Andy Gump Statue

In Flat Iron Park, next to the bustling tourist center of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, stands an unusual statue of a mustachioed cartoon character, looking out over the grand lake with one foot propped up on a globe.

That character is Andy Gump. Although unknown to many, Gump was the first daily newspaper comic strip character. He first appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1917. His creator, Sidney Smith, was a resident of Lake Geneva. According to the very first comic strip from 1917, Gump invented the flower pot (among other things).

“He also introduced the polka dot tie in this county. He has been working on perpetual motion for 30 years. And is so tough he says they’ll have to shoot him on judgment day.”