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Daily Cartoonist

Mike Belkin ends “Unfit”

1 minute 36 comments

Mike Belkin has decided to end “Unfit” on the 30th of this month according to Mary Anne Grimes, Executive Director at United Media. Earlier this year, Mike asked Scott Adams to help him find an artist to take over the artwork of the feature. The contest brought in over 70 submissions with Justin Thompson taking the prized job.

According to Grimes:

Mike decided he didn’t want to do it anymore. It takes a long time to make a successful strip. Not everyone is cut out to do it.

According to a story in Editor and Publisher, Mike will be leaving cartooning completely.

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Comments 36

  1. Well, let’s hope that this experience will teach UFS a lesson – never select a strip because it was endorsed by the cartoonist’s friend, who’s also a successful cartoonist.

    How many newspapers actually ran the strip?

  2. Well, let’s hope that this experience will teach UFS a lesson – never select a strip because it was endorsed by the cartoonist’s friend, who’s also a successful cartoonist.

    How many newspapers actually ran the strip?

  3. I was one of the 80 artists who submitted work. I didn’t make the final cut, but was very surprised at the selection of Justin Thompson.
    He’s a terrific artist, but my feeling was that his more realistic style didn’t mesh with the zany humor in Unfit. I felt his art would anchor the writing and not permit the flights of fancy which was the strip’s true appeal.
    Indeed, it appears that the entire exercise amounted to little more than rearranging deck chairs on the Titantic.

  4. I was one of the 80 artists who submitted work. I didn’t make the final cut, but was very surprised at the selection of Justin Thompson.
    He’s a terrific artist, but my feeling was that his more realistic style didn’t mesh with the zany humor in Unfit. I felt his art would anchor the writing and not permit the flights of fancy which was the strip’s true appeal.
    Indeed, it appears that the entire exercise amounted to little more than rearranging deck chairs on the Titantic.

  5. Wow, I am very surpised to hear this. It seemed like so much effort was put into this search and selection. I kept expecting to see the new artwork out there, but it never happened. I too was one of the artist who made the top 5, but now I’m glad I didn’t get the gig.

  6. Wow, I am very surpised to hear this. It seemed like so much effort was put into this search and selection. I kept expecting to see the new artwork out there, but it never happened. I too was one of the artist who made the top 5, but now I’m glad I didn’t get the gig.

  7. I just found out that “Unfit” will stop running this week. As both a husband and a gym member, I loved the way in which he poked fun at both worlds. Sometimes there was a bit too much truth in the humour!!

    I will be sorry to see it go as reading it is one of the first things I do when starting my day.

  8. I just found out that “Unfit” will stop running this week. As both a husband and a gym member, I loved the way in which he poked fun at both worlds. Sometimes there was a bit too much truth in the humour!!

    I will be sorry to see it go as reading it is one of the first things I do when starting my day.

  9. It’s always a bit shocking to find out that a comic style that you really enjoy is apparently not enjoyed by enough other people to keep the strip going.

    Unfit was one of the comics I looked forward to seeing daily. I don’t read comics for the artistic quality of their drawing (although Unfit was, IMHO, quite well drawn)… I read them for the comic value of the dialogue and the characters.

    Unfit will be very much missed, at least from this reader, and I suspect many others.

  10. It’s always a bit shocking to find out that a comic style that you really enjoy is apparently not enjoyed by enough other people to keep the strip going.

    Unfit was one of the comics I looked forward to seeing daily. I don’t read comics for the artistic quality of their drawing (although Unfit was, IMHO, quite well drawn)… I read them for the comic value of the dialogue and the characters.

    Unfit will be very much missed, at least from this reader, and I suspect many others.

  11. Unfit will be missed. I can only say “Thanks for the laughs.”

  12. Unfit will be missed. I can only say “Thanks for the laughs.”

  13. What? I will MISS Unfit! I love the strip and read it every day? What happened?

  14. What? I will MISS Unfit! I love the strip and read it every day? What happened?

  15. I liked Unfit and read it every morning. What will fill the gap in my established routine?

  16. I liked Unfit and read it every morning. What will fill the gap in my established routine?

  17. Hopefully this will stop the trend the last few years of syndicates pushing poorly drawn cartoons. There is so much talent out there that I think is much more deserving than average stuff like Belkins’. That was proven by the strip’s poor sales. This whole project was Dilbert’s baby, the pioneer of the bad art syndicated movement.

