Johnny Gruelle is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy, but before reaching such great heights he was once an unknown artist looking to make a name for himself on the comics page. In 1911 he won a contest sponsored by The New York Herald, netting himself a cool $2000 and a weekly page for his creation Mr. Twee Deedle.

Mr. Twee Deedle is a fairly like creature who befriends a young boy named Dickie. The strip provides simply beautiful imagery in service to stories meant to teach good behavior to younger readers. This approach tends to soften as the strip goes on and the proceedings become more and more surreal. While I am excited to share these pages, I really wish I had some in color - they are quite amazing. As it stands, the b&w; samples will hopefully serve as a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the charms of Mr. Twee Deedle.