Today's addition to the Comic Supplement is Economical Bertie. This strip had a six-month run in 1908-09, and was signed by "Stewart." And that exhausts the information I've got on this strip, folks! It's amazing how much quality material is floating around these old newspapers which has never been written about or taken note of after its initial publication.

Quality material this strip surely is, too! The strip follows the travails of the titular Bertie as he tries to make a buck stretch as far as it may possibly do, while still pitching woo as often as possible. The strip actually reminds me of a 1920's strip like Harold Teen; even though Bertie is an adult, his interests are chiefly women and his stomach, and the strip trots along at an brisk gait, throwing out little pieces of youth slang along the way. The next time you're on a date and are there like a duck, you'll surely be crying, "Oh, bullets!" if you're Jonahed by the Salome you've piped.

The art is pleasingly-rendered in a style that reminds me of fashion illustration as drawn by Rick Geary. (Think cross-hatching and intricate fabric patterns.) As well, there are a couple of references to other comic features that add to the fun.