A Serpent in the House (L'il Abner)
Date1934
Artist
Al Capp
(American cartoonist, 1909–1979)
Illustration CitationSyndicated comic strip "L'il Abner" by Al Capp, November 5, 1934, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
MediumInk on illustration board
Dimensionssheet: 5 15/16 × 23 in. (15.1 × 58.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Helen Farr Sloan, 1987
Object number1987-52
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextAl Capp's best-known comic strip was Li'l Abner, which he premiered in 1934. The strip was the first in which characters lived in the American South, specifically in the backwoods hamlet of Dogpatch. Its residents regularly outwitted urbanites, intellectuals, and government officials, often traveling to humorously-named fictional places to resolve situations with their homespun commentary. The strip was adapted to radio, animation, movies, television and stage performances.The strip continued until 1977; over the years, Capp had assistants for the drawing as well as for the related ads, merchandising, and promotion. One of his assistants was Frank Frazetta, later famous for his science fiction and fantasy art.
