This writer assumes that if you grew up in Lancaster, you were “introduced” to Richard (Dick) Outcault at some time through the years.
If you missed the opportunity to “meet” him, allow me to introduce you with this “introduction” that appeared in the Daily Eagle, 26 October 1915: “Yes, he’s here. The famous cartoonist, the originator of Buster Brown, the Yellow Kid and other well known celebrities is here. He is back on a visit to his old home; back to the scenes of the old swimming hole and back to the place where the genius that is within him was started and nurtured. He came from his New York home accompanied by his charming daughter, Miss Mary Jane, to visit his mother, Mrs. Kate Outcault on West Allen Street, and his brother, Dr. Charles Outcault and family on North High Street. He is meeting with a hearty and generous welcome.”
His visits to Lancaster were an almost annual occurrence.
We all will have an opportunity to “meet” Outcault or learn more about him during the upcoming Lancaster Festival. The Fairfield County District Library will feature the exhibit Lancaster’s Own: Richard Outcault and the Birth of the American Comic Strip on display July 17 – Aug. 16, 2026.
You may know Outcault has been keeping his eyes on Lancaster from his mural at the corner of Broad and Wheeling Streets for 24 years. The mural was created by Leo Strawn, Jr. in 2002.
Outcault was born in Lancaster in 1863, attended North School, graduated from High School and then studied art in Cincinnati. “Richard is a lad of exceptional talent in the use of the pencil,” reported the Gazette, 20 Sept. 1877. He was working for the Cincinnati Enquirer as a reporter and illustrated his own articles.
When Thomas Edison saw his work, he was impressed and sent him to Paris to study for about a year. He then created the “Hogan’s Alley” comic based on his boyhood haunts with the “hill boys” in Lancaster.
Richard returned to Lancaster and married Mary Jane Martin here in the home of her parents on E. Wheeling St. on Dec. 25, 1890. The couple moved to New York and lived on Long Island. They had a son, Richard, Jr. (1892-1976), and a daughter, Mary Jane (1896-1996), who became characters in their father’s cartoons. The “Buster Brown” series that began in 1902 was perhaps his best-known. At the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, an executive of the Brown Shoe Co. met Richard Outcault and purchased the name from him. The company then launched a touring show with actors portraying the characters and selling shoes. Juanita Grant wrote in the E-G 22 Jan.1959, “We older folks have such a clear memory of the popularity of Buster Brown collars and ties and shoes. In those earlier days clothes took their names from cartoons just as in the present we have garments deriving names from motion picture stars and other prominent characters.”
Richard F. Outcault died in his Long Island home in 1928. His wife died in 1945, and both are buried on Long Island, NY. His special obituary (9-26-1928) ended with these words: “But a big man in his particular line has gone and in our local gallery of fame we are going to hang the portrait of Richard F. Outcault along side of Sherman the warrior, Ewing the statesman and Stanbery the jurist…as one of the famous men that the good old town of Lancaster has produced and likes to call her own. You were a good old chap, Dick, and we pen these lines with sorrow and regret. You have filled a niche in this world of ours and have made history not only for yourself but for the town in which you were born.”
Readers may contact Harvey at joycelancastereg@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster honors comic strip creator Richard Outcault
Reporting by Joyce Harvey, Special to the Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joyce Harvey, Special to the Eagle-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
