The Bell Syndicate, launched in 1916 by editor-publisher

John Neville Wheeler John Neville Wheeler (April 11, 1886 – October 13, 1973) was an American newspaperman, publishing executive, magazine editor, and writer. He was born in Yonkers, New York, graduated Columbia University (which holds a collection of his papers ...

, was an American syndicate that distributed columns, fiction, feature articles and comic strips to newspapers for decades. It was located in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

at 247 West 43rd Street and later at 229 West 43rd Street. It also reprinted comic strips in book form.

History

Antecedent: the Wheeler Syndicate

In 1913, while working as a sportswriter for the ''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the ''New York Herald Tribune''. Hist ...

'', Wheeler formed the

Wheeler Syndicate John Neville Wheeler (April 11, 1886 – October 13, 1973) was an American newspaperman, publishing executive, magazine editor, and writer. He was born in Yonkers, New York, graduated Columbia University (which holds a collection of his papers ...

to specialize in distribution of sports features to newspapers in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. That same year his Wheeler Syndicate contracted with pioneering comic strip artist

Bud Fisher Harry Conway "Bud" Fisher (April 3, 1885 – September 7, 1954) was an American cartoonist who created ''Mutt and Jeff'', the first successful daily comic strip in the United States. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a merchant, ...

and cartoonist

Fontaine Fox Fontaine Talbot Fox, Jr. (June 4, 1884 – August 9, 1964) was an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for writing and illustrating his ''Toonerville Folks'' comic panel, which ran from 1913 to 1955 in 250 to 300 newspapers across North ...

to begin distributing their work. Journalist

Richard Harding Davis Richard Harding Davis (April 18, 1864 – April 11, 1916) was an American journalist and writer of fiction and drama, known foremost as the first American war correspondent to cover the Spanish–American War, the Second Boer War, and the First ...

was sent to Belgium as war correspondent and reported on early battlefield actions, as the Wheeler Syndicate became a comprehensive news collection and distribution operation. In 1916, the Wheeler Syndicate was purchased by

S. S. McClure Samuel Sidney McClure (February 17, 1857 – March 21, 1949) was an Irish-American publisher who became known as a key figure in investigative, or muckraking, journalism. He co-founded and ran ''McClure's Magazine'' from 1893 to 1911, which ran n ...

McClure Syndicate McClure Newspaper Syndicate, the first American newspaper syndicate, introduced many American and British writers to the masses. Launched in 1884 by publisher Samuel S. McClure, it was the first successful company of its kind. It turned the marke ...

, the oldest and largest news and feature syndicate in America. (Years later, Wheeler's company would in turn acquire the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)

Foundation of the Bell Syndicate

Immediately upon the sale of his Wheeler Syndicate, John Neville Wheeler founded the Bell Syndicate, which soon attracted Fisher, Fox, and other cartoonists.

Ring Lardner Ringgold Wilmer Lardner (March 6, 1885 – September 25, 1933) was an American sports columnist and short story writer best known for his satirical writings on sports, marriage, and the theatre. His contemporaries Ernest Hemingway, Virginia ...

began writing a sports column for Bell in 1919.

Mergers and acquisitions

In the spring of 1920, the Bell Syndicate acquired the

Metropolitan Newspaper Service Metropolitan Newspaper Service (MNS) was a syndication service based in New York City that operated from 1919 to 1932. At first the syndication service of '' Metropolitan Magazine'', it soon became affiliated with the Bell Syndicate, and then was a ...

(MNS), continuing to operate it as a separate division. MNS launched such strips as

William Conselman William Marien Conselman (July 10, 1896 – May 25, 1940) was an American screenwriter who also wrote newspaper comic strips under his Bill Conselman byline and sometimes under the pseudonym Frank Smiley. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, C ...

's ''

Good Time Guy ''Good Time Guy'' is a humorous syndicated comic strip that was distributed by Metropolitan Newspaper Service from June 27, 1927 to December 6, 1930. It was begun by prolific screenwriter William Conselman under the pen name of Frank Smiley, and ...

'' and ''

Ella Cinders ''Ella Cinders'' is an American syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed for most of its run by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page fol ...

