For over five decades, Russell Myers’ beloved comic strip Broom-Hilda has been delighting readers with its cast of quirky characters and their hilarious misadventures. Now, this enduring classic has earned a well-deserved spot in the Guinness World Records as the “Longest running daily cartoon strip by a single author.”
As of May 10, 2024, Broom-Hilda has been in continuous publication for an astounding 54 years and 35 days, having first appeared in the Chicago Tribune Syndicate on April 19, 1970. Throughout this impressive run, Myers has been a one-man show, single-handedly writing and drawing every strip himself – over 19,710 as of the comic’s 54th anniversary.
We at Tribune Content Agency are immensely proud to have represented Broom-Hilda for many years, bringing Myers’ unique brand of humor to readers around the world. This Guinness World Record is a testament to his dedication, talent, and the enduring appeal of his beloved characters.
15 thoughts on “Russell Myers Sets Guinness World Record”
Does he ink the strip himself?
Writes, pencils, inks, and letters. I would guess colors the Sundays. Maybe the dailies?
How long did Ernie Bushmiller draw Nancy for?
Nancy first appeared in the 1933 Fritzi Ritz strip and got her own Sunday strip in 1938 which is about when she took over the daily Fritzi Ritz title. Bushmiller had taken over Fritzi in 1925. Bushmiller’s name appeared on the Nancy strip until his 1982 death, though by then it was being completely ghosted. By the 1940s at the latest he was employing assistants on his strips.
A wonderful comic strip! I loved her a bit more gruff, as she was in the beginning, but still a terrific comic strip!
My favorite witch!
my favorite Broomhilda cartoon is where she gets out of bed, stumbling around and walks into an electric fence. She gets zapped, lights her cigar and says, “sometimes I need a jump start”.
Who was the previous record holder? Shultz?
Unless the Guinness certification was seriously delayed, it’s very unlikely that it could be Peanuts, which only ran for 50 years: Myers overtook Schulz four years ago.
P.S. An unlikely possibility is that they may have conflated “Li’l Folks” with the “Peanuts” run, and credited Schulz with an extra three years, but I still think it has to be someone else. Anyone have an idea?
The confusion with The Potts is that for the first 10 or 11 years (sometime in 1940 to January 1951) of Jim Russell’s 62 year turn on that strip it was appearing weekly in Smith’s Weekly.
It was not a daily comic.
So Russell gets the longest time soloing on a comic strip,
while Myers gets the longest time soloing a daily comic strip.
Congratulations to Russell Myers for his achievement!
I guess Russell Myers surpassed Charles Schulz (Peanuts) and Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey).
Congrats! Still a very funny strip and I read it every day. Remarkable!!
Does he ink the strip himself?
Writes, pencils, inks, and letters. I would guess colors the Sundays. Maybe the dailies?
How long did Ernie Bushmiller draw Nancy for?
Nancy first appeared in the 1933 Fritzi Ritz strip and got her own Sunday strip in 1938 which is about when she took over the daily Fritzi Ritz title. Bushmiller had taken over Fritzi in 1925. Bushmiller’s name appeared on the Nancy strip until his 1982 death, though by then it was being completely ghosted. By the 1940s at the latest he was employing assistants on his strips.
A wonderful comic strip! I loved her a bit more gruff, as she was in the beginning, but still a terrific comic strip!
My favorite witch!
my favorite Broomhilda cartoon is where she gets out of bed, stumbling around and walks into an electric fence. She gets zapped, lights her cigar and says, “sometimes I need a jump start”.
Who was the previous record holder? Shultz?
Unless the Guinness certification was seriously delayed, it’s very unlikely that it could be Peanuts, which only ran for 50 years: Myers overtook Schulz four years ago.
P.S. An unlikely possibility is that they may have conflated “Li’l Folks” with the “Peanuts” run, and credited Schulz with an extra three years, but I still think it has to be someone else. Anyone have an idea?
Yes, Myers unseated Schulz as the title holder.
Well, this gets complicated…
According to the Wayback Machine snapshot of Guiness, the previous record-holder was Frank Dickens for “Bristow”
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristow_(cartoon)
But then *that* article claims that “The Potts” by Jim Russell went even longer (62 years).
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Potts
Lesson learned: cartoonists live a long time!
The confusion with The Potts is that for the first 10 or 11 years (sometime in 1940 to January 1951) of Jim Russell’s 62 year turn on that strip it was appearing weekly in Smith’s Weekly.
It was not a daily comic.
So Russell gets the longest time soloing on a comic strip,
while Myers gets the longest time soloing a daily comic strip.
Congratulations to Russell Myers for his achievement!
I guess Russell Myers surpassed Charles Schulz (Peanuts) and Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey).
Congrats! Still a very funny strip and I read it every day. Remarkable!!