Yellow Kid

The Yellow Kid was the popular narrator of the world’s first comic strip, Hogan’s Alley. The character’s exploits were published in the New York World newspaper from 1895–1898 and the New York Journal from 1896–1898. Drawn first by Richard Felton Outcault (1863–1928) and later by George Luks (1867–1933), the Yellow Kid is remembered for his mass appeal and timely witticisms. Popular belief holds that yellow journalism is named for the Yellow Kid, as the reporting style and the cartoon hero were in vogue during the same period in late 1890s. This entry discusses the history of the Yellow Kid, the style and content of the comics where the character appeared, the character’s popularity, and its effect on newspapers.