From the exhibition
Nobody—By Meek
· July 23, 1912

This single-panel strip presents Everett Nobody, a recurring character whose name itself became a running joke in early newspaper comics. The visual composition shows a small figure struggling with an oversized barrel, with explanatory text below—a format typical of early 1910s strips that blended illustration with narrative prose. Meek's bold crosshatching and clean linework exemplify the draftsmanship required for daily newspaper reproduction. The Nobody character belonged to a tradition of everyman protagonists in comic strips, offering readers a relatable figure caught in everyday absurdities. Early newspaper comics like this served as direct precursors to the comic book form, establishing the fundamental vocabulary of sequential art that would define the medium for decades.
Public domain, restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain