November 19th, 2018

Timeline – 2002 Part 4

by Brian Walker, Greg Walker and Chance Browne

Hi and Lois Sunday page digital proof, December 15, 2002.

Chip is a typical teenager who tries to have as little communication with his parents as possible and spends an inordinate amount of time alone in his room.  In the Sunday page above, Hi and Lois are worried about him and decide to check to see if he’s OK.  They are relieved to discover him behaving normally – hanging upside down playing his guitar.

Chip’s messy room has been a rich source of gag material in the strip for over six decades.

In this Sunday page from 1960, Hi speculates about how archeologists in the future might interpret the junk in Chip’s room.

Hi and Lois Sunday page color proof, July 10, 1960.

In this panel from 1963, Trixie admires the artistry of her brother’s mess.

In a 1970s-era Hi and Lois comic book, readers were invited to color Chip’s clutter.

Drawing Chip’s room was a challenge for Dik and Chance Browne, but they never complained. It was fun filling it up with comic books, records, musical instruments, soda cans, sports equipment, dirty clothes and other bric-a-brac. A model airplane dangling from the ceiling was always the finishing touch.

Of course, Chip will never get around to cleaning his room.

Next week we will be moving on to 2003 in our Timeline series so stay tooned.

– Brian Walker