Comments on: Comic Strip Doctor Quits His Practice

By: JoshM

JoshM — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:13:23 +0000

I’ve also been following this discussion with interest for a while — in part because for the past year or so I’d been toying with the idea of starting a blog something like what some folks here are talking about. I love comics (who here doesn’t, right?) and would rather write constructively about the art form, what’s new and exciting, what just makes me happy as I’m reading the day’s comic pages.

So, after reading all these comments here I’ve decided to go for it. I’m starting small — just kinda stumbling along for a while, hopefully finding a good consistent format and voice after a while.

I’d love any feedback from real comics affectionados!

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:38:21 +0000

Dave, my daily ink subscription through King Features alerted me to both My Cage and Arctic Circle as their launches were announced. I don’t know about other subscription services and how well they publicize their new strips.

By: Dave K.

Dave K. — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:40:44 +0000

I’ve been following this discussion with some interest. I am not a cartoonist, or an artist in any sense of the word. I simply enjoy reading comics. I think the newspaper comic strip industry is doing a poor job of adapting to the new reality of the internet. I currently subscribe to King Features and UComic.com. Every day I am e-mailed dozens of strips. I have been a subscriber for years, and yet during that time I have never received any information about new strips. Over the past several years, I have purchased books for the following comics: Pearls Before Swine, Dilbert, Get Fuzzy, Sherman’s Lagoon, Boondocks, Alice, Baby Blues, Brewster Rockit, Baldo, Red and Rover, Fox Trot, and For Better or For Worse. Of these, only Dilbert and FBOFW appear in my local newspaper. I found all the rest on the internet, and have become a huge fan of all of these cartoons. I am in my forties, and have some disposable income. Clearly, the industry needs to do a better job of marketing itself. Had I relied on my newspaper, I would not have known about most of these comics. (I actually started reading about Pearls after I saw it in a Get Fuzzy comic!)
The industry does not do itself a favor by sniping at itself. Soap comics and old timers are easy targets, and undoubtedly stifle some new artists. However, like the music industry has found, to survive the comic industry must adapt itself to a digital reality.
I’m not sure how can be done, but it seems obvious that artists deserve a share of the subscription income the syndicates generate online.
I enjoy this site, and the contributors.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:42:59 +0000

Folks, maybe we’re over analyzing here. Maybe the failure of papers to compete with the internet has little of nothing to do with content. Maybe it’s all about “free” and “instant” and “interactive”.

We have a whole generation that has gotten used to the free information and entertainment that is available on the internet, why should they pay upwards of $25 a month for a newspaper?

We have lots of people who have gotten used to being able to get an instant update on almost any news or entertainment story they wish to find, why read yesterday’s news?

And who wants to take the time to snail mail a letter to the editor when you can share your opinion instantly in the online comments section.

Personally, I prefer to read my paper every morning with my breakfast and catch up on my local news, upcoming events, and – yes – my comics. But I’m one of those “old fogies” in my forties – not part of that exciting young web demographic.

By: Rich

Rich — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:52:29 +0000

I wonder what the typical demographic profile of the average daily newspaper in the US? Anyone know?

My personal opinion is that even the “stale” strips are better than 90% of the rest of the newspaper. I’d love to see a paper add about 3 more pages of comics for 3 months and see if it changes their circulation any. Might not, but it would be a fun and measurable experiment.

By: Greg S.

Greg S. — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:33:45 +0000

Of course their formula works for them, but does it work for the average newspaper’s bottom line?
Certainly these audiences deserve recognition, but when a significant percentage of the comics has resigned itself to pleasing audiences that lack disposable income, no one should be surprised when “the funnies” are the first to find themselves on the chopping block in these declining days of the daily newspaper.

Anyway, we know that these comics, such as Dennis and Garfield, got their break by appealing to much more than just the extreme ends of the aging spectrum. They wouldn’t enjoy the rediculous market share they have today if they started out by shilling the same milktoast jokes and gags day after day.

What I mean is, Slylock Fox is for the kids. Crankshaft is for the fogeys. Garfield, Dennis, Hi & Lois, B.C., Marmaduke, even Family Circus… these comics used to try for something more, but don’t feel the need to anymore. It’s time to recognize stale mediocrity for what it is and give a few of ‘em the boot.

Until that happens, snark is inevitable, and seems to be about the only thing left to encourage a career cartoonist to avoid becoming stale. The syndicates and editors of these legacy features stopped caring about quality control a long time ago.

By: Rick Stromoski

Rick Stromoski — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 18:12:39 +0000

â‰¥â‰¥â‰¥So now comic creators, syndicates and editors are apparently content at having cornered the coveted â€œlittle kid who has barely learned to readâ€ and â€œfixed-income senior citizenâ€ demographicsâ€¦

I think your comment here is a bit disingenuous Greg.I wasn’t speaking for all comics, I was speaking for a certian type of comic, like Dennis and family Circus and why their formula works for them specifically.

By: D.D.Degg

D.D.Degg — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:25:16 +0000

“So now comic creators, syndicates and editors are apparently content at…”

But Doonesbury, Non Sequitur, Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine, and the Recent LIO seem to have a firm grip on a comfortable market share.
These all tend toward the “edgier” side of the funny pages; and there are others.
I would think a healthy mix serving all the readers
(including bringing in the youngsters) would be best for all.
Though I personally think the comics pages should be at least two pages in every paper.

By: Greg S.

Greg S. — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 23:17:28 +0000

So now comic creators, syndicates and editors are apparently content at having cornered the coveted “little kid who has barely learned to read” and “fixed-income senior citizen” demographics… The advertisers must be literally stampeding at the chance to sell to these lucrative audiences!

And yet, every time Alan posts another item regarding yet another shrinking comics page, people loudly wonder why…

By: Mike Lester

Mike Lester — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:59:02 +0000

The hieroglyphics that pass for art along w/ accompanying verbal pablum is and has been selling for years. Get a loop and check original pub. dates on legacy strips. Today’s Peanust is 1994 but I’ve seen them from the 70′s. Syndicates employ business people -not cartoonists, to sell the public what they want not what cartoonists think they ought to sell thereby making Dr. Snark’s observations an exercise in irrelavence… other than to twist noses.

As for his own work, it’s a victorian “Red Meat” w/ a side of “Diesel Sweeties”. Personally, I like it but then, I like scotch and milk.