King Features Syndicate - TV Tropes
- ️Sat Mar 19 2016
One of the main distributors of Comic Strips, King Features was founded in 1915 by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, and has remained a member of the Hearst media conglomerate to the present day. It was named after Moses Koenigsberg ("Koenig" is German for "king"), who oversaw the distribution of Hearst's features to other papers around the country. Given the relevance of the Hearst empire during the first half of the 20th century, by the 1930s King Features was one of 130 syndicates that distributed 1,600 features to more than 13,700 newspapers in North America, although some of them were syndicated through "second-tier" agencies such as the International Feature Service and the Premier Syndicate.
In later years, KFS absorbed Field Syndicate/News America Syndicate and the Register & Tribune Syndicate. It currently runs around one hundred comic strips and panels, as well as puzzles, political cartoons and columns to thousands of publications around the world.
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Currently Running
- Barney Google and Snuffy Smith (1918-present)
- Beetle Bailey (1950-present)
- Between Friends
- Beware of Toddler (2022-present, originally a webcomic)
- Bizarro (2003-present, previously run by Chronicle Features and by Universal Press Syndicate)
- Blondie (1930) (1930-present)
- The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee
- Curtis (1987-present)
- Deflocked
- Dennis the Menace (1986-present, originally run by Field Syndicate)
- Dustin (2010-present)
- The Family Circus (1985-present, originally run by Register-Tribune Syndicate)
- Flash Gordon (2023-present, original run 1934-2003)
- Hägar the Horrible (1973-present)
- Hazel (currently in reruns)
- Henry (1934-1995, currently in reruns)
- Hi and Lois (1954-present)
- Judge Parker
- The Katzenjammer Kids (1897-2006, currently in reruns)
- Laff-a-Day
- The Lockhorns
- Macanudo (American syndication 2014-present)
- Mallard Fillmore (1994-present)
- Mandrake the Magician (1934-present)
- Mark Trail
- Marvin (1986-present, originally run by Field Syndicate)
- Mary Worth (1934, originally known as Apple Mary, originally run by Field Syndicate)
- Mother Goose and Grimm (1984-present)
- Mutts (1996-present)
- On the Fastrack (1984-present)
- The Phantom (1936-present)
- Popeye (1919-present, originally known as Thimble Theatre, dailies currently in reruns)
- Popeye's Cartoon Club (2019-present)
- Prince Valiant (1937-present)
- Pros & Cons
- Rae the Doe (2020-present, originally a webcomic)
- Rex Morgan, M.D.
- Rhymes With Orange
- Rosebuds (2019-present, originally posted on Webtoon)
- Safe Havens
- Sally Forth (Howard) (1983-present)
- Sam and Silo (1977-present, revival of Sam's Strip)
- Shoe (1997-present, originally run by Chicago Tribune-N.Y. News Syndicate)
- Six Chix
- Slylock Fox & Comics for Kids
- Take It from the Tinkersons (2014-present)
- Tiger (1965-2005, currently in reruns)
- Tina's Groove
- Todd the Dinosaur
- Tundra (1991-present, commercial interests only)
- Zippy the Pinhead (1986-present, originally self-syndicated)
- Zits (1997-present)
Historical
- Abie the Agent (1914-1931, 1935-1940)
- Agatha Crumm (1977-1996)
- Always Belittlin' (1926-1940). Sunday topper to Skippy
- The Amazing Spider-Man (1986-2019, originally run by Register & Tribune Syndicate, in reruns until 2023)
- And Her Name Was Maud! (1904-1910, 1926-1932). Sunday topper to Happy Hooligan from 1926 onwards.
- Apartment 3-G (1961-2015, originally run by Field Syndicate)
- Archie (1947-present, currently run by Creators Syndicate). Adapted from the comic book.
- Art Linkletter's Kids (1950s)
- The Better Half
- Baby Blues (1995-2023, originally run by Creators Syndicate, currently distributed by Andrews-Mc Meel Syndicate)
- Betty Boop (1934-1938). Adapted from the cartoon character.
- Betty Boop and Felix (1984-1988). Adapted from the cartoon characters (BB's merchandising rights are owned by KFS, but this wasn't the case with Felix as they thought, so he was eventually dropped, yet he was kept in the title.
- Big Ben Bolt (1950-1978)
- Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog
- Boob McNutt (1915-1934)
- Boner's Ark (1968-2000)
- Brick Bradford (1933-1987)
- Bringing Up Father (1913-2000)
- Buckles
- Bughouse Fables (1920s-1930s)
- Bunky (1926-1949), originally known as Bedroom, Parlor and Sink. Topper to Barney Google
- Buz Sawyer (1943-1989)
- Captain Kate (1967-1972)
- Clarabelle's Cousin (1929-1931)
- Count Screwloose (1929-1935, originally run by The New York World). Sunday topper to Dave's Delicatessen from 1931.
- Colonel Potterby and the Duchess (1935-1963). Sunday topper to Blondie.
