Polly and Her Pals — 1917-06-14

Cliff Sterrett launched *Polly and Her Pals* in 1912 for the Hearst syndicate, and it became one of the most formally adventurous strips of the early newspaper era. This daily strip — titled "Pa Has All the Club Comforts at Home" — follows Pa, slumped and mournful over missing his club, until he is cheered by Polly's singing. The gag builds across four panels: Pa's lament, Polly's coaxing, a chorus of visiting boys belting "D-O-E Buddy D-O-E-S" at the door, then Pa's plug-eared flight. Sterrett's clean linework, expressive silhouettes, and precise panel-to-panel rhythm exemplify the draftsmanship that newspaper dailies brought to visual storytelling — the direct ancestor of the comic book page itself.