The central character, Moon (short for Moonshine), is a would-be prizefighter—perpetually strapped for cash but with a roguish appetite for vice and high living.

[1] In 2003, the Scoop newsletter documented the 1923 events that led to the creation of the strip: Moon was a tough-talking, if generally good natured, kind of guy who took (and dealt) plenty of punches during his run.

See, back before Moon was created, Frank Willard was working on a strip called The Outta Luck Club for King Features Syndicate.

That little episode didn't stop Captain Joe Patterson's interest from being piqued, however, and Willard soon set to work on a new strip for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate.

He made a horrible role model but a hilarious star nonetheless—as did his assorted pals ... Adventures included stints in jail, trysts with stolen cars, failed employment opportunities, misunderstandings and plenty of black eyes for all.

Yet, there was a certain lightness to all of Moon's debaucheries that made his low-down ways pretty charming ...[2]Willard was in tune with the working class characters he created, as noted by David Westbrook in From Hogan's Alley to Coconino County: Four Narratives of the Early Comic Strip: After Johnson took over, other characters were added to the cast, including: The strip was reviewed by Dr. Hermes in Dr. Hermes Retro-Scans: It was never so hysterical that you felt you just had to clip it and show it to everyone you knew, but Moon Mullins was always enjoyable and funny in a low-key way.

Starting with the lettering, then the backgrounds, Johnson gradually progressed to the point where he was handling the entire operation; but it was only after Willard's death that he began signing it.

The wave of products that followed included such items as a series of Kellogg's Pep Cereal pins, a Milton Bradley board game (1938), salt and pepper shakers, perfume bottles, Christmas lights, bisque toothbrush holders, a set of German nodder figures, carnival chalkware statues, a wind-up toy handcar,[9] oilcloth and celluloid Kayo dolls, coloring books and a series of jigsaw puzzles (1943).

Created in 1929 by Aaron D. Pashkow of Chicago,[12][13] it was bottled under authority of Chocolate Products, manufactured for decades,[14] and featured Kayo Mullins on its label.

In the third episode of the series (March 25, 1940), the Plushbottoms trade Moon's only suit to pay for a collect telegram and learn they are owners of a goldmine.

Cambria Studios produced two sample episodes of a proposed Moon Mullins syndicated TV series with their Syncro-Vox animation process in the early 1960s, but it did not clear enough television stations to go into production.

Comic actor and director Howard Morris was the voice of Moon when the strip was adapted to animation for Archie's TV Funnies (1971–1973), produced by Filmation.

Other comic strip character features in the rotation included Broom-Hilda, Dick Tracy, The Captain and the Kids, Alley Oop, Nancy and Sluggo and Smokey Stover.