Strange as It Seems

Strange as It Seems appeared as a syndicated cartoon feature in 1928 and became a familiar brand to millions around the globe for its comic strips, books, radio shows and film shorts. Created by John Hix, Strange as It Seems was distinguished for its adherence to Hix's standard that every published fact be verified by a minimum of three sources. In Hix's words, Strange as It Seems is a library of

the curious, in nature and humankind, set adrift on the vast sea of public opinion with the hope that it will fulfill its mission to entertain and acquaint its viewers with some of the marvels of the world in which we live.

The Strange as It Seems syndicated cartoon strips were printed daily in newspapers from 1928 to 1970. They were originally created by John Hix. Strange as It Seems was distinguished for its adherence to Hix's standard that every published fact be verified by a minimum of three sources.

It was syndicated domestically by United Feature Syndicate and internationally by United Press International. At its peak the strip was printed in 1,300 newspapers. The cartoons competed in newspapers with Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoons. Other similar strips at the time included Ralph Graczak's Our Own Oddities and It Happened in Canada by Gordon Johnston.

By 1953, the strip's syndication was down to 175 newspapers. The demise of multiple newspapers in cities and the changing taste of readers led to the strip ending in 1970.

The cartoon strip was written and drawn by John Hix from 1928 until his health began to deteriorate in the early 1940s and Dick Kirby began drawing the strip, although Hix continued to oversee and approve all content.

John Hix died of myocarditis on June 6, 1944, which was also D-Day. His brother, Ernest Hix, took over producing the feature. The cartoons were drawn by Dick Kirby from 1944 to 1946, then by Doug Heyes from 1946 to 1948. After Ernest Hix's death in the crash of a private plane on September 18, 1948, in Los Angeles, the writing of the strip was taken over by his wife Elsie Huber Hix. Ms. Hix had two young children at the time, Ernest Harmon Hix Jr. and Dixie Ann Hix. Dick Kirby returned to draw the strip from 1948 until 1949, then George Jahns took over and continued as the feature's artist until 1970 when the strip was discontinued. Ms. Hix continued to write the stories for the comics until 1963, when she turned the work over to her son, Ernest Hix, Jr. He wrote and produced the strip with his wife Phyllis until 1970 when the feature went out of syndication.

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