Here's why:
* "The Yellow Kid" (1895): Outcault's creation, "The Yellow Kid," is widely considered the first true comic strip. It featured a bald, yellow-suited child in a series of panels with text balloons, which were a novel way to depict dialogue in print.
* Influence on others: Outcault's success with "The Yellow Kid" inspired a wave of other cartoonists to adopt the format, leading to the explosion of comic strips in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
However, there were earlier forms of sequential art that contributed to the development of the comic strip:
* Rodolphe Töpffer (1800s): Töpffer's "Histoire de M. Vieux Bois" and other works used simple illustrations and text to tell stories, which foreshadowed the comic strip format.
* "The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck" (1881): This series featured a single panel cartoon with dialogue, which further paved the way for the development of the modern comic strip.
Ultimately, "The Yellow Kid" marked a turning point, solidifying the comic strip as a distinct and popular art form. While Outcault might not be the only creator, he's undeniably a crucial figure in its evolution.