Professor Tigwissel was, of course, preceded by the comic misadventures of numerous other cartoon strip professors. Nearly all of these bumbling, bespectacled scientists were one-appearance wonders, or at best had a couple serialized appearances — nothing approaching the sporadic seven-year run of Hopkin’s Tigwissel. They certainly, however, influenced Hopkins, who would have seen at least a few of these strips. And so, we’ll begin intermixing our chronological presentation of Tigwissel, with the sequential mishaps of other, early comic professors.

First up, above and below, we have Professor Prag’s Entomological Experiences, by artist Frank Bellew, Sr. This two-page story, detailing the professor’s collecting of bugs (page one), and how his endeavor sets his house to scratching (page two), appeared on pages 861 & 862, of the November 1859 issue of Harper’s Monthly magazine.

(NOTE: Click on the pictures above & below to view larger versions!)

To view previous entries in this series, click here on Tigwissel Tuesdays.

Doug Wheeler

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