When the unfortunate error in judgment in the Sunday Non Sequitur was revealed to the public earlier this week reaction from newspapers was swift. Also, unexpectedly, was the quick response from a salesperson competing with Andrews McMeel Syndication for real estate on The Funny Pages.
Sent to newspaper editors on Monday was this message from the salesperson:
I’m sure you are aware that yesterday’s 2/10/2019 Non Sequitur went to press with a “hidden” but very legible message: “go f**k yourself, Trump” scrawled in the corner. And it’s generating news stories. This is a black eye for our industry at a very sensitive time. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/11/pennsylvania-paper-drops-non-sequitur-cartoon-after-trump-insult/2835460002/
I think this is a perfect example of why King’s editorial is the best in the business—Our editors would have caught this before it went to print, and would not have permitted it in a final comic. Our editorial team IS the best in the business, and we offer quality comics that are all well-vetted before they go to press. We recognize our clients want to be sure that their readers feel comfortable sharing the comics with their whole family.
Outside of the rather insensitive assault on fellows in the business, I don’t think any syndicate can claim editorial perfection.
Reed Brennan is a pagination service that, among other things, packages and delivers syndicated content to newspapers. Because humans make mistakes Reed Brennan has a “RBMA Customer Service ** Corrections Advisory **” page noting revisions made, or to be made, after the material has left the syndicates’ offices.
Here is a screenshot of the Advisory up at this moment:
As seen King Features, as much as anyone, has content slip by their editors too.
Another current screenshot shows that along with corrections there are other notices posted:
And by the screenshots above I don’t mean to imply that King Features has any more errors slip past than the other syndicates. The first one above is an aberration, as one syndicate is not usually that crowded on the advisory list. But it turned out to be rather providential in light of the salesperson’s letter.
I just thought it was a bit disingenuous to claim editorial superiority because of an infamous and very public oversight.
Disclaimer: Daily Cartoonist is owned by Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Yowza, cutthroat
Nothing funny about The Funnies business.
In King’s defense, we (Andrews McMeel) would have gone after them just as aggressively under the same circumstances … only I’d imagine we might use a more elegant tone 🙂 .
Remember that bloody fight scene at the beginning of Gangs of New York? Few people know that it’s actual footage of a King/GoComics rumble.
There’s a new correction up at the reed brennan site now about an error in the crosswords “King Features apologizes that the error was not caught during the editing process.” apparently they only catch curse words.
Guess I should start whiting out all the F-Bombs in Wallace the Brave
Competition = bad.
Millions of years of history would disagree.
It’s a business and, yes, when you spy an opportunity, you knock on the door. You’d be a fool not to.
What I saw in my newspaper days was more “cramming,” a consumer term meaning sending somebody something they hadn’t ordered in hopes they’d accept it.
Before electronic days, papers got a sheet of weekly strips to scan, and I happened to be wandering through the backshop when I saw a sheet for a feature we didn’t carry. Another strip had ended and, rather than ask us what we wanted to do about it, they simply started sending us something. I consulted with the editor and we made a better choice. (They don’t cram you with the ones they could have sold you.)
About a year later, it happened again, except with the difference that this was a strip that hadn’t ended, but had simply changed syndicates. I emailed the cartoonist to see what was up, and we then contacted his new syndicate and our readers never saw a seam in the garment.
This game ain’t bean bag, my friends. I would suggest that, if you’re with a nice, polite syndicate, you consider switching to the junkyard dogs.
(Though, as John suggests, the ELEGANT junkyard dogs. Pinkies up, everyone!)
Aw! Did you have to show that I can’t spell. I slip misspelled words past my 5, count them five, editors all the time. Any syndicate that thinks they can catch everything is just plain nuts and or lying.
Phew, I’m glad Arctic Circle isn’t mentioned in that error line-up! We all make mistakes. Which is why Iove editors.