The Critic was a chatty social, illustrated newspaper covering the Adelaide middle-class social scene of the late 1890s and early 1900s, it included some mild political comment and cartoons by well known artists, as well as sport, mining, fashion and the theatre. Later issues included literary news, and poetry submitted by readers. Alfred McKain was editor until 1904, when the position was taken by C.J. Dennis, who had previously edited the newspaper for periods in 1898 and 1901. Later Alexis Holtze seems to have been the editor. Ambrose Dyson was the cartoonist from 1898 to 1903, following Alfred Levido of the Adelaide School of Art. From 1919 the cartoons of Oswald Pryor also appear. Local photographer Henry Krischock was employed as photographer, and some of the earliest sporting action photographs published in South Australia appear in the Critic. The newspaper was the official organ of the Automobile Club of South Australia, giving coverage to early South Australian motoring.