Foreign Funnies: Mere Quacks Ends

A cartoonist who thought his comic strip about a town’s ducks would last a month has retired after 51 years.

Mere Quacks was first featured in the Diss Express in 1973 after Mike Webb was approached by a journalist friend.

His first editor suggested the theme because the Norfolk town has a six-acre (2.5 hectares) mere at its heart, which is known for its ducks.

“Mere Quacks has always offered a creative and amusing insight into life in this part of the country,” [the paper’s deputy editor Duncan] Bradley said.

“With much-loved characters such as Dinsdale, Joni, Scumzer and Rodney the raft spider, Mike’s creations have been the perfect accompaniment to our news offering.

“All good things must come to an end, however, and it was with a heavy heart that we had to cease our long and fruitful association.”

The BBC carries the story of Mike Webb ending his Mere Quacks comic strip.

The Diss Express story on Mere Quacks ending its run in the newspaper.

“The paper had just turned tabloid, and they thought it might suit the new style,” recalled Mike.

“They asked me to do something and suggested the ducks on the Mere as it is central to Diss, so that was my starting point.”