'', and the ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

'' comic strip. In March 1930,

United Feature Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along ...

acquired MNS and its strips from the Bell Syndicate."United Feature Syndicate Buys Metropolitan Service From Elser: Both Firms Will Retain Separate Identities, With Elser Remaining as Vice-President — Monte Bourjaily to Direct Both Organizations," ''Editor & Publisher'' (March 15, 1930). Archived a
"News of Yore 1930: Another Syndicate Gobbled,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (May 4, 2010).Booker, M. Keith. "United Feature Syndicate," in ''Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas'' ( ABC-CLIO, 2014), p. 399. In 1924, Wheeler became executive editor of ''

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

'' magazine, and served in that capacity while continuing to run the Bell Syndicate. In 1930, Wheeler became general manager of

North American Newspaper Alliance The North American Newspaper Alliance (NANA) was a large newspaper syndicate that flourished between 1922 and 1980. NANA employed some of the most noted writing talents of its time, including Grantland Rice, Joseph Alsop, Michael Stern, Lothrop ...

(NANA), established in 1922 by 50 major newspapers in the United States and Canada which absorbed Bell, both continuing to operate individually under joint ownership as the Bell Syndicate-North American Newspaper Alliance. That same year, Bell acquired

Associated Newspapers DMG Media (stylised in lowercase) is an intermediate holding company for Associated Newspapers, Northcliffe Media, Harmsworth Printing, Harmsworth Media and other subsidiaries of Daily Mail and General Trust. It is based at Northcliffe House in ...

, founded by S. S. McClure's cousin Henry Herbert McClure. Keeping Associated Newspapers as a division, at that point the company became the Bell-McClure Syndicate.Saunders, David
"SAMUEL S. McCLURE (1857-1949),"
Field Guide to Wild American Pulp Artists. Accessed Nov. 1, 2018. In 1933, just as the concept of "

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

" was getting off the ground,

Eastern Color Printing The Eastern Color Printing Company was a company that published comic books, beginning in 1933. At first, it was only newspaper comic strip reprints, but later on, original material was published. Eastern Color Printing was incorporated in 192 ...

published ''

Funnies on Parade ''Funnies on Parade'' is an American publication of 1933 that was a precursor of comic books. The eight-page publication featured reprints of such popular syndicated comic strips as '' The Bungle Family'', '' Joe Palooka'', ''Keeping Up with the ...

'', which reprinted in color several comic strips licensed from the Bell-McClure Syndicate, the

Ledger Syndicate The Public Ledger Syndicate (known simply as the Ledger Syndicate) was a syndication company operated by the Philadelphia '' Public Ledger'' that was in business from 1915 to circa 1950 (outlasting the newspaper itself, which ceased publishing in ...

, and the

McNaught Syndicate The McNaught Syndicate was an American newspaper syndicate founded in 1922. It was established by Virgil Venice McNitt (who gave it his name) and Charles V. McAdam. Its best known contents were the columns by Will Rogers and O. O. McIntyre, the ...

, including the Bell Syndicate & Associated Newspaper strips ''

Mutt and Jeff ''Mutt and Jeff'' was a long-running and widely popular American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Bud Fisher in 1907 about "two mismatched tinhorns". It is commonly regarded as the first daily comic strip. The concept of a newsp ...

'', ''Cicero'', ''S'Matter, Pop'', ''Honeybunch's Hubby'', ''Holly of Hollywood'', and ''

Keeping Up with the Joneses Keeping is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Charles Keeping (1924–1988), British illustrator, children's book author and lithographer * Damien Keeping (born 1982), Australian rules football coach * Frederick Keeping (1867 ...

''. Eastern Color neither sold this periodical nor made it available on

newsstands A newsagent's shop or simply newsagent's or paper shop (British English), newsagency ( Australian English) or newsstand ( American and Canadian English) is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of l ...

, but rather sent it out free as a promotional item to consumers who mailed in coupons clipped from

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...

soap and toiletries products. The company printed 10,000 copies, and it was a great success.Brown, Mitchell. An April 1933 article in '' Fortune'' described the "Big Four" American syndicates as

King Features Syndicate King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editoria ...

, the

Chicago Tribune Syndicate Tribune Content Agency (TCA) is a syndication company owned by Tribune Publishing. TCA had previously been known as the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate (CTNYNS), Tribune Company Syndicate, and Tribune Media S ...

, and the Bell-McClure Syndicate.

Jeet Heer Jeet Heer is a Canadian author, comics critic, literary critic and journalist. He is a national affairs correspondent for ''The Nation'' magazine and a former staff writer at ''The New Republic''. As of 2014, he was writing a doctoral thesis at Yor ...

