History ComicStrip / TheKatzenjammerKids

'''''The Katzenjammer Kids''''' is a classic newspaper comic strip created by German-American cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest-running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897, when it debuted as a Sunday panel in William Randolph Heart's ''New York Journal''.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. Dirks would continue to draw ''The Captain and the Kids'' through the 1950s, after which his son John took over until that strip ended in 1979. Meanwhile, the original ''Katzenjammer Kids'' strip continued under the pen of Harold H. Knerr until 1949 and a succession of artists afterwards.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first years of the strip were drawn in a completely different art style than the more cartoony approach that the strip would settle into. The Captain was also absent for the first five years (with an unnamed father figure being in his steed, and even he abruptly vanished from the comic before the Captain's introduction) and there were three Katzenjammer Kids instead of two.

* TheDarkAgeOfAnimation: The second animated adaptation of ''The Captain and the Kids'' was made during this time, as part of ''Archies TV Funnies''.

* TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation: The MGM cartoon adaptation of ''The Captain and the Kids'' was made during this time (the late 1930's, to be exact).

* TheSilentAgeOfAnimation: The original 39 ''Katzenjammer Kids'' cartoons were made during this time.

'''''The Katzenjammer Kids''''' is a classic [[NewspaperComics newspaper comic strip]] created by German-American cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest-running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897, when it debuted as a Sunday panel in William Randolph Heart's ''New York Journal''.

* AlternateContinuity: One of the most bizarre examples in comic history; while ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' and ''The Captain and the Kids'' featured the same main cast of characters, they were technically considered separate series from each other and were actually ''competing'' with each other under separate artists for 60+ years. Both series would eventually introduce new characters distinct to their own series.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. Dirks would continue to draw ''The Captain and the Kids'' through the 1950s, after which his son John took over until that strip ended in 1979. Meanwhile, the original ''Katzenjammer Kids'' strip continued under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949 and a succession of artists afterwards.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. Dirks would continue to draw ''The Captain and the Kids'' through the 1950s, after which his son John took over until that strip ended in 1979. Meanwhile, the original ''Katzenjammer Kids'' strip would continue under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949 and a succession of artists afterwards.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. Dirks would continue to draw ''The Captain and the Kids'' through the 1950s, after which his son John took over until that strip ended in 1979. Meanwhile, the original strip would continue under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949 and a succession of artists afterwards.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. Dirks would continue to draw ''The Captain and the Kids'' through the 1950s, after which his son John took over until the strip ended in 1979. Meanwhile, the original strip would continue under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949 and a succession of artists afterwards.

** The similar ''Captain and the Kids'' strip didn't run as long, but its run from 1914 to 1979 is nothing to snuff at, either.

* AlternateContinuity: One of the most bizarre examples in comic history; while ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' and ''The Captain and the Kids'' featured the same main cast of characters, they were technically considered separate series from each other and were actually ''competing'' with each other under separate artists. Both series would eventually introduce new characters distinct to their own series.

* SundayStrip: For the majority of its run, although there was a short-lived daily version (called ''The Katzies'' and featuring different artists) in the 1910s. ''The Captain and the Kids'' was also one of these, although it too had a brief daily run in the '30s.

'''''The Katzenjammer Kids''''' is a classic [[NewspaperComics newspaper comic strip]] created by German-American cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest-running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897.

'''''The Katzenjammer Kids''''' is a classic [[NewspaperComics newspaper comic strip]] created and drawn by German-American cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest-running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897.

'''''The Katzenjammer Kids''''' is a classic newspaper comic strip created and drawn by German-American cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897.

'''''The Katzenjammer Kids''''' is a classic newspaper comic strip created and drawn by German-born American cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897.

''The Katzenjammer Kids'' is a classic newspaper comic strip created and drawn by German cartoonist Rudolph Dirks. It is the longest running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. The original strip would continue under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949 and a succession of artists afterwards.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids'', eventually distributed by the United Feature Syndicate. The original strip would continue under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949.

* LongRunner: To date, it is the longest-running newspaper comic in history--the original strip has run uninterrupted for ''118 years''!

** The similar "Captain and the Kids" strip didn't run as long, but its run from 1914 to 1979 is nothing to snuff at, either.

* AlternateContinuity: One of the most bizarre examples in comic history; while ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' and ''The Captain and the Kids'' featured the same main cast of characters, they were technically considered separate series from each other. Both series would eventually introduce new characters distinct to their own series.

* AlternateContinuity: One of the most bizarre examples in comic history; while ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' and ''The Captain and the Kids'' featured the same main cast of characters, they were technically considered separate series from each other. Both series would eventually introduced new characters distinct to their own series.
* AnimatedAdaptation: There were at least a couple made:
** There were at least 39 silent cartoons produced starring the Katzenjammer characters. Five of them were renamed ''The Shenanigan Kids'' to briefly coincide with the comics own brief change to that name.
** The second was a series of {{MGM}} cartoons adapting ''The Captain and the Kids'', which ran for 15 shorts. It notably featured direction by greats such as Creator/FrizFreleng and [[Creator/HannaBarbera Bill Hanna]], and the voice talents of Creator/MelBlanc and Billy Bletcher.

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The series main lead, the shipwrecked sailor and surrogate father to Hans and Fritz, is just called Der Captain.
* LongRunner: To date, it is the longest running newspaper comic in history--the original strip has run uninterrupted for ''118 years''!
** The similar "Captain and the Kids" strip didn't run as long, but it's run from 1914 to 1979 is nothing to snuff at either.

* AlternateContinuity: One of the most bizarre examples in comic history; while ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' and ''The Captain and the Kids'' featured the same cast of characters, they were technically considered separate series from each other. Both series would eventually introduced new characters distinct to their own series.

In 1914, after a series of nasty legal battles, Rudolph Dirks quit the Hearst organization and started a new version of his comic, featuring his same characters but renamed ''The Captain and the Kids''. The original strip would continue under the pen of Harold H. Knerr from 1912 to 1949.

* AlternateContinuity: One of the most bizarre examples in comic history; while ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' and ''The Captain and the Kids'' featured the same cast of characters, they were technically considered separate series from each other.

''The Katzenjammer Kids'' is a classic newspaper comic strip created and drawn by German cartoonist Rudolph Dirks (and then by Harold H. Knerr for almost 40 years). It is the longest running newspaper comic in history, having run uninterrupted since 1897.