Harry Hershfield’s Dauntless Durham of the U.S.A. only ran for about a year in 1913-14, but it was among the most absurd, bonkers American comic strips in its imaginative extravagance. The basic setup was similar to several send-ups of the familiar 19th century hero/damsel/villain melodrama. Our lovely lady is kidnapped relentlessly by the mustachioed, top-hatted Desperate Desmond and rescued in improbable ways from impossible peril.