This is a list of films based on English-language comic strips and characters first appearing in them, including single panel gag cartoons appearing in newspapers, magazines, and webcomics. The practice of creating films based on comic strips dates back to the early years of film itself. In recent years, due to advances in special effects, big budget films based on comic books have become more common.
- Based on King of the Royal Mounted:
- King of the Royal Mounted, 20th Century Fox, September 11, 1936, starred Robert Kent. The feature was retitled Romance of the Royal Mounted when it was released on video.
- King of the Royal Mounted, Republic, September 20, 1940, 12-part serial, starred Allan "Rocky" Lane
- The Yukon Patrol, Republic, April 30, 1942, feature film version of the 1940 serial King of the Royal Mounted
- King of the Mounties, Republic Oct. 17, 1942, 12-part serial, also starring Allan "Rocky" Lane
Theatrical short films
[edit]- Based on Abie the Agent:
- Animated short: Iska Worreh (1917)
- Animated Short: Abie Kabibble Outwitted His Rival (1917)
- Based on Ally Sloper (UK):
- live-action shorts Ally Sloper (1898)
- live-action short Sloper's Visit to Brighton (1898)
- live-action short Ally Sloper as a Conjuror (1903)
- live-action short Ally Sloper on Holiday (1903)
- live-action short Ally Sloper at the Races (1903)
- series of six live-action shorts (1921)
- Based on Barney Google and Snuffy Smith:
- series of 12 live-action shorts (1928–1929), starting with Horsefeathers (1928)
- series of four animated shorts (1935–1936), starting with Tetched in the Head (1935)
- Based on Buster Brown:
- series of five shorts (1914), starting with Buster Brown on the Care and Treatment of Goats (1914)
- series of 50 live-action shorts (1925–1929), starting with Educating Buster (1925)
- Based on Canyon Kiddies:
- Animated short Mighty Hunters (1940)
- Based on Desperate Desmond:
- series of seven live-action shorts (1911–1912), starting with Desperate Desmond Almost Succeeds (1911)
- Based on Hairbreadth Harry:
- Live-action short Fearless Harry (1926)
- Live-action short Danger Ahead (1926)
- Live-action short Sawdust Baby (1926)
- Live-action short Sign Them Papers (1927)
- Live-action short Curses (1927)
- Live-action short Foiled (1927)
- Live-action short Dirty Work (1927)
- Live-action short The Villain (1927)
- Live-action short Nutty but Nice (1927)
- Live-action short Moonshine and Noses (1927)
- Based on Henry:
- Based on Hogan's Alley:
- live-action short Trouble in Hogan's Alley (1900)
- Based on Joe and Asbestos:
- Live-action short A Horse's Tale (1937)[1]
- Live-action short Under the Wire (1937)[1]
- Live-action short Boarder Trouble (1938)[2]
- Based on Joe Palooka:
- series of nine two-reel live-action shorts (1936–37), starting with For the Love of Pete (1936)
- Based on The Katzenjammer Kids:
- Live-action short The Katzenjammer Kids in School (1898)
- Live-action short The Katzenjammer Kids Have a Love Affair (1900)
- series of eight live-action shorts (1912), starting with The Katzenjammer Kids (1912)
- series of 37 animated shorts (1916–1918), starting with The Chinese Cook (1916)
- series of five animated shorts (1920), starting with Knock on the Window, the Door Is a Jamb (1920)
- The Captain and the Kids (1938–1939) series of 15 animated shorts
- Based on Krazy Kat:
- Based on Lady Bountiful (by Gene Carr):
- Live-action short Lady Bountiful Visits the Murphys on Wash Day (1903)
- Based on Let George Do It:
- series of 40 live-action shorts (1924–1929), starting with Why George! (1924)
- Based on Li'l Abner:
- series of five animated shorts (1944), starting with Amoozin' But Confoozin' (1944)
- Based on Little Jimmy
- Based on The Little King:
- Based on Little Nemo:
- animated short Winsor McCay, the Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and his Moving Comics aka Little Nemo (1911, included in the National Film Registry)
