It was created in 1827 and published first in Geneva, Switzerland in 1837 as Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois,[1] then in London in 1841 by Tilt and Bogue editions as the book The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck,[1][2] and then in New York, U.S., in a newspaper supplement titled Brother Jonathan Extra No.

IX (September 14, 1842),[3][4][5] followed by an 1849 republication as a book titled The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck, published in New York by Wilson & Co.[6][7] The English-language editions were unlicensed copies of the original work as they were done without Töpffer's authorization.

"text comics", rather than utilizing speech balloons, which had been common in political cartoons since the 1770s.

McCloud emphasizes Töpffer's use of "cartooning and panel borders" along with "the first interdependent combination of words and pictures seen in Europe".

[8] Töpffer described comics as a medium appealing particularly to children and the lower classes, and this is evident in the style of the work.

Töpffer used a lithography method called autography,[10] in which the pen draws on specially prepared paper, allowing a freer line than the engraving of the time.

Mr. Vieux Bois encounters a young woman and instantly falls in love.

Vieux Bois contacts the parents of his girlfriend, seeking her hand in marriage.

Seeking refuge in a lair, he meets a hermit who persuades him to join the local cloister.

On his wedding day Vieux Bois leaves his home for the church but then returns to place his dog as guard outside the house.

Meanwhile, the resident family climbs the chimney to the rooftop in order to meet the dog's owner.

He stays on the roof for nine days in an effort to communicate with his love, not realizing the family has moved.

Mr. Vieux Bois is rushing the horse and manages to cover 18 leagues in three hours only to find that the carriage containing his lady was lost at some point.

Several pages are devoted to the sleeping woman changing hands between the two persistent rivals for her affection.

Knowing them well, Vieux Bois throws some coins around and enters the carriage with his lady.

Leaving the monks, the duo has one last encounter with the rival suitor before the story ends happily with their marriage.

Lortac and Cavé made an animated adaptation of the work in 1921, titled Histoire de Monsieur Vieux-Bois.