Radio Patrol
Encyclopedia
Radio Patrol was a police comic strip
carried in newspapers from 1933 to 1950 in the dailies, with a Sunday strip
that ran from 1934 to 1946. It was created by artist Charles Schmidt and writer Eddie Sullivan, who both worked for the Boston American
. Eddie Sullivan was a newspaper reporter who specialized in crime reporting.
Because of the popularity of Dick Tracy
, William Randolph Hearst
wanted a strip in his King Features Syndicate
to compete. The strip, which started in 1933 in the Boston Record, was originally called Pinkerton, Jr., since the main character was a boy named Pinky. (Dick Tracy also had a boy as a key character at the time.) The new strip was popular with Boston readers and the main character shortly became Sergeant Pat, while Pinky grew older quite rapidly. Sergeant Pat was a composite of many of the real-life Boston Police Department
officers Sullivan knew personally. When the strip was picked up by King Features Syndicate in 1934, it was retitled Radio Patrol.
The central characters were Sergeant Pat, his partner Sam and policewoman Molly Day. Later retitled Sgt. Pat of Radio Patrol, the strip is notable for its serious tone, with little evidence of the fantastic or supernatural. The realistic bent even included accurate geography in its depictions of Boston
and the New England
countryside.
Whenever artist Charlie Schmidt bought a new car, it was drawn into the strip as Sergeant Pat's new cruiser. One day Schmidt was at his dentist's office. The dentist wanted to know how come he wasn't one of the characters in the popular strip. Schmidt replied, "Because I already have one fat guy in it."
Walter Howey, the editor who assigned Schmidt and Sullivan to create the comic strip, was a personal friend of Hearst, and in Citizen Kane
Howey's was fictionalized as Jed Leland (Joseph Cotten
).
As with other strips of the period, Radio Patrol was adapted into different media, including a 1930s radio show. The 12-chapter Universal Pictures movie serial, Radio Patrol (1937), starring Grant Withers
as Pat, was directed by Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith.
In June 2010, Radio Patrol was added to King Features' DailyINK email service along with other vintage strips, including Barney Google
Big Ben Bolt
, The Katzenjammer Kids, Little Iodine
and Mandrake the Magician
.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
carried in newspapers from 1933 to 1950 in the dailies, with a Sunday strip
Sunday strip
A Sunday strip is a newspaper comic strip format, where comic strips are printed in the Sunday newspaper, usually in a special section called the Sunday comics, and virtually always in color. Some readers called these sections the Sunday funnies...
that ran from 1934 to 1946. It was created by artist Charles Schmidt and writer Eddie Sullivan, who both worked for the Boston American
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
. Eddie Sullivan was a newspaper reporter who specialized in crime reporting.
Because of the popularity of Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
, William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
wanted a strip in his King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
to compete. The strip, which started in 1933 in the Boston Record, was originally called Pinkerton, Jr., since the main character was a boy named Pinky. (Dick Tracy also had a boy as a key character at the time.) The new strip was popular with Boston readers and the main character shortly became Sergeant Pat, while Pinky grew older quite rapidly. Sergeant Pat was a composite of many of the real-life Boston Police Department
Boston Police Department
The Boston Police Department , created in 1838, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest police departments in the United States...
officers Sullivan knew personally. When the strip was picked up by King Features Syndicate in 1934, it was retitled Radio Patrol.
The central characters were Sergeant Pat, his partner Sam and policewoman Molly Day. Later retitled Sgt. Pat of Radio Patrol, the strip is notable for its serious tone, with little evidence of the fantastic or supernatural. The realistic bent even included accurate geography in its depictions of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
countryside.
Whenever artist Charlie Schmidt bought a new car, it was drawn into the strip as Sergeant Pat's new cruiser. One day Schmidt was at his dentist's office. The dentist wanted to know how come he wasn't one of the characters in the popular strip. Schmidt replied, "Because I already have one fat guy in it."
Walter Howey, the editor who assigned Schmidt and Sullivan to create the comic strip, was a personal friend of Hearst, and in Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
Howey's was fictionalized as Jed Leland (Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
).
As with other strips of the period, Radio Patrol was adapted into different media, including a 1930s radio show. The 12-chapter Universal Pictures movie serial, Radio Patrol (1937), starring Grant Withers
Grant Withers
Grant Withers was an American film actor. With early beginnings in the silent era, Withers moved into talkies establishing himself with a list of headlined features as a young and handsome male lead...
as Pat, was directed by Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith.
In June 2010, Radio Patrol was added to King Features' DailyINK email service along with other vintage strips, including Barney Google
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, originally Barney Google, is a long-running American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck . Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a huge international readership, appearing in 900 newspapers in 21 countries...
Big Ben Bolt
Big Ben Bolt
Big Ben Bolt was a comic strip drawn by John Cullen Murphy, written by Elliot Caplin and distributed by King Features Syndicate.Illustrator Murphy entered the Army in 1940, joining the 7th Regiment. He spent several years in the Pacific, beginning in Australia and ending in Tokyo...
, The Katzenjammer Kids, Little Iodine
Little Iodine
Little Iodine was a popular Sunday comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which was syndicated by King Features and had a long run from 1943 until 1985...
and Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk , which began June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964,...
.