, "Crane's Great Gamble", in Roy Crane, ''Buz Sawyer: 1, The War in the Pacific''. Seattle, Wash.: Fantagraphics Books, 2011. The Bell Syndicate was one of the many syndicates that rejected

Jerry Siegel Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, ...

in 1934 when he proposed a Superman comic strip. The syndicate stated, "We are in the market only for strips likely to have the most extraordinary appeal, and we do not feel that Superman gets into that category." (Superman's subsequent debut in ''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publication ...

'' #1 in 1938 was a huge success.) The Bell Syndicate-North American Newspaper Alliance acquired the

McClure Newspaper Syndicate McClure Newspaper Syndicate, the first American newspaper syndicate, introduced many American and British writers to the masses. Launched in 1884 by publisher Samuel S. McClure, it was the first successful company of its kind. It turned the marke ...

in September 1952 — making it the second McClure-family-owned syndicate to be acquired by Bell — with Louis Ruppel installed as president and editor.Knoll, Erwin
"McClure Syndicate Sold to Bell-NANA"
''Editor & Publisher'' (September 6, 1952). The syndicate's greatest success with comic strips was in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. The company had some strips in syndication through the 1950s but the only ones to have success into the 1960s were ''

Uncle Nugent's Funland ''Uncle Art's Funland'' (also known as ''Funland'' and as ''Uncle Nugent's Funland'') is a long-running syndicated weekly puzzle and entertainment feature originated by Art Nugent (1891–1975). Featuring jokes, riddles, and paper-and-pencil word ...

'', ''

Hambone's Meditations ''Hambone's Meditations'' was a comic strip produced from 1916 to 1968, and syndicated initially by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate and later by the Bell Syndicate. Produced by two generations of the Alley family, the one-panel cartoon originated ...

'' and ''Joe and Asbestos''. In 1964, the publishing and media company Koster‐Dana Corporation was identified as controlling both North American Newspaper Alliance and the Bell‐McClure Syndicate. and by 1970 the syndicate was no longer distributing comic strips.

Final years

In 1972,

United Features Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along w ...

acquired NANA / Bell-McClure and absorbed them into its syndication operations.

Bell Syndicate / Bell-McClure Syndicate strips and panels

*''Beauregard'' by Jack Davis (1961) — never successfully syndicated and soon dropped *''Beautiful Babs'' by Chic Young (July 15, 1922–c. Nov. 1922) *''Ben Webster's Career'' by George Storm (1925–1926) * ''Betty'' by

Charles Voight Charles Anthony Voight (April 28, 1887 – February 10, 1947) was an American cartoonist, best known for his comic strip ''Betty''. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, Voight was 14 when he dropped out of school and became an art staffer at ...

(c. 1919-c. 1920) — Sunday-only strip; moved to the

New York Herald Tribune Syndicate The New York Herald Tribune Syndicate was the syndication service of the ''New York Herald Tribune''. Syndicating comic strips and newspaper columns, it operated from c. 1914 to 1966. The syndicate's most notable strips were ''Mr. and Mrs.'', ''Ou ...

*'' Bullwinkle'' by

Al Kilgore Alfred R. Kilgore (December 19, 1927 - August 15, 1983), who signed his work Al Kilgore, was an American artist who worked as a cartoonist and filmmaker. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Kilgore attended Andrew Jackson High School where he played ba ...

(July 23, 1962 – 1965) *''Cash and Carrie'' -

Lou Skuce Thomas Lewis Skuce (July 6, 1886 - November 20, 1951), more popularly known as Lou Skuce, was a Canadian comic strip and editorial cartoonist (much of it sports-related), who also appeared widely in movie theatres to entertain while producing ca ...

(c. 1926) *''Cicero's Cat'' (''Cicero'') -

and then

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a ...

(1930s-1940s) *''Dan Flagg'' by

Don Sherwood Don Sherwood may refer to: * Don Sherwood (politician) (born 1941), American politician * Don Sherwood (DJ) (1925–1983), American radio personality * Don Sherwood (cartoonist) (1930–2010), American cartoonist and illustrator {{hndis, Sherwo ...

(c. 1966–July 5, 1967) — originally with the

*''

Don Winslow of the Navy ''Don Winslow of the Navy'' is a 1942 Universal Pictures Serial film based on the comic strip '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' by Commander Frank V. Martinek. It was theatrically released in January 1942. Plot Commander Don Winslow is returned to t ...

