| Half Hitch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Author(s) | Hank Ketcham (1943–1945) Bob Saylor (1970–1975) |
| Illustrator(s) | Dick Hodgins (1970–1975) |
| Current status/schedule | Concluded daily strip |
| Launch date | 1943; February 16, 1970 |
| End date | 1945; 1975 |
| Syndicate(s) | King Features Syndicate (1970–1975) |
| Publisher(s) | The Saturday Evening Post (1943–1945) |
| Genre(s) | Humor, Military |
Half Hitch is an American comic stripbyHank Ketcham, in syndication first between 1943 and 1945 and later from 1970 to 1975. It is an example of military humor, but unlike most cartoons and comics of this genre, is focused on the navy, rather than the army. The unnamed character first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943.[1]
During World War II, Hank Ketcham served in the U.S. Navy. During his service, he created a comic strip for the amusement of his fellow sailors, following the adventures of a short, lecherous sailor and his friends. It was published in The Saturday Evening Post where it became popular.[2] The strip ceased in 1945, but after the great success of Dennis the Menace, Ketcham revived it as Half Hitch. The revival was distributed by King Features Syndicate, running from 1970 to 1975, as described by comics historian Don Markstein:
The strip's main character, Half Hitch, is short, rather lazy, and intensely interested in the pursuit of women. Other characters include the ship's stern captain, various NCOs and sailors, and Poopsy, Hitch's pet seagull. Poopsy spun out into his own strip in 1974.[5][6]
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