Hundreds of newspapers, probably over a thousand, are introducing new comic strips to their readers as space becomes available on their funny pages. Comics Beat, with words of wisdom from our own Mike Peterson, showcases one example.
The Lewiston Tribune’s note to readers caught my eye.
Starting today, we will be running the comic strip “DeFlocked” weekdays in the Lewiston Tribune and it will begin on Friday in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. On Sunday in the Tribune and Saturday in the Daily News, we are picking up the comic “Ripley’s Believe It or Not.” This will start March 25 in the Daily News and March 26 in the Tribune.
It was in the descriptions of the new comics that brought me up short.
As described by Andrews McMeel Universal, “ ‘DeFlocked’ stars four of the most incompatible characters to ever come together on the comics page. Like a modern-day ‘Seinfeld’ meets ‘Animal Farm,’ ‘DeFlocked’ takes on the familiar to the highly ridiculous in our everyday lives.
The strip’s creator is Jeff Corriveau. He grew up reading “Peanuts,” which is where he reportedly first learned about sarcasm.
Okay, Deflocked is good. Let”s check out Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
“Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” according to Andrews McMeel Universal, is “one of the longest-running comic panels in history. (It) continues to fascinate comics readers with unbelievable facts from around the world.
So far so good; let’s continue:
Currently illustrated by John Graziano …
Screeeech! Kieran Castaño has been the panel’s cartoonist for nearly two years!
It’s damn well time for Kieran to start getting credit, both at Ripley’s home page and at GoComics.
This comes on a day when Kieran is featured in the panel three times.
And maybe Andrews McMeel Syndication can add Kieran to the creator’s page.
It’s making me very sad that I hear no word in the long list of replacements so far about “Wallace The Brave”, a strip that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Calvin and Hobbes, IMHO.
Is this because of the Dilbert purge thanks to Scott Adams’ strip withdrawn from Andrews-McMeel?
Castano is clearly credited on GoComics, click on the “About” tab for the strip.