'' -

Ken Ernst Kenneth Frederic Ernst (1918 – August 6, 1985) was a US comic book and comic strip artist. He is most notable for his work on the popular and long-running comic strip ''Mary Worth'' from 1942 to 1985.''Contemporary Graphic Artists'' By Gale Rese ...

(1934–1955) *''Famous Fiction'' by J. Carroll Mansfield, Chad Grothkopf, Harry Anderson,

Jack Binder Jack Binder is an American film producer (''The Upside of Anger'', ''First Reformed'', ''Reign Over Me'') and television producer (''The Mind of the Married Man'', HBO) and second unit director active since 1985. With older brother Mike Binder, ...

, and Barye Phillips (1940–1946) — weekly serial adaptations of famous works of literature, including ''

The Murders in the Rue Morgue "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in ''Graham's Magazine'' in 1841. It has been described as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste D ...

'' (23 July 1944-27 Aug 1944), ''

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled '' The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' Written while Irving was living abroad in Bir ...

'' (3 Sept 1944-8 Oct 1944), ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...

'' (15 Oct 1944-5 Nov 1944), ''

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

'' — "The Fisherman and the Genie" (12 Nov 1944-17 Dec 1944), ''

Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Hanse ...

'' (24 Dec 1944-28 Jan 1945), ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure n ...

'' (4 Feb 1945-25 Mar 1945), ''

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...

'' (1 Apr 1945-20 May 1945), '' The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor'' (27 May 1945 – 15 July 1945), '' Huckleberry Finn's Trip Down the Mississippi'' (July 22, 1945-9 Sept 1945), ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arthu ...

'' (16 Sept 1945-4 Nov 1945), '' Aladdin's Lamp'' (11 Nov 1945-30 Dec 1945), ''

The Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...

'' (6 Jan 1946-1946), and '' King Arthur'' (1946-19 May 1946) *''

Flyin' Jenny ''Flyin' Jenny'' was an aviation adventure comic strip created by illustrator Russell Keaton and distributed to newspapers by Bell Syndicate from October 2, 1939, to July 20, 1946. Publication history Launched in October 1939, ''Flyin' Jenny'' ...

'' by Russell Keaton (1939–1946) *''

Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comi ...

'' by Leo O'Mealia

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

,''The Funnies: 100 Years of American Comic Strips'' (Holbrook, Mass.: Adams Publishing, 1995). , pp. 87-88, 104, 106, 124, 200. (1931–1933) *'' Funnyman'' -

and

Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 ...

(1948) *'' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' -

Anita Loos Corinne Anita Loos (April 26, 1888 – August 18, 1981) was an American actress, novelist, playwright and screenwriter. In 1912, she became the first female staff screenwriter in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood, when D. W. Griffith put h ...

Virginia Huget Virginia Clark (December 22, 1899 – June 27, 1991), better known as Virginia Huget, was a prolific and versatile American comic strip artist and writer. She is known for her comic strips depicting flappers and for broadening the flapper image b ...

and Phil Cook (1926) *''

'' - originally by

James Pinckney Alley J.P. Alley (1885-1934) was an editorial cartoonist whose work attacking the Ku Klux Klan brought his employer, the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'' newspaper, the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. He was best known for his ''Hambone's Meditati ...

and then by his sons

Cal Alley Calvin Lane Alley (October 10, 1915 – November 10, 1970) was the editorial cartoonist for ''The Commercial Appeal'' in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1945 until 1970. ''Hambone's Meditations'' Born in Memphis, Cal Alley was the son of James Pinckney ...

and James Alley (1916–1968) — came over from the

*''Highlights of History'' - J. Carroll Mansfield (1924–1942) * ''Honeybunch's Hubby'' —

C. M. Payne Charles M. Payne (1873–1964) was an American cartoonist best known for his popular long-running comic strip ''S'Matter, Pop?''. He signed his work C. M. Payne and also adopted the nickname Popsy. In 1896, Payne was employed at the '' Pittsburgh ...

(November 27, 1909—March 30, 1911; April 19, 1931–c. 1934) — alternated as a topper strip with ''S'Matter, Pop?''Holtz, Allan
"Obscurity of the Day: Honeybunch's Hubby,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (September 16, 2013). *''Joe and Asbestos'' (originally called ''Joe Quince'') by Ken Kling (1923–1926; 1931–1970) *''

Life's Like That ''Life's Like That'' was a gag panel by Fred Neher which found humor in life's foibles. Spanning five decades -- from October 1, 1934 to August 20, 1977 — the panel was initially distributed by Consolidated News Features, and later by the Bell- ...

