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Comic strips

Ollie and Quentin to end

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Piers Baker, creator of Ollie and Quentin has announced that his strip is ending at the end of this year due to lack of sales. It was launched four years ago. Piers hinted earlier this year that the strip has been a rough sale to newspapers, but he’s been grateful for the experience.

So, what has my experience been like? Well, I have never worked harder or longer, never sacrificed more and have never earned less in my whole cartoon career. That said I wouldn?t have missed the last four years for anything. My ambition in life was to be a newspaper syndicated cartoonist and for four wonderful years I lived that dream. Not many people can say they did exactly what they were meant to do in life. I?m glad I can. (I just wish I?d done this 50 years ago!). I was never happier than when sat in a coffee shop writing my comic as ?Ollie and Quentin World? became my favorite place to visit. It has got me through some very difficult times as readers of this blog will know. Writing a comic is great therapy!

Brendan Burford, Pires’ Comics Editor at King Features writes high praise for the strip over on his blog.

It?s beautiful and funny and subtle and quirky. The world is so charmingly realized, and so elegantly presented. The refinement of it all makes the zaniness that much more rewarding ? there?s a wonderful dichotomy to the gentle look and feel combined with the unapologetic humor that I just love.

The strip will rerun on The Daily Ink beginning January 1 and Piers is exploring self syndication in Europe and selling his book compilation (print and eBook).

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Comments 17

  1. That’s a damned shame. Good luck to you in all your future endeavors, Piers.

  2. Aw, nuts.
    Looking forward to seeing what’s next Piers!

  3. Wow, that really sucks. 🙁

  5. Another recent year strip ceased by King Features: Last year it was My Cage, and this past Summer it was Oh Brother.

  6. On the plus side, now you have plenty of useful experience to bring to your next project.

  7. I am tremendously disappointed to hear this. Ollie and Quentin is a wonderful strip. I feel its failure to catch on in newspapers has more to do with the state of the industry then the quality of the feature. I will miss its gentle slapstick humor – For me it has been a return to the humor of Laurel and Hardy and a welcome relief from the edge of such humor as one finds in The Family Guy.

  8. so sorry to hear that, you were one of the few British Comic Strip Standard Bearers around today. Hope you still stay in the comic strip field in future. Good luck.

  9. Piers?you’re one of the most talented cartoonists I know. Newspaper syndication is just one step in what will no doubt be a long and rewarding cartoon career.

    We still want you to visit us here in the states.

  10. Piers has had a great run with his comic strip Ollie and Quentin. I will miss it very much. Im sure we will see him pop up with another great comic in the future. good luck with everything! This is where Piers should do his Arnold impersonation of Arnold ” I’ll be back”.

  12. Piers is an exceptional cartoonist and a great guy too. I’m sure he’ll be able to sell this strip into new markets, but I bet he won’t miss those daily deadlines…

  13. Rats. Ollie and Quentin is a great strip. It’s truly reflective of the marketplace that it’s not in more papers. I have to get the new book.

  14. Thanks everyone. As Jonathan says “Aw nuts!” but I’ve loved my syndication experience despite the uphill struggle. For four years I had the best job in the world.

  15. This really sucks. I’ve enjoyed Ollie and Quentin ever since it was launched. The marketplace is becoming more worrisome by the day for aspiring cartoonists like myself. Good luck Piers on your future endeavors !

  16. Ollie & Quentin is featured at the Cartoon Art Museum right now, alongside some other great strips that have launched within the last ten years. I’m sorry the show ends up being a capstone on O&Q instead of a selling point for editors who are looking to add some fresh material to their papers.

  17. I’m so sorry to hear this. Good luck, Piers!

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