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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)

 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
type
TVTItem
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
label
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
page
SamsStrip
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_content_3'); })Sam's Strip was a Newspaper Comic strip created by Mort Walker (of Beetle Bailey fame) and Jerry Dumas. It originally ran from 1961 to 1963, but was later retooled and brought back in 1977 (more on that later).During its original run, the strip concerned itself with businessman Sam and his nameless assistant, trying to make a living. At first, this might not sound all that remarkable... until you consider what business they were in: running a comic strip. No, they didn't write or draw one. They were cartoon characters who openly acknowledged that they were cartoon characters, and their "business" consisted of them owning and operating the strip they inhabited. In other words, it was one of the most blatant cases of No Fourth Wall in the history of newspaper comics.Their running the strip consisted of things like keeping dust clouds and angry thought bubbles in storage closets, spats with their artist, spats with each other, meeting with other famous comic strip characters, and (above all else) unsuccessfully trying crazy schemes to increase readership.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_content_2'); })Sadly, life imitated art. Although loved by cartoonists and comics aficionados, Sam's Strip was just too experimental to catch on with the general public; the series was cancelled after three years.In some ways, this was where the strip ended; in some ways, it wasn't. In 1977, Dumas and Walker relaunched the strip as Sam and Silo. While it kept the two main characters, it abandoned the original concept. Sam and Silo were now a pair of bumbling police officers in a Mayberry-like town. While this wasn't nearly as imaginative or unique, it proved far more popular; as of 2017, Sam and Silo is still being produced and published.Although the original incarnation is long gone, it's left enough of an impression on its readers to be remembered fondly and earn itself a page on this wiki (woo hoo!).
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
fetched
2018-12-16T11:21:35Z
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
parsed
2020-06-24T00:01:16Z
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
processingComment
Dropped link to DiscussedTrope: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
processingComment
Dropped link to PrintLongRunners: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
processingComment
Dropped link to TheDeterminator: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
processingUnknown
TheDeterminator
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1b65dfad
type
The Cameo
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1b65dfad
comment
The Cameo: Tons of famous comics characters would show up.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1b65dfad
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1b65dfad
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1b65dfad
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1c79ae8c
type
Those Two Guys
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1c79ae8c
comment
Those Two Guys: The comic strip kops.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1c79ae8c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1c79ae8c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1c79ae8c
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1eb49c19
type
Stripperiffic
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1eb49c19
comment
Stripperiffic: Pixy's regular outfit was a bikini.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1eb49c19
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1eb49c19
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_1eb49c19
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_264a140b
type
Fat and Skinny
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_264a140b
comment
Fat and Skinny: Sam and his Assistant, respectively.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_264a140b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_264a140b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_264a140b
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_26b2747
type
Alliterative Title
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_26b2747
comment
Alliterative Title
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_26b2747
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_26b2747
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_26b2747
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_28a5213a
type
Small Name, Big Ego
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_28a5213a
comment
Small Name, Big Ego: Sam frequently flaunts his status as the star of the strip, though it's repeatedly shown that he isn't anywhere near as popular or successful as he thinks.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_28a5213a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_28a5213a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_28a5213a
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_2ae277ab
type
Mauve Shirt
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_2ae277ab
comment
Mauve Shirt: While most of the cameos were one-time appearances, Ignatz the Mouse, Happy Hooligan and Humpty Dumpty showed up so often that they all qualify as this.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_2ae277ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_2ae277ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_2ae277ab
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_3b4f620a
type
No Fourth Wall
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_3b4f620a
comment
No Fourth Wall
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_3b4f620a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_3b4f620a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_3b4f620a
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4540f3d3
type
UnCancelled
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4540f3d3
comment
Uncancelled
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4540f3d3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4540f3d3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4540f3d3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4e3d253b
type
Downer Ending
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: The last strip famously ended with Sam about to commit suicide. Luckily, he appeared alive and well in a cameo in Beetle Baily, and then later in the retool Sam and Silo.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4e3d253b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4e3d253b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_4e3d253b
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_54321e11
type
Innocent Fanservice Girl
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_54321e11
comment
Innocent Fanservice Girl: Pixy the Pixie, who was very shapely and only ever wore a bikini, but had a very childlike and mischievous personality. She was very small, though, and didn't get a lot of close-ups, so the effect was somewhat downplayed.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_54321e11
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_54321e11
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_54321e11
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_641cf81d
type
Viewers Are Geniuses
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_641cf81d
comment
Viewers Are Geniuses: Arguably the original version's Fatal Flaw.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_641cf81d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_641cf81d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_641cf81d
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_6fed1f70
type
The Thing That Would Not Leave
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_6fed1f70
comment
The Thing That Would Not Leave: Happy Hooligan, who kept hanging around the strip and trying to beg money of Sam, even if Sam repeatedly tried to get rid of him.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_6fed1f70
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_6fed1f70
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_6fed1f70
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_70c73c20
type
TheUnseen
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_70c73c20
comment
The Unseen: The Assistant's Wife is frequently discussed, but never shows up even once.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_70c73c20
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_70c73c20
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_70c73c20
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_72852a93
type
Henpecked Husband
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_72852a93
comment
Henpecked Husband: The Assistant.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_72852a93
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_72852a93
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_72852a93
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_823c6e3e
type
LargeHam
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_823c6e3e
comment
Large Ham: Discussed. Sam criticizes Happy Hooligan for being one of these.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_823c6e3e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_823c6e3e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_823c6e3e
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_83b464fb
type
Straight Man
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_83b464fb
comment
