Excellent reply, thank you! I keep forgetting that my old favourites were done in strips instead of books because I have them collected and end up taking this book format for granted. I miss things like Gasoline Alley nowadays, or Little Nemo, despite the good examples you mention of contemporary strips.

You are also correct about my icon - I took it from a tribute comic in which a 50BC version of Albert Uderzo gets recruited by the Gauls to draw their chief for his birthday. It's quirky but with a nice twist, and you can find it linked to from my profile page if you're interested.