Comic strip by Palmer Cox.
Palmer Cox was born in 1840 in Granby, Quebec, Canada. He studied at Granby Academy and moved to San Francisco in 1863, where he worked as a writer and illustrator for magazines Golden Era and Alta California. From 1875 on, he lived in New York. He illustrated his own books with humorous drawings. Some of his titles are 'Squibs of California, or Everyday Life Illustrated', 'Hans von Pelter's Trip to Gotham', 'That Stanley', 'Queer People with Wings and Stings' and the famous 'The Brownies'.
'Brownie Year Book'.
The Brownie characters gained great popularity and were used by George Eastman to promote the widespread use of Kodak's Brownie cameras. The Brownies were merchandised as games, cards, dolls etc. They were such a success that 'The Brownies' were imitated by other comic artists (William Donahey's 'The Teenie Weenies') and sometimes downright plagiarized (Charles Saalburg's short-lived 1894 version). Still, Cox never received any money for the lucrative exploitation of his comic creations.
In 1902, Cox also provided artwork for Bert Cobb's short-lived magazine Pen and Ink.
Palmer Cox was a strong influence on William Donahey and Charles Saalburg.
Palmer Cox.