Earlier this year the Ruston Daily Leader switched out some of their comic strips. Sounds like they had a few complaints. A few months ago, we changed the comics (or “funnies”) package that runs in the printed Ruston Daily Leader each day. We’ve heard much feedback from the community… So please take the time to check up […]
The famous 1,000-to-1 words-to-picture ratio may be understated when it comes to the political cartoon. A case can be made that public opinion has, over time, been more often shaped by these artists than by the words of their polemicist colleagues on the nation’s editorial pages. A salient political point made with humor can pack […]
Harry’s, a UK-based toiletries company, has added comic strips to their mystery item program. Harry’s introduced the Mystery Item programme to their online retail experience in 2018, one year after the brand was founded. It has now become a permanent offer and has risen to become their second most popular product. Items that the customer […]
I’m not prepared to anoint David Fitzsimmons as the next Nostradamus or even Jeanne Dixon, but he did run this cartoon before last night’s debates. I started to watch the debates, but the Jeopardy! format put me off. Actually, a Jeopardy! format might have been kind of fun: Each candidate could select a question from […]
AMP Kids has reinvigorated their blog with a new series – Comics 101. Amp Kids is Andrews McMeel‘s publishing arm for young readers. Among others things they have recently started a more or less weekly series about Comics for Kids. Why Comics are Great for Kids (and Libraries) The numbers speak for themselves: When […]
On Friday, July 26 (above), Ray Billingsley started a story line in his Curtis comic strip. This week Ray introduced a new character. My disappointment comes from, after two days of “Quincy Shearer,” none of the commenters mentioning the origin of that name. Quincy by Ted Shearer was a classic, and one of a […]
Bob Gorrell brings up a point that either side can run with. Obviously (well, obviously to me), there is nothing wrong with pointing out racism when it is (A) real and (B) a major factor in something. In fact, you’d be a fool not to, unless the racism is in your favor and you’re hoping […]
Dilbert creator Scott Adams has sparked outrage by using yesterday’s Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting to promote his WhenHub app. The app allows regular citizens to become “video advisors” offering advice on any topic, for a fee, which will be paid in WHEN coins (currently valued at just over one cent). When anyone provides […]
The Spokane Spokesman-Review on Sunday (July 28, 2019) gave readers a two-page color center spread in the their first news section to a look at the history of comics in the newspaper. Put together by Charles Apple the piece opens with the purpose of comics: The first newspaper comic strips developed about 124 years […]
Matt Wuerker, I’m quite sure unintentionally, provides a catalyst for today’s political rant. I grew up on Hoppy and Cisco and other TV heroes who rode into town, confronted and defeated the bad guys, and then accepted the thanks of the grateful citizens and rode off into the sunset. However, as I grew older, I […]
In 1979 Steve Carpenter, an artist for Hallmark Cards, Inc. created a curly haired dog for a greeting card. A Hallmark executive saw the drawing and thought it had possibilities … as a comic strip. Card companies had had a long association with comic characters. In 1960 Hallmark itself began a very successful relationship with […]
Ed Wexler explains it all, again, clearly, for those who weren’t paying attention: Mueller testified to what was in the report, as he said he would. He was clear about this in the weeks leading up to his appearance, and he was quite clear about the limits of his testimony in the hearing itself: So […]
It really is not surprising how many cartoonists grew up with MAD magazine. On July 3, I lost a childhood friend who was the greatest influence in my cartooning career. Mad magazine is dead at 67. We first met in the magazine aisle of Danner’s five-and-dime store in Danville. It was June of 1969 and […]
Jim Davis, through Heritage Auctions, is offering up a bunch of 20th Century Garfield strips for bid – it is being called The Jim Davis Collection. The items are listed in auction #7211, which also includes a number of Charles Schulz Peanuts strips and the historically important tenth Prince Valiant Sunday page by Hal […]
Engineer and political cartoonist Bob Cope has passed away. James Robert (Bob) Cope February 6, 1937 – July 18, 2019 Bob’s impressive accomplishments as an engineer for 60 years are far too extensive to list here, but his cartooning career is easier. From the obituary: As a hobby from 2001 through 2018, Bob […]