Former King Features Comics Editor Tea Fougner Interviewed
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TCJ: In your experience, how has the role of a syndicate changed from 2008–2009 to now?
TEA FOUGNER: I’d just like to set the stage a little bit for folks who aren’t familiar with how syndication works. Syndication is a way for syndication clients (usually newspapers, but increasingly websites and other digital clients) to bring content that they could not afford to pay an individual writer or artist to produce.
Tea Fougner (‘FOOG-ner’) and The Comics Journal conducted a great interview via email that takes a look at the workings of comic syndicates in the 21st century and dealing with newspaper and digital distribution.
Would you talk about the “audition process” for taking over legacy strips?
Absolutely! When we had a position available for a legacy strip, I’d solicit pitches from a number of cartoonists — usually about 5–10 to start. I’d do a short informational interview with them to introduce the project and what we were looking for and gauge their interest. If they were interested and available, I’d ask them to do a short pitch with their premise and the direction they would want to take the strip in, and a couple of character sketches of the main character(s)…
Questions and Answers about submissions, legacy strips and dynasties, changes due to the digital revolution and dragging old school cartoonists into that brave new world, cartoonists’ compensation, slush piles, launching a comic strip, public domain Popeye, comic strip structure/rhythm/pacing/conceptualization, the instant feedback of Comics Kingdom comment section, and so much more.
Did the culture at KFS change when CJ Kettler became President?
Sorry, no dirty laundry or intrigues post-departure, Tea is a happy camper who loves comics.
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