I Always Say: (Sez Gracie Allen)

This single-panel comic strip features the character Gracie Allen, drawn by O. Soglow in his characteristic bold-line style. Allen, holding an umbrella and sporting exaggerated features typical of period comic illustration, presents a absurdist observation: that summer's absence during winter spares people the embarrassment of wearing sunglasses to protect their frozen feet. The strip exemplifies the humor formula of early newspaper comics—a recognizable personality delivering a nonsensical punchline. Such strips populated Sunday papers and dailies, establishing the visual language of comics: the speech balloon, the single-image gag structure, and the recurring character as audience draw. Gracie Allen's radio and vaudeville fame made her ripe for comic strip adaptation, reflecting how entertainment personalities dominated the medium's early decades.