Who doesn’t like cats? I mean, other than certain dog people and those with annoying allergies and a love of un-scratched furniture? Well, one form of storytelling that has always loved felines is comics, whether in book, newspaper strip, or webcomic form. From the early days of American comic strips, cats have had a significant presence. Krazy Kat (created in 1913 by George Herriman) was among the first examples and is widely considered a masterpiece today by scholars and fans of comic history. A few years later, we would get the hugely successful Felix the Cat, who appeared in animation before making the jump to comics. From there, the foundation for anthropomorphic cat hijinks would be firmly established for the remainder of the century—and beyond. Today, cats continue be seen all over the world of comics, from comedic mainstays like Garfield, to cat-inspired heroes and villains like Wildcat, Catwoman, and Black Cat. So, celebrate International Cat Day with some of the most important cats to appear in comics!

For more great comics, make sure to check out the offerings of your local Library branch as well as the Hoopla app.

Lying Cat: Saga

Krazy Kat: The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1916–1918

Dex-Starr: Red Lanterns Vol. 1: Blood and Rage 

Snagglepuss: Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles

Garfield: Garfield Vol. 1

Tawky Tawny: Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 

John Blacksad: Blacksad: The Collected Stories

Salem: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Vol. 1

Hobbes: The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

Fritz the Cat: The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat