There are numerous comic characters, often either based on human beings or animals, in newspaper comic strips which have made us all laugh a lot over the years. Following are the top 10 newspaper comic strips listed in order of their popularity.
1. Calvin and Hobbes
Written and illustrated by Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes is a syndicated comic strip that follows the humorous adventures of Calvin, an imaginative six-year old boy, and Hobbes, his cynical and energetic stuffed tiger and imaginary best friend.
2. Garfield
Garfield, a comic strip created by Jim Davis, has been in publication since June 19th, 1978. It is about the life of a fat, lazy and cynical cat named Garfield, his owner, Jon Arbuckle and Arbuckle’s dog, Odie. This comic strip currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip.
3. The Far Side
This is a one-panel, extremely popular comic created by Gary Larsons. The surrealistic humor is often based on improbable events and uncomfortable social situations, impending bizarre disasters, logical fallacies or the search for meaning in life. The use of nature and animals in the comic is attributed to the creator’s background in biology.
4. Peanuts
Peanuts is a Sunday comic-strip mainstay which was written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, and has continued its re-runs even after the death of its creator. The strip is considered to be one of the most influential and popular ever in the comic-strip medium.
5. Pearls before Swine
Written and illustrated by Stephan Pastis, this is an American comic strip about the daily lives of four anthropomorphic animals, Zebra, Pig, Rat and Goat. Although created in 1997, its popularity rose after Dilbert creator Scott Adams, a fan of the strip, made it famous worldwide among his own fans.