The Potts
Encyclopedia
The Potts is said to be the world's longest-running cartoon strip drawn by the same artist. The strip appeared in Australia
's The Sun News-Pictorial
. It was syndicated in the United States
from 1957 to 1962, during which time it was renamed Uncle Dick. Artists included Jim Russell (for 62 years) and Stan Cross
.
In August 1920 Stan Cross
published the first episode of a comic strip
known as You & Me in Smith's Weekly. Initially the strip only featured two characters, "Pott" and "Whalesteeth", and was designed as a means of offering political comment. The name of the first was derived from rhyming slang in which 'the old pot and pan' stood for 'the old man'; the name of the second referred to the fellow’s prominently displayed teeth, which, when he grinned or grimaced, took possession of the entire lower portion of his face. This aspect was shortlived and Cross was asked to continue the comic as a domestic humour strip. "Mrs Potts" was introduced in November and with her came the martial disputes and slanging matches, which were to characterise the strip under Cross. In terms of drinking,arguing, swearing and displays of bad temper, You & Me remains unique in Australian comic book history and pre-dated Andy Capp
by almost 40 years. Cross continued to draw the weekly strip for nineteen years until he left Smith's in late December 1939 to join the Melbourne Herald, taking the character of "Whalesteeth" with him In January 1940 the responsibility for You & Me was given to Cross' staff colleague, Jim Russell, who subsequently lightened the tone of the strip and changed the title to Mr & Mrs Potts.
Russell resigned from Smith's Weekly after a dispute with the new editor, and not long after in October 1950 Smith's Weekly ceased publication. In a complex financial arrangement, the Melbourne Herald acquired copyright to Mr & Mrs Potts and Russell resumed drawing the strip as a daily. The editors insisted that the strip become more 'genteel', so Russell created a character, Uncle Dick (Mrs Potts' uncle), that he could "sneak" into the strip, who would represent the less attractive elements that had been excised from the main characters. Often seen as semi-autobiographical, Uncle Dick was apparently initially based on the character Sheridan Whiteside in the 1941 film, The Man Who Came to Dinner
(played by Monty Woolley
, apparently based on American critic Alexander Woolcott), although Russell later wryly admitted: "I’ve grown more like Uncle Dick and Uncle Dick has grown more like me. My wife says he is me." The modified Mr & Mrs Potts was sold to the Herald Weekly Times group, first as a daily then as a Sunday. The new version, The Potts, first appeared in the Sun-News Pictorial on 23 January 1951 and was followed in most states shortly afterwards. To make the strip more appealling Russell introduced new characters: a daughter, Ann; a son-in-law, Herb; grandchildren, Mike and Bunny; and Uncle Dick, a genteel scrounger. In October 1953 with merger of the Sunday Sun
and the Sunday Herald the strip moved to the newly created Sun-Herald
. By 1958 it had become an international strip, with an estimated daily circulation of 15 million, appearing in New Zealand, Turkey, Canada, Finland, Sri Lanka and 35 United States newspapers. In 1976 Russell retired as a writer and cartoonist from the Melbourne Herald in 1976 but continued to produce The Potts under a special arrangement which saw the copyright to the strip transferred to him.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990.It was part of The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd stable of Melbourne newspapers...
. It was syndicated in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1957 to 1962, during which time it was renamed Uncle Dick. Artists included Jim Russell (for 62 years) and Stan Cross
Stan Cross
Stanley George Cross was born in the United States but was known as an Australian strip and political cartoonist who drew for Smith’s Weekly and The Herald and Weekly Times...
.
In August 1920 Stan Cross
Stan Cross
Stanley George Cross was born in the United States but was known as an Australian strip and political cartoonist who drew for Smith’s Weekly and The Herald and Weekly Times...
published the first episode of a comic strip
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....
known as You & Me in Smith's Weekly. Initially the strip only featured two characters, "Pott" and "Whalesteeth", and was designed as a means of offering political comment. The name of the first was derived from rhyming slang in which 'the old pot and pan' stood for 'the old man'; the name of the second referred to the fellow’s prominently displayed teeth, which, when he grinned or grimaced, took possession of the entire lower portion of his face. This aspect was shortlived and Cross was asked to continue the comic as a domestic humour strip. "Mrs Potts" was introduced in November and with her came the martial disputes and slanging matches, which were to characterise the strip under Cross. In terms of drinking,arguing, swearing and displays of bad temper, You & Me remains unique in Australian comic book history and pre-dated Andy Capp
Andy Capp
Andy Capp is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe , seen in The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Mirror newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, Smyth later expanded it to four panels....
by almost 40 years. Cross continued to draw the weekly strip for nineteen years until he left Smith's in late December 1939 to join the Melbourne Herald, taking the character of "Whalesteeth" with him In January 1940 the responsibility for You & Me was given to Cross' staff colleague, Jim Russell, who subsequently lightened the tone of the strip and changed the title to Mr & Mrs Potts.
Russell resigned from Smith's Weekly after a dispute with the new editor, and not long after in October 1950 Smith's Weekly ceased publication. In a complex financial arrangement, the Melbourne Herald acquired copyright to Mr & Mrs Potts and Russell resumed drawing the strip as a daily. The editors insisted that the strip become more 'genteel', so Russell created a character, Uncle Dick (Mrs Potts' uncle), that he could "sneak" into the strip, who would represent the less attractive elements that had been excised from the main characters. Often seen as semi-autobiographical, Uncle Dick was apparently initially based on the character Sheridan Whiteside in the 1941 film, The Man Who Came to Dinner
The Man Who Came to Dinner (film)
The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Keighley. The screenplay by Julius and Philip G. Epstein is based on the 1939 play of the same title by Moss Hart and George S...
(played by Monty Woolley
Monty Woolley
Monty Woolley was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor. At the age of 50, he achieved a measure of stardom for his best-known role in the stage play and 1942 film The Man Who Came to Dinner...
, apparently based on American critic Alexander Woolcott), although Russell later wryly admitted: "I’ve grown more like Uncle Dick and Uncle Dick has grown more like me. My wife says he is me." The modified Mr & Mrs Potts was sold to the Herald Weekly Times group, first as a daily then as a Sunday. The new version, The Potts, first appeared in the Sun-News Pictorial on 23 January 1951 and was followed in most states shortly afterwards. To make the strip more appealling Russell introduced new characters: a daughter, Ann; a son-in-law, Herb; grandchildren, Mike and Bunny; and Uncle Dick, a genteel scrounger. In October 1953 with merger of the Sunday Sun
The Sun (Australia)
The Sun was an afternoon tabloid newspaper, first published in 1910, by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia as the afternoon companion to the The Sydney Morning Herald.It was last published in March, 1988...
and the Sunday Herald the strip moved to the newly created Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...
. By 1958 it had become an international strip, with an estimated daily circulation of 15 million, appearing in New Zealand, Turkey, Canada, Finland, Sri Lanka and 35 United States newspapers. In 1976 Russell retired as a writer and cartoonist from the Melbourne Herald in 1976 but continued to produce The Potts under a special arrangement which saw the copyright to the strip transferred to him.