298) The Better Half…

Original The Better Half by Bob Barnes 8-11-1964

Bob Barnes created The Better Half comic panel for The Register and Tribune Syndicate in 1956. It’s humor was derived from the often combative married life of the lead characters, Stanley and Harriet Parker. When Barnes died in 1970, the strip was continued by Barnes’ wife, Ruth, with Dick Rogers doing the art. In 1979 the feature was passed to cartoonist Vinnie Vinson, who worked on the comic panel until 1982 when Randy Glasbergen took over. Glasbergen, a very prolific cartoonist, soon transformed the feature to his own unique style, a rather radical change from Bob Barnes’ depiction of Stanley and Harriet. During Glasbergen’s time on The Better Half, King Features Syndicate took over the distribution of the panel until it’s final appearance in 2014.

A sitcom pilot based on the strip, starring James Coco and Lily Tomlin, was produced in the early 70’s by the ABC Network, but they passed on bringing it to series.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at themythfits@gmail.com.