Hi and Lois

Infobox Comic strip
title=Hi and Lois


caption= Hi and Lois
creator= Mort Walker and drawn by Dik Browne
current= Brian and Greg Walker and drawn by Robert "Chance" Browne
status= Running
syndicate= King Features Syndicate
comictype= print
genre= Humor
first= October 18, 1954
last=

"Hi and Lois" is a comic strip about a suburban family created by Mort Walker and drawn by Dik Browne. It debuted on October 18, 1954 and is distributed by King Features Syndicate.

Characters

The fictional characters Hiram (Hi) and Lois Flagston are typical American suburbanites. They have four children: a stereotypically slovenly teen named Chip (8 years old at the time the strip started), rambunctious twins named Dot and Ditto, (4 at the time) and a baby named Trixie, who loves talking to Sunbeam, a ray of sunlight. They also have a large shaggy dog named Dawg. Their neighbors are the Thurstons, the fat and lazy Thirsty and his skinny wife Irma.

First Appearance

The Flagstons first appeared in Mort Walker's strip "Beetle Bailey". They spun off into their own strip, written by Walker and drawn by Dik Browne. Lois Flagston (née Bailey) is Beetle Bailey's sister, and the two strips make occasional crossovers. One of these occurred on the strip's 40th anniversary in 1994, when Beetle visited his sister Lois and her family. Chip resembles his Uncle Beetle in appearance (especially the eyes) and attitude.

Changing times

The strip made efforts to keep up with the times, such as housewife Lois Flagston taking a career in real estate in 1980. In previous decades the strip was acclaimed; in 1962 it earned Dik Browne a Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society.

The strip faced some controversy given the changes in morals since its debut in the 1950s. Once, editors insisted that belly buttons could not appear; in protest, Browne included a box of dimpled navel oranges.

Current creative team

Now produced by the sons of the original creative team, the script written by Brian and Greg Walker and drawn by Robert "Chance" Browne.

The strip is apparently a favorite of the character known as Comic Book Guy on "The Simpsons". He has referred to it on a few occasions, once sarcastically asking Bart Simpson, "Are you the creator of "Hi and Lois?" Because you are making me laugh." He also once intended to host a signing with the strip's creators at his store, but it was moved to the Springfield Coliseum, presumably due to overwhelming demand.

Hi and Lois appeared in the comic strip Blondie for the 75th anniversary of the strip. Lois's brother Beetle was also present at the party.

Controversies

Hi and Lois is widely regarded to be one of the most anachronistic comic strips to date. This is due to the fact that when the strip started in 1954, Chip was 8 years old. Today, he is still a teenager, though he should be 62 years of age.

External links

* [http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/hi_lois/about.htm "Hi and Lois" at King Features]
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/hilois.htm Toonopedia entry]