2018 Comic Strip Departures

 

This is an installment of 2018 Newspaper Comics: Debuts, Departures, and the Dearly Departed.
(part 1: Debuts – – part 2: Departures – – part 3: Dearly Departed – – part 4: Detours)

 

2018 Departures
These comics ceased production for U. S. newspapers in 2018

 

PIRANHA CLUB
by Bud Grace
February 1, 1988 – February 3, 2018
King Feature Syndicate
[originally titled “Ernie” until September 5, 1998,
retitled “Piranha Club” since September 6, 1998]

 

 

VIOLET DAYS
by Chris (Christine) Monroe
February (7? 8?), 1996 – February 7, 2018
weekly
Twin Cities Reader/MinneapolisStar Tribune/Duluth News Tribune
[a reworking of her early 1990s strip “Invisible Fences“]

 

 

THE CASHIER
by Ricardo Galvão
June 4, 2015 – March 3, 2018
weekly
King Features Weekly Service
[end date from the New York Eagle News]

 

 

SOUP TO NUTZ
by Rick Stromoski
March 27, 2000 – March 3, 2018 (dailies) and March 25, 2018 (Sundays)
Newspaper Enterprise Association-United Feature Syndicate/
Universal Uclick-Andrews McMeel Syndication
[daily reruns: March 5, 2018 – May 26, 2018
Sunday reruns: April 1, 2018 – May 20, 2018]
[rebooted later in 2018 as “Andrew’s Journal,” a Patreon page.]

 

 

BREWED ON GRANT
by Rob Rogers
September 10, 1997 – May 23, 2018
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
weekly/irregular

update – comic strip revived in 2019:
August 6, 2019 –
Pittsburgh Current
bi-weekly (2x/month)

 

 

 

RUDY PARK
by Theron Heir and Darrin Bell
September 3, 2001 – June 1, 2018
Washington Post Writers Group
[Theron Heir (Matt Richtel) retired from the stip in 2012]
[since June 2, 2018 the print Rudy Park has run Candorville strips]
[from June 3 – June 16, 2018 online Rudy Park ran the same dated Candorville strips]
[since June 17, 2018 the online Rudy Park has run Rudy Park reruns]

 

 

HAPPY MUSINGS
by Sally Huss
October 23, 2006 – September 29, 2018
daily (6xwk) panel
King Features Syndicate

 

 

HAZEL
by Ted Key
June 16, 1969 – September 29, 2018
daily panel
King Features Syndicate
[reruns since 1993]
[1st appeared Autumn 1943 (until February 8, 1969) as Saturday Evening Post panel]

 

 

PLAY BETTER GOLF WITH JACK NICKLAUS
by Jack Nicklaus, Ken Bowden and Jim McQueen
April 5, 1976* – October 19, 2018
King Features Syndicate
[reruns since ????]
[as of this writing the reruns continue as part of the King Features Weekly Service package]
*edited July 2022 to add start date

 

 

HENRY
by Carl Anderson, Don Trachte, John Liney, Jack Tippit, Dick Hodgins, Jr.
December 17, 1934 – October 28, 2018
King Features Syndicate
[daily reruns from 1990 until end]
[Sunday reruns from 1995 until end]
[King Features Weekly Service ran Sunday page until the week of October 29, 2018]
[1st appeared March 19, 1932 (until February 2, 1935) in Saturday Evening Post]

 

 

BAD REPORTER
by Don Asmussen
September 25, 2003 – November 14, 2018*
bi-weekly
San Francisco Chronicle/Universal Press Syndicate (Andrews McMeel)
[*final date from GoComics website]
[as of this writing the comic strip is on indefinite hiatus due to health issues,
the strip may return, or maybe Don will come back with a new format]

July 2019 update: In mid-May 2019 Bad Reporter returned to the
San Francisco Chronicle; at about the same time (May 17, 2019) the
strip returned to GoComics/Andrews McMeel on a twice a week schedule.

 

 

BILGE
by Tina Johnson
February 1, 2017 – November 30, 2018
weekdays
Daily Sitka (Alaska) Sentinel

 

 

INTELLIGENT LIFE
by David Reddick
July 7, 2014 – December 23, 2018
King Features Syndicate
[continues as a 3xweek webcomic on KFS’ Comics Kingdom]

 

 

updated July 2019:

SAFE HAVENS
by Bill Holbrook
October 3, 1988 – December 8, 2018
daily strip
Washington Post Writers Group/King Features Syndicate 1994-on
[continues as web-only comic strip with KFS]

 

 

Additions and Corrections
Welcomed and Encouraged