Davis developed the idea for the strip while assisting cartoonist Tom Ryan on his "Tumbleweeds strip." Davis saw the possibilities for gags with insect characters, and the strip was adopted by "The Pendleton Times" starting in early 1973. However, Davis also approached syndicates to publish "Gnorm Gnat" and was rejected. According to writers Mark Acey and Scott Nickel, Davis would receive rejections for "Gnorm Gnat" for years. "I thought bugs were funny, and nobody else did", Davis would later tell the press.