'' -

Fred Neher Fred Neher (September 29, 1903 – September 22, 2001) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated gag panel, ''Life's Like That'', which offered a humorous look at human nature, with a focus on American society and family life, for ...

(1934–1941) *''Looie the Lawyer'' -

Martin Branner Martin Michael Branner (December 28, 1888 – May 19, 1970), known to his friends as Mike Branner, was a cartoonist who created the popular comic strip '' Winnie Winkle''. Early life Branner was born in Manhattan, New York City on December ...

(1919) *''Mescal Ike'' - Art Huhta and S. L. Huntley (December 6, 1926 – August 24, 1940) *''

Miss Fury Miss Fury is a fictional superheroine from the Golden Age of Comics. She first appeared as ''The Black Fury'' on April 6, 1941, a Sunday comic strip distributed by the Bell Syndicate, and created by artist June Tarpé Mills (writing as Tarpé M ...

'' - Tarpé Mills (1941–1952) *''

'' -

and then

(1916–c. 1944; moved to

Field Syndicate The Field Newspaper Syndicate was a syndication service based in Chicago that operated independently from 1941 to 1984, for a good time under the name the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate. The service was founded by Marshall Field III and was part of F ...

) *''The Nebbs'' -

Sol Hess Sol Hess (born 1886, Philadelphia, PA – d. 1953) was an American typeface designer. After a three-year scholarship course at Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Design, he began at Lanston Monotype in 1902, rising to typographic man ...

and

Wallace Carlson Wallace A. Carlson (March 28, 1894 – May 9, 1967) was a pioneering American animator and comic strip artist based in Chicago. Known to his friends as Wally Carlson, he usually signed his work as Wallace Carlson. Biography Born in St. ...

(1923–1947) *''Phil Hardy'' / ''Born to Win'' - "Edwin Alger" (Jay Jerome Williams) and George Storm (1925–1934) * ''

Reg'lar Fellers ''Reg'lar Fellers'' is a long-running newspaper comic strip adapted into a feature film, a radio series on the NBC Red Network, and two animated cartoons. Created by Gene Byrnes (1889–1974), the comic strip offered a humorous look at a gang o ...

'' (1917–1924) — moved on to

George Matthew Adams Service George Matthew Adams (August 23, 1878 – October 29, 1962) was an American newspaper columnist and founder of the George Matthew Adams Newspaper Service, which syndicated comic strips and columns to newspapers for five decades. His own writings ...

*''

Sad Sack ''Sad Sack'' is an American comic strip and comic book character created by Sgt. George Baker during World War II. Set in the United States Army, ''Sad Sack'' depicted an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities an ...

'' - George Baker (1942–1957) *''Sergeant Stony Craig and His US Marines'' - Frank H. Rentfrow and Don L. Dickson (1937–1946) *'' Sherlock Holmes'' - Leo O'Mealia (1930–1931) *''

Sir Bagby Sir Bagby was an American daily strip created by brothers Rick Hackney and Bill Hackney, who signed the strip "R & B Hackney." The setting was a medieval world filled with anachronisms and puns. (In that, it resembled Jack Kent's King Aroo, distr ...

'' by Rick and Bill Hackney (1959-1966) *''S'Matter, Pop?'' (''Nippy's Pop'') -

(1911–1940) *''

Straight Arrow The ''Straight Arrow'' radio program was a western adventure series for juveniles which was broadcast, mostly twice weekly in the United States from 1948 or 1949 through 1951.Anderson, Roland. A total of 292 episodes were aired. Although firs ...

'' - John Belfi and Joe Certa (1950-1952) *''

Tailspin Tommy ''Tailspin Tommy'' was an air adventure comic strip about a youthful pilot, " Tailspin" Tommy Tomkins (sometimes spelled Tompkins). Originally illustrated by Hal Forrest and initially distributed by John Neville Wheeler's Bell Syndicate and the ...

'' -

Hal Forrest Hal Forrest (Philadelphia, July 22, 1895 - 1959) was an American comic strip artist best known for his work on '' Tailspin Tommy''. Biography When he was 16, he drew a comic strip, ''Percy the Boy Scout'', for the ''Philadelphia Telegraph'', an ...

