William Barth, the editor of the Beloit Daily News has announced that Wiley Miller’s Non Sequitur has been returned to their comic line-up citing overwhelming support for the comic not just from Beloit residence, but from national attention they received.
After printing a few comments they received – including one from Tom Racine of Comics Coast to Coast podcast, and a mention of Pab Sungenis’ The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria comic that poked fun of the Daily News for its actions – the editor defended the decision to temporarily pull Non Sequitur.
The Daily News garnered a bit of national publicity over the chicken affair, though not necessarily the kind we’d want. There’s a big difference, of course, between suspending a feature and canceling it. Non Sequitur, like other features that run in the newspaper, are there by invitation. That invitation can be withdrawn at any time, for any reason. That’s not censorship. That’s business.
…
It was our intent to send a message and make sure Mr. Miller and the syndicate from which we purchase Non Sequitur understood that some folks in Beloit, Wisconsin, felt attacked. We hope the message was received.
Wiley’s feature begins again next week.
Can anyone get their hands on a few copies of yesterday’s “Beloit Daily News?” It will be the first time my strip ever appeared in print, and I’d like to preserve it. 🙂
Congratulations, Wiley, on them coming to their senses!
Hey Pab,
That Bill Barth editor, suspending Non Sequitur notwithstanding, seems to be a rather decent, upfront kinda guy. E-mail him and he might send you a copy.
So, Mr. Miller, DID you get the message? Are you going to be a good boy from now on?
I think the quoted third paragraph says it best.
My mistake, I meant the quoted SECOND paragraph. It must have been Alan’s pop math quiz that threw me off.
Congratulations Wiley! Glad you won this one. I also love the Stephanie Miller reference in today’s cartoon (I’m a big fan). Brilliant!
Cheers!
(Now, will you come on our show?)
Justin
Comics Coast To Coast
Since the cartoon was ridiculing white supremacists, I’m still trying to figure out just what their “message” is.
And, Justin… was I invited and not know about it?
Who are these people that felt attacked by mockery of the KKK?! And why are their sensibilities of concern to anyone?
Wiley, the message is that people felt attacked and feelings in this country have become all that matters. Facts, common sense and intellect be damned, it’s all about how people FEEL.
I suggest that we start a DO NOT USE list for cartoonists who don’t want to be spanked in the woodshed for several weeks.
1. KKK garb
2. Confederate flag
3. Muslim-looking people
4. Fetuses
…what else???
Okay, so you’re saying that Universal won’t pick up my new feature “Omar, The Unborn Confederate Muslim?” Censorship!
I think Dawn’s on to something here! I, for one, would love to see a list of the things syndicated cartoonists have been censored from showing in their strips/panels.
Dang it Pab, I was so looking forward to that strip too! 😉 Congrats on being heard and congrats to Wiley and the pressure it brought on the paper. My hunch is that they went to the woodshed only to find a role reversal. Cory, you are so right … it sounds like they are saying that the KKK in Beliot had their feeling hurt. Jeez!
I do agree it’s their paper and they can run what they want, it was the stupidity of their reasoning (or lack there of) that they are being called on. They tried to make a point, and the point was simply ridiculous. In addition they really make Wiley’s cartoon that much more powerful and read than if they had just quietly not run it one day. Go figure.
‘Okay, so youâ??re saying that Universal wonâ??t pick up my new feature â??Omar, The Unborn Confederate Muslim?â? Censorship!’
Pab, I would read that strip every day. Although I’m sure a jihad would be declared against you and every paper that ran it.
“Although Iâ??m sure a jihad would be declared against you and every paper that ran it.”
Sounds like a pretty effective marketing strategy!
If you survived it. It does have a catchy title. I think it could be a cable TV show … or adult swim maybe! Like Whose Line’s Bill Cosby and Hitler (er … I mean insurance agent).
And congratulations on your reinstatment getting mentioned in E&P, too, Wiley.
Ironically (for them) this dustup might end up HELPING NS in the long run! It would be nice.
“We heard from a number of readers who were offended, and took the cartoon to be racially insensitive.”
What? Huh?
This editor is an idiot.
He’s no idiot based on such limited info – if the offended party has some political pull in Beloit, then his behavior is understandable considering how tenuous most papers are in regards to readership… However, without understanding his motives in any depth, his reaction sure does seem to be an extreme over-reaction. I’m sure we’ll see more of this knee-jerk fear-based censorship in the future as newspapers become increasingly marginalized and desperate to stop folks from dropping subscriptions…
Do peeps in the Klan read comics? They don’t seem like the types that would really have much of a sense of humor…
…imagine a racist writing in to an editor to complain that he was offended by a comic strip?
Again…I learn the darndest things here…
“â?¦imagine a racist writing in to an editor to complain that he was offended by a comic strip?”
Well, in the Peanuts 50th Anniversary book, they do print a letter Schulz got from someone who was offended to see Franklin and Peppermint Patty in the same schoolroom together.
So it does happen.
I would guess that letter was sent to Sparky about 40 years ago. You wouldn’t see a racist letter like that today. But you might if you did a cartoon about gays. There’s never a shortage of morons and bigots.