158) The Jiggs up...

Bringing Up Father by George McManus 9-15-1930

Bringing Up Father, starring nouveau riche Irish immigrant Jiggs and his social climbing wife, Maggie, premiered in 1913 and ran until 2000. This long running classic comic strip was created by George McManus, a master of fine line Art Deco cartoon illustration.

Jiggs was a poor bricklayer who won a sweepstake that elevated him and his laundress wife into the world of high society. Despite his wealth, Jiggs was a simple man at heart who enjoyed going to the saloon and hanging with a rougher crowd, much to the dismay of Maggie who opted to forget about their humble beginnings. They had a grown daughter, Nora, and a ne’er do well son, Ethelbert.

The strip was popular enough to give birth to a couple of movie series, stage performances, animated cartoons, a radio series and even some sheet music. When McManus died in 1954, the strip was continued by a number of different cartoonists until its demise in 2000. By the end of its run, the adventures of Jiggs and his harridan wife were no longer relevant.

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