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R.F. Outcault Biography
Cartoonist / Illustrator
Richard Felton Outcault was the creator of two of the most popular comic strip characters of early 20th century America, The Yellow Kid and Buster Brown. Considered to be the first popular comics character, The Yellow Kid was a New York sensation from 1895-98, appearing in two newspapers daily and creating an industry of related merchandise. Outcault then created the character of Buster Brown in 1902. Buster and his bulldog Tige were also popular characters that spawned a line of products and toys. Outcault licensed the characters to the Brown Shoe Company in 1904, and Buster Brown Shoes became one of America's most popular brands. Outcault was one of the most significant contributors to the world of comic strips and is sometimes given sole credit for inventing the form as we know it today.
Four Good Links
Richard Felton Outcault
Short profile from The Comic Art and Graffix Gallery
Children of the Yellow Kid
Seattle's Frye Art Museum has a brief description of the early days of comics
Buster Brown
Good description of the characters, from Toonopedia
The Life and Times of Buster Brown
Explains Outcault's licensing to the shoe company
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
25 December 1928
(age 65)
Best Known As
Creator of The Yellow Kid and Buster Brown