage comic panel 1957 - There Oughta Be a Law


Lolly (1957)

Vintage comic strip 1957 - Lolly


Mickey Finn (1957)

Vintage comic strip 1957 - Mickey Finn

ALSO SEE: What did a typical 1950s suburban house look like? Feast your eyes on this fab prefab home built in 1958

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Comments on this story

23 Responses

  1. Loving comic strips like I do I really enjoyed these clippings you showcased. The late 1940s to the early 1970s and especially the 1950s were the classic days of the comic strip. Would love to see you continue showcasing strips from the 50s and 60s.

  2. Looking for a cartoon from the 50,s of a large fellow pedaling a bike with a tall and small wood building that looked like an outhouse. I think his name was Humpfrey.

    1. What is the name of the comic strip that Humphrey was in. I’m looking for a picture of the boy riding the bike with the house on back.

  3. On Sunday mornings in the 1950’s I would lie on the floor and look at the newspaper comics while a man on the radio read them.

  4. Looking for a newspaper comic strip(50s-
    60s vintage)of a character,who had a
    black cloud hanging over his head(as in
    bad luck):his first name was Joe;his last
    name began with B and was a series of
    consonants strung together,like “Blffkks”

  5. Would like to see the comic strip
    “The Teenie Weenies” about tiny characters living in a ccoffi can and dealing with a bad rat named Ginky.

    1. Looking for a comic strip from the 59’s that featured a dog named Ritz…..

      You guys missed the Katzenjammer Kids

  6. Looking for a 1950s (1958-1959) Sunday newspaper comic strip a little boy and his dog land on the moon in a rocket just ahead of a Russian space ship. I remember something about the title being Boy Orbit or Roy Orbit.

  7. Trying to put a name to a cartoon character that was basically a line drawing with a large nose and compact rotund body. He had a very sweet character and I believe had a little dog as a friend. He seemed to be a forerunner of cartoon. Characters that had a body that didn’t necessarily conform to a human figure per se , such as the Minions

  8. I am searching for an old comic book or comic strip that included characters “William” and “Wendy”. Do you know what the name of this would be?

  9. Looking for pictures of Nancy who had a boyfriend named pogo. Not pogo the possum. This pogo was a boy

  10. Trying to locate a comic strip from approx. 1948-1953, only info I have regarding comic strip is this:
    2 ladies in the comic strip names were Birdie and Girdie. My dad’s nickname (Birdie) came from this
    comic, and the classmate who told me the story can’t remember much more about the comic. Dad
    passed away this past week and I just now found about “THE REST OF THE STORY”

  11. I recall seeing a lot of these comics as “recently” as the 1980s. For these 1950s strips, it’s striking that so many of them build jokes around television. I guess since it was the hot new technology back then, it was on a lot of people’s minds.

  12. I’m trying to remember a 1950’s comic strip character who rode a tricycle all the time. It had a little shack behind the seat and I think this character was named “Sweeny” or “Sweenie” and he had massive thighs.

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