- Based on Mike and Ike (They Look Alike):
- series of 24 live-action shorts (1927–1929), starting with Dancing Fools (1927)
- Based on Mischievous Willie:
- Live-action short Mischievous Willie's Rocking Chair Motor (1902)
- Based on Mr. Jack:
- Live-action short Mr. Jack in the Dressing Room (1904)
- Based on Mutt and Jeff:
- Based on Nancy:
- Animated shorts School Daze (1942)
- Animated shorts Doing Their Bit (1942)
- Based on The Newlyweds/Snookums:
- series of 37 live-action shorts (1926–1929), starting with The Newlyweds' Neighbors (1926)
- Based on The Outbursts of Everett True:
- series of live-action shorts starting with Everett True Breaks Into The Movies (1916)
- Based on Popeye:
- Based on Reg'lar Fellers:
- Animated short Happy Days (1936) produced by Ub Iwerks
- Based on Sad Sack:
- Based on Smitty:
- series of 10 live-action shorts (1928–1929), starting with No Picnic (1928)
- Toonerville Folks
- Based on Toots and Casper:
- series of 12 live-action shorts (1928–1929), starting with Fooling Casper (1928)
- What a Wife (1928)
- The Family Meal Ticket (1928)
- Casper's Week End (1928)
- Smile, Buttercup, Smile (1929)
- Big-Hearted Toots (1929)
- Casper's Night Out (1929)
- Toots' Big Idea (1929)
- Spareribs Reforms (1929)
- His Wife's Secret (1929)
- Who's the Boss? (1929)
- Don't Say Ain't (1929)
- Based on Uncle Mun:
- Uncle Mun and the Minister (1912)
- A Thrilling Rescue by Uncle Mun (1912)
- Based on Willie Westinghouse
- A Shocking Incident (I) (1903) (Short) aka "Willie Westinghouse and the Doctor's Battery"
- Based on Windy Riley
- Based on Winnie Winkle:
- Series of ten live action shorts (1926–1928), starting with Working Winnie (1926)
Television specials
[edit]- Based on B.C.:
- B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (1973)
- B.C.: A Special Christmas (1981)
- Based on Blondie:
- Blondie & Dagwood (1987)
- Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout (1989)
- Based on Cathy:
- Cathy (1987)
- Cathy's Last Resort (1988)
- Cathy's Valentine (1989)
- Based on Dennis the Menace:
- Dennis the Menace in Mayday for Mother (1981)
- Based on Doonesbury:
- A Doonesbury Special (1977)
- Based on The Family Circus:
- A Special Valentine with the Family Circus (1978)
- A Family Circus Christmas (1979)
- A Family Circus Easter (1982)
- Based on The Far Side:
- Based on For Better or For Worse:
- For Better or for Worse: The Bestest Present (1985)
- For Better or for Worse: The Last Camping Trip (1992)
- For Better or for Worse: A Christmas Angel (1992)
- For Better or for Worse: A Valentine from the Heart (1993)
- For Better or for Worse: The Good-for-Nothing (1993)
- For Better or for Worse: The Babe Magnet (1994)
- For Better or for Worse: A Storm in April (1995)
- Based on Garfield:
- Based on Hägar the Horrible:
- Hägar the Horrible (1989)
- Based on Little Orphan Annie:
- Little Orphan Annie's A Very Animated Christmas (1995)[3]
- Based on Marvin:
- Marvin, Baby of the Year (1989)
- Based on Peanuts:
- Based on Pogo:
- The Pogo Special Birthday Special (1969)
- Based on A Wish for Wings That Work: (characters originated in Bloom County)
- A Wish for Wings That Work (1991)
- Based on Ziggy:
Highest Grossing comic strip films
[edit]The following is a list of comic strip films that has surpassed $1 million. Superhero films and are not included as they have their own list. See List of highest grossing superhero films.
| Rank |
Film |
Worldwide gross |
Year |
Comic strip |
Ref
|
| 1 |
Over the Hedge |
$339,795,890 |
2006 |
Over the Hedge |
[5]
|
| 2 |
The Peanuts Movie |
$246,233,113 |
2015 |
Peanuts |
[6]
|
| 3 |
Garfield: The Movie |
$203,172,417 |
2004 |
Garfield |
[7]
|
| 4 |
Smurfs: The Lost Village |
$197,183,546 |
2017 |
The Smurfs |
[8]
|
| 5 |
Dick Tracy |
$162,738,726 |
1990 |
Dick Tracy |
[9]
|
| 6 |
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties |
$143,325,970 |
2006 |
Garfield |
[10]
|
| 7 |
Annie |
$136,853,506 |
2014 |
Little Orphan Annie |
[11]
|