[crashryan]

This strip began in the mid-1930s as "The Great Gusto," starring the W.C. Fields clone. Chief Wahoo entered the strip a couple of years later as a supporting character. Wahoo gradually took over the strip and Gusto disappeared. The strip was retitled "Big Chief Wahoo." A few years later a photojournalist named Steve Roper was introduced. Over time he took over the strip, which was renamed "Steve Roper." By this time it had turned from a comedy into an adventure strip. Roper married and started a family. He hired a tough guy assistant, Mike Nomad, to do his leg work. Nomad had ALMOST taken over the strip, now titled "Steve Roper and Mike Nomad," when it ended in 2004.

Link to the comment: Big Chief Wahoo 7

[The Australian Panther]

Crash,

It's interesting how many times in the glory days of newspaper strips, the focus shifted from the original protagonist to another character. 

[Robb_K]

Crash,

It's interesting how many times in the glory days of newspaper strips, the focus shifted from the original protagonist to another character.

IF Mike Nomad had taken over for Steve Roper, and the strip had been re-named again, that would have been 4 leads and titles, it had, and 3 times the lead character and strip title had been changed.  That seems to me, would likely have been at least tied for the record, if not the lone holder of the record.  I can't remember any others that were both changed more than twice from the original.  But to also change the genre 2 or more times is certainly unusual.  Of course, Wash Tubbs changed from comedy to adventure, especially after Captain easy joined, and eventually Tubbs dropped out to a cameo visitor.  But chaging twice, very strongly to a VERY different subject and atmosphere, HAS to be very unusual.