The newspapers that birthed them may have smaller circulations than they used to but comic strip characters remain as popular as ever. The recent global promotion between Starbucks and Peanuts being a good case in point. Simply drawn characters, with bags of personality, and that conjure up feelings of nostalgia are perfect for licensing.
Marvel has shown how characters originating in comic strips, comic books or graphic novels can become huge multimedia franchises spanning film, TV, videogames, publishing, toys and numerous other categories. However it took decades, and then the power of Disney to really transform Marvel into the behemoth it is today.
Whereas Marvel is now everywhere, with many people having never picked up a comic book, Calvin & Hobbes on the other hand has shown that some creators, in this case Bill Waterson, viewed licensing as damaging the integrity of the original art. Waterson believed that saturating the market with Calvin and Hobbes merchandise would reduce the value of the comic strip itself and the merchandise would sacrifice a lot of the strip’s subtleties for the needs of the products. He also feared that his job would end up being to only do whatever it took to keep his characters profitable. He saw this as "selling out his own creation," and obstinately refused to do so.
So we shall never know how a Calvin & Hobbes TV cartoon would have turned out, or how adorable the Hobbes plushes would have looked being carried around by toddlers.
Many other comic character creators felt differently though, and Peanuts, and its creator Charles M. Schulz, went the other route and by doing so has ensured his characters have become a part of global culture with many TV shows and products. Peanuts has seen a resurgence in licensing in recent years with some clever collaborations. Starbucks has already been mentioned but other recent partners include Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Anya Hindmarch and Parks Project. All meaning that you’re also likely to see Peanuts apparel across all of the main fast fashion outlets such as Zara, Uniqlo and H&M.
Garfield, created by Jim Davis, similarly has transitioned so successfully into TV and film that many young fans today are likely unaware of his comic strip origins. Off the back of the successful cartoon series, the 80s were awash with Garfield phones and plush - most seen stuck in the back windows of cars - making him a cultural icon. Garfield also had two live action movies in the early 00s and most recently hit the big screen again in 2024.
Similarly Love Is..., a comic strip created by New Zealand cartoonist Kim Casali in the 1960s. It originated from a series of love notes drawn for her future husband, Rand, appeared in strip form in newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times from the 1970s onwards, under the pen name "Kim". The brand, like others, has surpassed its comic strip origins and has been licensed across multiple categories including apparel, stationery and video games.
Hitting 100 years in 2029 Popeye, created by Elzie Crisler Segar, is another example of a character that, through cartoons and even live action films, has transitioned from comic strip star to cultural icon. Like Garfield’s iconic phrases of ‘I hate Mondays’ and his obsession with lasagna, Popeye, with his love of canned spinach, unmistakable laugh, theme tune and love of Olive Oyl, has become embedded in the consciousness of generations of kids and adults alike and remains one of the most recognizable pop culture icons in the world.
Similarly Flash Gordon is probably best known for the very 80s theme song by Queen that accompanied the live action movie, but his comic book origins are indisputable. The epitome of an all American hero, a Yale polo player and a Jets quarterback who saves the planet from merciless adversaries. The comic strip was carried in newspapers around the world and read by millions of people making him a true global hero. Although he doesn’t have any super powers or gadgets, as the aforementioned theme song tells us “he’s a miracle, king of the impossible, and he’ll save every one of us.”
And most recently Archie Comics and Sabrina the Teenage Witch reinvented themselves on Netflix with hit TV shows Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Mainly targeted at teenagers through clever casting the shows brought in adults of all ages as well, reinventing these iconic characters for a whole new generation and making Riverdale high varsity jackets a must have wardrobe addition.
Although newspaper sales may not be what they were decades ago, many of the characters that started in their pages have gone on to conquer TV, film and video games and sustain extensive licensing programs, and by doing so have become cultural icons known the world over.