If you thought readers have strong opinions on their favorite comics, just wait until a paper moves their comics to different sections of the paper. Back in October the Hartford Courant placed Scott Adam’s Dilbert strip in the business section for “thematic” reasons. Karen Hunter, the paper’s “reader representative” has had a stead stream of frustrated readers after she wrote a column on the topic. She’s since written a follow up article using many of the reader’s emails. One scan through the response make it clear. The Courant better stick Dilbert back into the comic page.
Here’s an excerpt
A Rocky Hill reader wrote, “I saw your piece in the Sunday paper about the repositioning of Dilbert to the Business section. I agree with the majority of folks who have responded that they want Dilbert back in the comics section. I can just see it now with the precedent set that next Doonesbury will show up in the Commentary section, B.C. will split between the religious news and sports section, Kathy will be in the At Home section, etc., etc. It starts getting pretty silly after awhile. I read the paper because I want to know what’s going on, but the comics are my dessert, and I don’t want to have to search them down.
This last comment made me chuckle, because my local paper, The Standard Examiner, DOES run Doonesbury on the opinion page, Dilbert in the business section, Close to Home in the classifieds (not sure why), and In the Bleachers in the sports section. I’m sure there are others, I just don’t see them because, well their buried in sections I don’t frequent. What’s your opinion on where comics should run?
“I read the paper because I want to know whatâ??s going on, but the comics are my dessert, and I donâ??t want to have to search them down.”
That pretty much sums it up for me.