  18. Hopefully this will stop the trend the last few years of syndicates pushing poorly drawn cartoons. There is so much talent out there that I think is much more deserving than average stuff like Belkins’. That was proven by the strip’s poor sales. This whole project was Dilbert’s baby, the pioneer of the bad art syndicated movement.

  19. I dont’ think this will end the trend. But it it does they will probably go the other way and have superbly drawn cartoons with horrible writing.

  20. I dont’ think this will end the trend. But it it does they will probably go the other way and have superbly drawn cartoons with horrible writing.

  21. Say it aint so! Being a Gym rat I really enjoy the strip’s humor and also the dose of reality. I looked forward to the daily installments. Bring it back!!

  22. Say it aint so! Being a Gym rat I really enjoy the strip’s humor and also the dose of reality. I looked forward to the daily installments. Bring it back!!

  23. I am really missing my daily dose of Uncut – although I was wary of the attempt to find a better artist as I was quite happy with the characters as drawn.

    If any of you cartoonists out there really think that there is an absolute rule placing quality of drawing above theme, character and humour – think again. Uncut was consistently funny and probing….

  24. I am really missing my daily dose of Uncut – although I was wary of the attempt to find a better artist as I was quite happy with the characters as drawn.

    If any of you cartoonists out there really think that there is an absolute rule placing quality of drawing above theme, character and humour – think again. Uncut was consistently funny and probing….

  25. hear hear! bring back mike.
    this strip was right up in my top10
    along with dilbert get fuzzy calvin and hobbes
    fox trot just to mame a few
    mr belkin you’ve got great talent dont throw it away.

  26. hear hear! bring back mike.
    this strip was right up in my top10
    along with dilbert get fuzzy calvin and hobbes
    fox trot just to mame a few
    mr belkin you’ve got great talent dont throw it away.

  27. I’m going to miss UNFIT. It’s one of three cartoons I had bookmarked and read every day. I work out at a gym 3 times a week and know several of the personal trainers, so I really enjoyed the great humor and characters in UNFIT.

  28. I’m going to miss UNFIT. It’s one of three cartoons I had bookmarked and read every day. I work out at a gym 3 times a week and know several of the personal trainers, so I really enjoyed the great humor and characters in UNFIT.

  29. I am so sad that Mike Belkin decided to end Unfit. This was my favorite comic strip and I looked forward to reading it everyday on Comics.com. I hope Mike realizes how talented he is and brings back unfit. PLEASE BRING IT BACK!!

  30. I am so sad that Mike Belkin decided to end Unfit. This was my favorite comic strip and I looked forward to reading it everyday on Comics.com. I hope Mike realizes how talented he is and brings back unfit. PLEASE BRING IT BACK!!

  31. So sorry to hear this, I was in the top 15 and really hoped to get it. I think its genre has a high potential of sucess. He’ll probably decide to make a smaller come back. Most do 😉

  32. So sorry to hear this, I was in the top 15 and really hoped to get it. I think its genre has a high potential of sucess. He’ll probably decide to make a smaller come back. Most do 😉

  33. I thought the strip was well written, but it was too much like Dilbert, but not as good. From a cartooning standpoint, that is a dangerous road to take. Bloom County came out and was very Doonesbury-ish, but wisely found its own path (with some helpful words of advice from Trudeau to Breathed).

    Stephen Pastis (Pearls) admits to following the Dilbert technique, but wisely developed his own style.

    Good drawing will never save a bad idea. Cartooning without a real idea is only doodling. Too much doodling in the newspaper these days.

  34. I thought the strip was well written, but it was too much like Dilbert, but not as good. From a cartooning standpoint, that is a dangerous road to take. Bloom County came out and was very Doonesbury-ish, but wisely found its own path (with some helpful words of advice from Trudeau to Breathed).

    Stephen Pastis (Pearls) admits to following the Dilbert technique, but wisely developed his own style.

    Good drawing will never save a bad idea. Cartooning without a real idea is only doodling. Too much doodling in the newspaper these days.

  35. Bring Unfit back, please! I miss Mike!

  36. Bring Unfit back, please! I miss Mike!

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