The Katzenjammer Kids first ran in a supplement to the New York Journal in 1897. It was created by Rudolph Dirks, inspired by an old German children's story, Max and Moritz. In 1912, Dirks took a break from drawing, so the Hearst newspaper syndicate brought in artist Harold Knerr to continue the strip. A lawsuit ensued, and two comic strips emerged. Knerr would continue to draw The Katzenjammer Kids, while Dirks would run his own version, The Captain and the Kids (initially called Hans und Fritz). The Captain and the Kids ran (continued by Dirks' son, John) until 1979. Knerr drew The Katzenjammer Kids until his death in 1949. It has continued to the present day under different artists. This volume includes The Katzenjammer Kids pages from several issues of Ace Comics, and four issues of The Captain and the Kids.