Katzenjammer Kids

comic strip

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June 30, 2026

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The Katzenjammer Kids is a long-running American comic strip created by Rudolph Dirks in 1897. The strip features the mischievous twins Hans and Fritz, whose antics often cause trouble and chaos.12

The name "Katzenjammer" itself comes from German words meaning "cat's wail" or "distress," reflecting the characters' often chaotic and troublesome nature. Dirks was inspired by Wilhelm Busch's German picture story Max und Moritz. Due to anti-German sentiment during World War I, Dirks later renamed the strip "The Captain and the Kids" when he moved to a different publication, though "The Katzenjammer Kids" continued with another artist. The strip is known for its slapstick humor and the enduring popularity of its young, unruly protagonists.21

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comic strip
The United States
…Max and Moritz, called the Katzenjammer Kids, which proved an instant success. It survived in syndication into the 21st century, under its sixth author. The market-driven tendency to continue strips in their formula if not their spirit after the death of the original author(s) has given extraordinary longevity to many…
Read More
…Max and Moritz, called the Katzenjammer Kids, which proved an instant success. It survived in syndication into the 21st century, under its sixth author. The market-driven tendency to continue strips in their formula if not their spirit after the death of the original author(s) has given extraordinary longevity to many…
Read More