Curtis is a nationally syndicated comic strip written and illustrated by Ray Billingsley, with a predominantly African American cast. The comic strip started up on October 3, 1988, and is syndicated by King Features. The comic strip portrays the daily life of a middle-class Black family living in a large American city, especially that of Curtis, the eponymous main character. It frequently chronicles aspects of African American culture and history. Though Billingsley grew up mainly in New York City and still resides in the greater New York area, the strip long hinted at being set in Washington, D.C. This was essentially confirmed in 2009 when several characters attended the inauguration of Barack Obama without needing to travel. Curtis has been compared to Li'l Abner, which Billingsley cites as his favorite comic strip, in style. Themes A recurring theme is Curtis' efforts to convince his father to give up smoking, a personal issue for Billingsley, who is a prominent advocate for public health and the dangers of smoking. For his efforts in educating young people about smoking, Billingsley has earned multiple awards from the American Lung Association. Though a fundamentally humorous comic, Curtis frequently addresses serious themes. Examples include bullying, drug addiction and gentrification. A storyline in 2020 involved the COVID-19 pandemic. During the holiday season, Billingsley sometimes deviates from his usual characters to present special two-to-three week stories celebrating the Festival of Kwanzaa. Once an annual tradition in the strip, these specials became irregular in the mid-2010s, with Ray Billingsley citing declining reader interest in them. Similarly, around the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the strip will discuss some aspect of Dr. King's life. The month of February is also dedicated to Black History Month, in which Mrs. Nelson assigns her class to write about various African-American figures in history. Characters Curtis Wesley Wilkins - Main character, an 11-year-old boy. A rap fan with a huge crush on a girl named Michelle. He has a huge appetite and a talent for getting himself into trouble. Prior to 2020, he always wore an oversized green cap backwards and perched at an angle on the back of his head; according to the storyline, he got it at a young age from his father. In 2020, Michelle gave him a smaller green cap as a gift and he has worn that one ever since. Barry Taylor Wilkins - Curtis's younger brother. Their