The Flagstons first appeared in Walker's Beetle Bailey. They spun off into their own strip, written by Walker and drawn by Browne. Lois Flagston (née Bailey) is Beetle Bailey's sister, and the two strips make occasional crossovers. One of these occurred on the strip's 40th anniversary in 1994, when Beetle visited his sister Lois and her family. Chip resembles his Uncle Beetle in attitude and appearance, especially the eyes.
The strip made efforts to keep up with the times, such as housewife Lois Flagston taking a career in real estate in 1980. In previous decades the strip was acclaimed; in 1962 it earned Browne a Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society.
The strip faced some controversy given the changes in content restrictions since its debut in the 1950s. Once, editors insisted that belly buttons could not appear; in protest, Browne included a box of dimpled navel oranges.
The Flagston family was also featured in a series of Charlton comic books. Eleven issues were produced from November 1969 to July 1971. Cover price was fifteen cents.
Characters
Hi and Lois Flagston: Hi (short for Hiram) and Lois are typical middle-class American suburbanites. Hi is a sales manager. Lois is a realtor. They have four children.
Chip: a slovenly teenaged boy (eight years old at the time the strip started).
Dot and Ditto: rambunctious twins Dot (girl) & Ditto (boy), four-year-olds when the strip began, now grade school-aged; Dot is the better student.
Trixie: the Flagstons' freckled, blonde baby girl, who loves "talking" (through thought balloons) to Sunbeam, a ray of sunlight.
Dawg: the Flagstons' large, shaggy sheepdog.
Thirsty Thurston: the Flagstons' fat, lazy and allegedly tipsy next-door neighbor; Hi's co-worker and golf buddy.
Irma Thurston: Thirsty's thin, weary and long-suffering wife.
Abercrombie and Fitch: the friendly neighborhood garbage collectors.
Mr. Foofram: Owner and president of Foofram Industries, where Hi and Thirsty work. Diminutive and at times short-tempered, but not a tyrant.
Lois' maiden name is Bailey. Her brother is Beetle Bailey (who stars in the comic strip of the same name, also written by Mort Walker).
Collections and reprints
(All titles by Mort Walker and Dik Browne unless otherwise noted)
Trixie (1960) Avon
Hi and Lois (1970) Tempo Books
Hi and Lois in Darkest Suburbia (1971) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Beware! Children at Play (1972) Tempo
Hi and Lois: On the Grill (1973) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Family Album (1973) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Family Ties (1979) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Mama's Home (1982) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Suburban Cowboys (1982) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Father Figure (1982) Tempo
Hi and Lois: American Gothic (1983) Tempo
Hi and Lois: Dishwasher, Lawnmower or Snowplow? (1983) Tor
Hi and Lois: Home Sweat Home (1983) Tor
Hi and Lois: "Is Dinner Ready?" (1983) Tor
Hi and Lois: Saturday Night Fever (1983) Tor
Hi and Lois: "Hi Honey, I'm Home!" (1984) Tor
Hi and Lois: Mom, Where's My Homework? (1984) Tor
Hi and Lois: The Bright Stuff (1984) Charter
Hi and Lois: "How Do You Spell Dad?" (1985) Tor
Hi and Lois: Trixie à la Mode (1986) Tor
Hi and Lois: Good Housekeeping (1986) Tor
Hi and Lois: Dawg Day Afternoon! (1986) Tor
The Best of Hi and Lois (1986, 2005) Comicana
Hi and Lois: Sleep-Can (1987) Tor
Hi and Lois: Say "Cheese" (1987) Tor
Hi and Lois: Sleepbusters! (1987) Tor
Hi and Lois: House Calls (1988) Tor
Hi and Lois: Modern Chaos! (1989) Tor
Hi and Lois: Croquet for a Day (1989) Tor
Hi and Lois: Couch Potatoes! (1990) Tor
Hi and Lois: Wheels of Fortune (1990) Tor
Hi and Lois: Happy Campers (1990) Tor
Here Comes the Sun: A Hi and Lois Collection (1990) Avon
Hi and Lois: Mister Popularity (1991) Tor
Hi and Lois: Play Ball! (1991) Tor
Hi and Lois: Up Two Late (1991) Tor
Hi and Lois: Baby Talk (1991) Tor
Hi and Lois: Sunday Best by Brian and Greg Walker and Chance Browne (2005) ECW Press
