That's just not funny
Tom Daning, the managing editor for syndicator United Media -- and, as such, the final arbiter over the strips United Media puts out -- says newspapers are caught "between a rock and a hard place."
"They're looking for something new and edgy, but many of their readers are over 35," he says. "The whole newspaper industry is antsy. Many are scared to do anything to hurt circulation." It's easier to drop a new comic, he says, than something like "Peanuts," which has an established following.
That's from a CNN piece on how staid newspaper comics pages are. During the first week of our redesign, readers called to tell us what they thought. Many of them took the opportunity to tell me about our comics page. Almost universally, their comments ran in this vein: I don't like the new comics: Get Fuzzy, Jump Start, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy. Bring back Mark Trail, Peanuts and Snuffy Smith.
If there is one consistent theme I've heard since I've had this job -- primarily from readers over, say, 60 -- it is that new comics aren't funny and that they miss the ones they grew up with. Two weeks ago, I heard from one man who asked us to bring back Li'l Abner, a strip that was discontinued by its creator in 1977.
We try to have a mix of comics that appeal to different sorts of people. We have no intent or expectation that every reader enjoy every comic. But every reader interested in comics should find something on the page worth looking at. (And, on the other hand, every reader should have a beef with something.)
Comments (2)
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John,
Well here I go again. Yes I am going to bring up Mallard Fillmore for a vote. The N&R is one of 1400 newspapers that carry the liberal cartoon Doonesbury. Approximately 400 pick up the syndicated strip featuring the conservative duck Mallard Fillmore who among other things pokes fun at conventional wisdom, political correctness and the bloated federal government. Some newspapers carry both, pairing them on the op-ed page. I have for over a decade tilted at this windmill in an to convice " you " to run Mallard and sadly reached the conclusion that the management's reluctance to juxtapose him and Doonesbury is not based on any consideration other than the obvious one. Granted Mallard isn't knee slapping funny every day but neither are Trudeau's characters with their tiresome anti-Republican ramblings.
When I heard that a new local ed-page cartoonist was coming to the N&R I was hopeful . But right out of the box he jumps all over Vernon Robinson . Granted he has skewered Jim Black Tokenism however is transparent and not worthy of a true believer. I want a cartoon that will be a consistent voice for the opposite point of view usually expressed by your editorial board and Doonsbury. Nuff said.
Now John is your predilection for Snuffy Smith based on a desire to sterotype Appalachians , er, as backward genectically challenged, inebriated hillbillies . Huh ?
Please advise, if you have contact, the person who contacted you re Little Abner that there are a couple of 50's movies that track the Broadway play about Dogpatch. I would like to point out that Al Capp did a lot of good work duting the big war.Although he did have one unfortunate incident shortly before his passing in 1977, L'l Abner during it's long run was nothing short of "stupefying" and is still an American gem.
Posted on May 6, 2006 9:04 PM
Thanks, Fred. I'll make sure our editorial page editor sees your request.
Posted on May 7, 2006 7:25 AM