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[josemas]

Origins of the Sunday Comics reprinted an early comic strip form 1902 yesterday in which the main character, Hugo Hercules, displays the strength of some later super-heroes.

http://www.gocomics.com/origins-of-the-sunday-comics/2014/02/02#.Uu982_v4K3s

Apparently the strip, by Wilhelm Koerner, ran for several months in 1902-1903 in such papers as The Chicago Tribune.  Hopefully they'll reprint more examples in the future.

Best

Joe

[paw broon]

Thanks Joe, another one to add to my lists.  I'd like to see more of Hugo's escapades.

[fate man]

Thanks Joe, another one to add to my lists.  I'd like to see more of Hugo's escapades.

Me,too.,count me in.

[Ed Love]

Hadn't seen a color copy or that particular one before. Pretty cool. If you want to see more go to http://www.barnaclepress.com/comic/Hugo%20Hercules/ (for some reason, the previews don't load on my machine, but click on the swirling animation and it brings up a strip). They also have another, though little later Samson the Strong Man: http://www.barnaclepress.com/new-strip-samson-the-strong-man/

[paw broon]

I can't get anything on the Hercules page either and the link from the Samson page returns, "page not found".  A slight problem there, perhaps?

[Coleoptere]

Nice info. I thought Spring-Heeled Jack would be considered the first "superhero" (well, super-being).

[paw broon]

There's a lot on SHJ on the internet and Philip Pullman wrote a kids book with nice illos.  Most fans of British comics will remember SHJ when he was re-booted as a superhero, set in Victorian London and re-titled, Spring Heeled Jackson.  History here:-
http://www.victorhornetcomics.co.uk/jack.html

[Coleoptere]

Just rechecked now, thanks!