It's pretty widely accepted that the 1920s were a fantastic time for comic strips. Not only was the world introduced to Little Orphan Annie, but popular comics such as Winnie Winkle and Tailspin Tommy as well. While you may know all there is to know about those iconic strips, just how familiar are you with Smitty?
During the start of the 1920s, Walter Berndt (1899-1979) was a cartoonist without a cartoon. His comic strip, That's Different, had recently failed after lasting less than a year with The Bell Syndicate. Berndt noticed the growing popularity of office boy comics, and given that he had actually been an office boy, he decided to write about his own experiences. He promptly sold his comic Bill the Office Boy to The New York World, but sadly his comic didn't last long there either.
However, after presenting the same strip to the editor of The Chicago Tribune, the name was changed to Smitty and became a huge success. Smitty was then syndicated nationally by the Tribune and lasted from 1922 to 1973. The strip followed Smitty, a young energetic office boy, along with his brother Herby, girlfriend Ginny, Indian guide Little Moose, boss Mr. Bailey, and his dog Scraps. The success of the comic even led to Berndt creating Herby as a topper, which ran from 1938 to 1960.
Throughout the comic strip, fans witnessed Smitty's tricks, shenanigans, and schemes as he aged from 13 to 23. Eventually, Smitty and Ginny were even shown getting married. After which they promptly stopped aging, and remained 23 until the completion of the strip. Berndt was highly regarded by The National Cartoonist Society, and was even awarded the Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year in 1969.
Merchandise for the popular strip included several tin toys (now valued at over $1,000), Cupples & Leon reprint books, comic books, and sheet music for the song "Smitty." In 1973, Walter Berndt officially retired, taking Smitty and his crazy antics along with him.