Straight Man: The Assistant insists that he is one, but he's got several Cloudcuckoolander traits. In the retool, when he got the name "Silo," he became much more of a Cloudcuckoolander.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_83b464fb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_83b464fb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_83b464fb
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_8e92e125
type
Lawyer-Friendly Cameo
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_8e92e125
comment
Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Usually averted. Whenever another comic strip character showed up, Dumas and Walker never tried to hide who it was.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_8e92e125
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_8e92e125
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_8e92e125
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90b330ab
type
No-Respect Guy
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90b330ab
comment
No Respect Guys: Sam and Silo in their role as small town cops. Granted, they didn't get any respect in Sam's Strip either.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90b330ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90b330ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90b330ab
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90d5b651
type
Our Fairies Are Different
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90d5b651
comment
Our Fairies Are Different: Pixy the Pixie was the classic "tiny winged girl with a magic wand" variant.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90d5b651
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90d5b651
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_90d5b651
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_95ef5b0d
type
Symbol Swearing
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_95ef5b0d
comment
Symbol Swearing: Given the nature of Sam's Strip, this was often lampshaded, but there were occasions where it was used and no lampshading was involved.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_95ef5b0d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_95ef5b0d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_95ef5b0d
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_979f41a
type
Continuity Reboot
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_979f41a
comment
Continuity Reboot: Sam and Silo. It takes the two main characters of Sam's Strip and puts them in a new, more mundane setting.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_979f41a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_979f41a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_979f41a
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_a63cfe4a
type
MetaFiction
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_a63cfe4a
comment
Meta Fiction
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_a63cfe4a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_a63cfe4a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_a63cfe4a
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b2283870
type
Retool
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b2283870
comment
Retool: When it became Sam and Silo.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b2283870
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b2283870
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b2283870
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b4f47048
type
Toon Physics
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b4f47048
comment
Toon Physics
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b4f47048
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b4f47048
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b4f47048
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b8e3f20a
type
Demoted to Extra
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b8e3f20a
comment
Demoted to Extra: An Author Avatar of cartoonist Jerry Dumas originally appeared as a regular in the strip, but showed up less and less over time and finally vanished entirely.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b8e3f20a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b8e3f20a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_b8e3f20a
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c55c31e2
type
NonStandardCharacterDesign
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c55c31e2
comment
Non-Standard Character Design: The cameos. Dumas always drew them in their original style rather than in his and Walker's style. Replicating the styles of other artists was allegedly one of the most time-consuming tasks associated with the strip.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c55c31e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c55c31e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c55c31e2
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c61bbac
type
Disembodied Eyebrows
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c61bbac
comment
Disembodied Eyebrows: Discussed. Annoyed that his guest-star, Happy Hooligan, is overreacting to everything, Sam suggests a more subtle response, such as raising an eyebrow. Happy complies by raising the eyebrow so high that it pops off his forehead and floats in mid-air. Sam is not amused.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c61bbac
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c61bbac
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c61bbac
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c9597a03
type
Self-Deprecation
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c9597a03
comment
Self-Deprecation: Dumas's supposed lack of drawing ability was poked fun at at least twice during the original version's run.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c9597a03
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c9597a03
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_c9597a03
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ca87e3ec
type
No Name Given
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ca87e3ec
comment
No Name Given: Sam's Assistant, but he was renamed Silo after the strip was retooled.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ca87e3ec
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ca87e3ec
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ca87e3ec
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d4e9de59
type
Dreadful Musician
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d4e9de59
comment
Dreadful Musician: Pixy, whose singing could drive Sam to tears with its awfulness.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d4e9de59
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d4e9de59
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d4e9de59
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d7629e34
type
Mundanization
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d7629e34
comment
Mundanization: After it was brought back as Sam and Silo.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d7629e34
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d7629e34
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_d7629e34
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_e43c66bd
type
Art Evolution
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_e43c66bd
comment
Art Evolution: The art got a lot more polished as the strip went on.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_e43c66bd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_e43c66bd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_e43c66bd
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_eb6da8ef
type
Crossover
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_eb6da8ef
comment
Crossover: Sam and Silo both appeared in Beetle Bailey as a pair of beggars. This was in between the cancellation of Sam's Strip and the launch of Sam and Silo.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_eb6da8ef
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_eb6da8ef
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1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_eb6da8ef
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ee7a60e9
type
One-Steve Limit
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ee7a60e9
comment
One Steve Limit: Averted. Uncle Sam made the occasional appearance. The fact that he shared the same name as the main character was never even brought up.
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ee7a60e9
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ee7a60e9
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1.0
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_ee7a60e9
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_f2a6d76d
type
Rage Against the Author
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_f2a6d76d
comment
Rage Against the Author
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_f2a6d76d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_f2a6d76d
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_f2a6d76d
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_name
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ItemName
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip) / int_name
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Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Krazy Kat (Comic Strip)
seeAlso
Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Alliterative Title / int_56ec28c3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Determinator / int_56ec28c3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Name and Name / int_56ec28c3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
No Fourth Wall / int_56ec28c3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Starving Artist / int_56ec28c3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
The '60s / int_56ec28c3
 Sam's Strip (Comic Strip)
hasFeature
Toon Physics / int_56ec28c3