- Crankshaft
- Crock
- Dan Dunn (1933-1943)
- Dave's Delicatessen (1931-1935)
- Dizzie's Eating House (1926-1931) Sunday topper to Freddie the Sheik (until 1929) and Clarabelle's Cousin.
- Dolly Dimples and Bobby Bounce (1920s-1930s)
- Donald Duck (1930s-1980s)
- Dumb Dora (1924-1936)
- Edge City
- Elmer (1918-1956)
- Embarrassing Moments
- Etta Kett (1925-1974)
- The Family Foursome (1930-1935). Sunday topper to Blondie.
- Felix the Cat (1923-1943). Adapted from the cartoon character.
- Flapper Filosofy (1920s-1930s)
- Franklin Fibbs
- Freddie, the Sheik (1922-1929)
- Funky Winkerbean (1986-2022, originally run by Field Syndicate)
- Gil
- Grandma
- Grin and Bear It (1932-2015, originally run by United Feature Syndicate)
- Gummi Bears (1980s)
- Gus and Gussie (1926-1930)
- Half Hitch
- Happy Hooligan (1900-1932)
- Hejji (1935). Dr. Seuss' only comic strip.
- Home, Sweet Home (1935-1940)
- Hubert (1950s-1970s)
- I Love Lucy (1950s). Adapted from the TV series.
- In the Land of Wonderful Dreams (1905, 1924, better known as Little Nemo in Slumberland)
- Inside Woody Allen (1976-1984). Based in the work of the comedian.
- It's Papa Who Pays! (1926-1956) Sunday topper to Toots and Casper.
- Jerry at the Job (1913-1932, 1946-1949)
- Joe Prep (1929-1930). Sunday topper to Merely Margy.
- Johnny Hazard (1944-1977)
- José Carioca (1940s)
- Jungle Jim (1934-1954)
- Just Kids (1923-1957, later known as Mush Stebbins and his Sister)
- King of the Royal Mounted (1930s-1940s)
- Kittens (1920s-1930s). Topper to Dolly Dimples and Bobby Bounce.
- Krazy Kat (1913-1944)
- Laura (1926-c.1941). Topper to Felix.
- Little Annie Rooney (1927-1966)
- Little Iodine (1943-1985)
- Little Jimmy (1904-1941, 1945-1958)
- The Little King (1933-1975, originally known as The Ambassador)
- Merely Margy (1926-1930)
- Merry Menagerie by Walt Disney (1947-1962)
- Mister Breger
- Mister Jack (1903-1904, 1912-1919, 1926-1941) Sunday topper to Little Jimmy from 1926.
- Mickey Mouse (1930-1995, later run in reprints by Creators Syndicate). Adapted from the cartoon character.
- Moose and Molly
- My Cage
- Myrtle (companion weekly strip to Right Around Home; started 1942; later merged with its parent strip)
- Norb
- The Norm
- Oh, Brother!
- Ollie and Quentin
- The Pajama Diaries
- Pete the Tramp (1932-1963)
- The Piffle Family (1917-1924, originally known as Over Here and Hon and Dearie)
- Piranha Club (1984-2018)
- Polly and Her Pals (1912-1958)
- The Pussycat Princess (1935-1947)
- Quincy (1970s)
- Radio Patrol (1933-1950)
- Red Barry
- Redeye (1967-2008)
- Retail (2006-2020)
- Right Around Home (1938-1964)
- Rip Kirby (1946-1999)
- Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1918-present, originally run by The New York Globe and the New York Evening Post, currently run by Andrews Mc Meel)
- Rocky Mason, Government Marshal (1941-1945)
- Rosie's Beau (1926-1944) Sunday topper to Bringing Up Father.
- Rusty Riley
- Sam's Strip (revived as Sam and Silo)
- Sappo (1920-1940, originally known as The Five-Fifteen and Married Life) Sunday topper from 1926.
- Scamp (1950s-1980s)
- Secret Agent X-9
- Seein' Stars (1930s-1940s)
- Sherman's Lagoon (1994-2022, originally self-syndicated, currently distributed by Andrews-Mc Meel Syndicate)
- Silly Symphonies (1932-1945) Sunday topper to Mickey Mouse.
- Skippy (1925-1945)
- Snookums (1944-1963) Sunday topper to Bringing Up Father.
- Steve Roper and Mike Nomad
- Strictly Richter
- Teena
- They'll Do It Every Time (1929-2008)
- Tillie the Toiler (1921-1959)
- Tim Tyler's Luck (1928-1996)
- Toots and Casper (1918-1956)
- Triple Take
- Trudy
- True-Life Adventures by Walt Disney (1955-1971)
- Tumbleweeds (1965-2007, originally run by Register-Tribune Syndicate)
- Uncle Remus (1947-1972)
- The Van Swaggers (1926-1943, later known as Aunt Min). Topper to Tillie the Toiler.
- Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales (1950s-1980s). Generally serialized Disney's then-current productions.
- What a Guy!
- When Mother Was a Girl (1926-1936). Sunday topper to Dumb Dora.
- Winnie the Pooh (c.1970-1980s). Adapted from Walt Disney's interpretation of the literary character.