S'matter, Pop?, December 24, 1925

S'matter, Pop?, December 24, 1925

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S'Matter Pop was a comic created by C. M. Payne, and is probably best known, if it's known at all, as being an early influence on the young Charles Schulz, who would go on to create the comic strip Peanuts. It should not be confused with the similarly titled but completely unrelated strip "Say Pop!" which was also created by Payne a few years later. Those two should also not be confused with the other unrelated strip "Take It Easy, Pop," a strip Payne created a couple decades after those two. All three, as well as the other comic strips he created, are truly a joy to look at because of Payne's dynamic and expressive art style. It's simple and kind of messy, but it's unlike anything else you might see in the newspaper. I love the shape of the word balloons, as well. Instead of just trying to make sure they're out of the way of the rest of the artwork, their shape calls attention to them and integrates them into the artwork more.

In this particular strip, Pop shows us one of the best ways to answer a child's question about Santa Claus: be honest, but use big words the child doesn't know to confuse him and have him assume you're simply confirming what he already thought. Works every time. Probably.