May 21st, 2017
by Brian Walker, Greg Walker and Chance Browne
Hi and Lois Sunday page color proof, June 28, 1964.
This classic Sunday page from 1964 shows Lois Flagston on a trip to town. She is dressed in an attractive red dress with pearls, white gloves and a stylish hat. Her friend Millie admires her for looking so fresh and calm while planning a large lunch party at the same time her home is being renovated. With Hi’s help, Lois is regarded by her peers as a super capable suburban housewife.
Mort Walker always felt that Dik Browne drew a pretty Lois, but Dik often confessed that he found the challenge of trying to make a good-looking character act funny very difficult. Lois can be shown in compromising poses to get humor out of a situation, but a fine line of integrity could never be crossed. She is perceived as almost real by readers of the strip, so her believability is essential. Lois is not just a pretty face or a stereotypical baby boom mother. She is a creation of pen and ink, who lives out her most private moments for the enjoyment of millions.
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– Brian Walker