It was inspired by "Max and Moritz", a noted toddlers's story of the 1860s per German Wilhelm Busch. A Katzenjammer Children (ternary brothers in the number one strip, however presently reduced to deuce) featured Hans & Fritz, twins world health organization rebelled against authority, particularly in the form of their mother, Mamthe; five hundred Captain, a shipwrecked sailor who acted as a surrogate father; & five hundred Inspector, an official from either a school formulas. Many of the characters spoke within unimaginative German-accented English. Katzenjammer means "severe hangover" in German.

the comic strip was turned into a stage play within 1903, inspired several animated cartoons, and was one of Twenty strips involved in the Comic Strip Classics series of commemorative postage stamps.

It was thus popular that it became deuce competing comic strips & the subject of a lawsuit. This happened because Dirks wanted to take a break fallowing astir Xv years however a Hearst newspaper syndicate wouldn't allow it. Dirks left anyway & a strip was taken above by Harold Knerr. Dirks sued, & when an extended legal battle a Hearst papers were allowed to prove my point A Katzenjammer Children & Dirks was allowed to syndicate an well-nigh monovular strip, known as A Captain & a Children fallowing 1918, for the rival Pulitzer newspapers. Two strips ran inside competing newspapers for half the century, & fans however debate which was better. Resulting Knerr's dying, A Katzenjammer Children was taken all over by Charles H. Winner from either either either either 1949-1956, Joe Musial from 1956-1976, Microphone Senisch from 1976-1981, & Angelo DeCesare from 1981-1986.

A feature is presently drawn by Hy Eisman & distributed to about L newspapers and magazines as much as the world.