(1928–1940; moved to

) * ''That's Different'' by

Walter Berndt Walter Berndt (November 22, 1899, – August 15, 1979) was a cartoonist known for his comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often se ...

(c. 1921) * ''Teena A Go Go'' — writer Bessie Little and artist

Bob Powell Bob Powell (né Stanley Robert Pawlowski; While gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, and gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, Bails and Ware note: "family name corrected by his son, Seth R. Powell July 2006." October 2, 1916

(August 14, 1966 – February 18, 1967) * ''

Toonerville Folks ''Toonerville Folks'' ( ''The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains'') was a popular newspaper cartoon feature by Fontaine Fox, which ran from 1908 to 1955. It began in 1908 in the ''Chicago Post'', and by 1913, it was syndicated national ...

'' by

(1916–c.1930) — originated with Wheeler Syndicate; later moved to the

where it ran until 1955 *''True Comics'' - Ed Smalle and

Jack Sparling John Edmond Sparling (June 21, 1916 – February 15, 1997), was a Canadian comics artist. Biography Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sparling moved to the United States as a child. He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in New ...

(early 1940s) *''

You Know Me Al ''You Know Me Al'' is a book by Ring Lardner, and subsequently a nationally syndicated comic strip scripted by Lardner and drawn by Will B. Johnstone and Dick Dorgan. The book consists of stories that were written as letters from a professional b ...

'' -

with art by

Will B. Johnstone William Breuninger Johnstone (13 March 1881 – 4 February 1944) was an American writer, cartoonist, and lyricist. His writing credits include the Marx Brothers's Broadway revue '' I'll Say She Is'' and, with S.J. Perelman, their first two H ...

and Dick Dorgan (1922–1925) * ''

'' by

Art Nugent Arthur William Nugent (1891 - March 25, 1975), better known as Art Nugent, was an American cartoonist notable for his long-running syndicated puzzle feature, ''Funland'' (aka ''Uncle Art's Funland''), which he drew for four decades. He sometimes ...

(1950–1972; became part of

)

Key people, writers, and columnists

Henry M. Snevily was the firm's president. Kathleen Caesar was the Bell Syndicate's editor. Film critic

Mordaunt Hall Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...

was appointed president of NANA and Bell-McClure, replacing Harry Spiess. Late in life, after moving over from the

Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer (November 18, 1861 – December 16, 1951), widely known by the pen name Dorothy Dix, was an American journalist and columnist. As the forerunner of today's popular advice columnists, Dix was America's highest paid ...

wrote the ''Dorothy Dix'' advice column, which ran in 160 newspapers, until her 1951 death, when Muriel Agnelli took over the column. In 20 newspapers it appeared under the byline "Muriel Nissen," Agnelli's maiden name. Born in Manhattan, Muriel Agnelli attended

Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools. It also adm ...

and also studied journalism and psychology at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

. After marrying Joseph P. Agnelli in 1929, she began editing Bell's four-page children's tabloid, ''The Sunshine Club'', and she later wrote a column about

postage stamps A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...

and

stamp collecting Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

. Joseph Agnelli was the Bell Syndicate's executive vice-president and general manager. The syndicate also distributed

James J. Montague James Jackson Montague (April 16, 1873 – December 16, 1941) was an American journalist, satirist, and poet. Renowned as a "versifier", Montague is best known for his column "More Truth Than Poetry", which was published in a wide number ...

's column ''More Truth than Poetry'', as well as many other articles and light fiction pieces, from about 1924 until his death in 1941. The liberal Washington columnist

Doris Fleeson Doris Fleeson (May 20, 1901 – August 1, 1970) was an American journalist and columnist and was the first woman in the United States to have a nationally syndicated political column. Early life Fleeson was born in Sterling, Kansas, to clothing ...

wrote a daily Bell political column from 1945 to 1954. Drew Pearson's ''Washington-Merry-Go-Round'' column (moving over from

in 1944) was carried in 600 newspapers until Pearson's death in 1969."Drew Pearson's Washington Merry-Go-Round,"
American University Digital Research Archive. Accessed Nov. 1, 2018.

References

External links

''Defining New Yorker Humor'' by Judith Yaross Lee"> ''Defining New Yorker Humor'' by Judith Yaross Lee

History

Antecedent: the Wheeler Syndicate

Foundation of the Bell Syndicate

Mergers and acquisitions

Final years

Bell Syndicate / Bell-McClure Syndicate strips and panels

Key people, writers, and columnists

See also

References

External links

Further reading