Curtis (comic strip)
American comic strip by Ray Billingsley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Curtis is a nationally syndicated comic strip written and illustrated by Ray Billingsley, with a predominantly African American cast. The comic strip started up on October 3, 1988, and is syndicated by King Features.[1]
| Curtis | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ray Billingsley |
| Website | comicskingdom |
| Current status/schedule | Running |
| Launch date | October 3, 1988 |
| Syndicate(s) | King Features Syndicate |
| Genre | Humor |
The comic strip portrays the daily life of a middle-class family living in a large American city, especially that of Curtis, the eponymous main character. It frequently chronicles aspects of African American culture and history.[2]
Curtis has been compared to Li'l Abner, which Billingsley cites as his favorite comic strip, in style.[3]
Themes
A recurring theme is Curtis' efforts to convince his father to try give up smoking, a personal issue for Billingsley, who is a prominent advocate for public health and the dangers of smoking.[4] For his efforts in educating young people about smoking, Billingsley has earned multiple awards from the American Lung Association.[5]
Though a fundamentally humorous comic, Curtis frequently addresses serious themes. Examples include bullying,[6] drug addiction[6] and gentrification.[7] A storyline in 2020 involved the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
During the holiday season, Billingsley sometimes deviates from his usual characters to present special two-to-three week stories celebrating the Festival of Kwanzaa. Once an annual tradition in the strip, these specials became irregular in the mid-2010s, with Ray Billingsley citing declining reader interest in them.[3]