Meet The Gumps

Categories: Did You Know|Published On: April 4, 2003|Views: 5|

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While life may be like a box of chocolates, Forrest isn’t the only Gump who
has made his mark on the entertainment world. Did you know that almost 80 years
before the shrimp-loving patriot charmed audiences the world over, there was
Andy, Min, Chester, Uncle Bim and a whole slew of hilarious supporting
characters who made comic strip history with The Gumps?

The idea
began with Chicago Tribune publisher Captain Joseph M. Patterson, who
wanted to develop a comic strip that featured the everyday adventures of a
realistic, middle-class family. But it was cartoonist Sidney Smith who really
took the idea to the next level. He breathed life into the family and started a
strip where anything could – and did – happen.

The Gumps began
as a daily strip in 1917 and as a Sunday feature in 1919 – and Andy and his gang
went on to become some of the most popular characters of the ’20s. And the ’30s.
And the ’40s. In fact, The Gumps lasted in the strips until 1959, and had
plenty of comic books, a radio series, toys, games, sheet music, and even an
animated cartoon along the way.

Just one look at Andy Gump and it’s
pretty clear that you’re looking at one funny guy. Completely lacking any sort
of chin or jaw, he stood tall and lanky with arched eyebrows, a rather
protruding nose, a prominent mustache and mostly bald head save for one or two
odd hairs sticking out of the back. In the scenes where Andy talked (or, as was
usually the case, yelled), his mouth appeared as just a black hole stuck in his
neck. And, more often then not, he could be seen sporting dapper plaid pants, a
vest and a jaunty hat of some sort. His comical appearance only hinted at the
adventures that would come, however, most of which started with an overly
confident Andy and ended with a fumbling, frustrated fop crying “OH
MIN!”. Many of Andy’s escapades even involved stints in politics – he ran
for Congress on a few occasions and in a string of presidential elections
beginning in 1924.

Yet, for all his macho intentions, Andy’s
dependence on his wife Min was unquestionable. And Min (short fir Minerva), with
her similarly lanky build and sensible hairdo, provided the perfect zany
counterpart to Andy’s antics. She was hardly as erratic as her husband, and some
argue that she was even the brains of the family, but she certainly did her fair
share of door slamming, book throwing and general bawling and crying
nonetheless.

Along with Andy and Min, The Gumps also included the
detestable maid Tilda, the adorable, if tantrum-prone son Chester, and the
filthy rich Uncle Bim – whose extravagant lifestyle provided an interesting
contrast to Andy’s disgruntled, middle-class existence. In fact, Uncle Bim was
even one of Carl Barks’ inspirations for the fantastically wealthy Scrooge
McDuck! Occasional appearances by characters such as the money-hungry Widow
Zander and Min’s dessert-loving mother made the strip a hilarious parody of what
everyday life was like in decades past. From the delivery of the new icebox to
country drives in the roadster, the family-focus of The Gumps today
provides a marvelous peek into a bygone era.

The Gumps was also a
strip of firsts – it was the first comic strip to feature a character’s death
(the character was Mary Gold, in 1929), the first to spawn a radio show (in
1934), and the first to be presented in such a way that each day’s strip told a
new chapter of an ongoing story. This soap opera-ish technique had fans
clamoring for more at the end of each strip, and undoubtedly helped perpetuate
its popularity. It was also for The Gumps that the first million-dollar
contract was signed for a comic strip. Sadly, just after signing this contract
in 1935, Sidney Smith was killed in a car accident. His assistant Gus Edson took
over, and though he did a fine job with the strip, there was a certain magic
missing. So while the hi-jinx and hilarity continued for nearly 25 more years,
the popularity of the family steadily declined.

Today, Gump collectibles
are in high demand – from Andy’s campaign buttons to premium booklets to wooden
dolls. OH, MIN!


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