King Features and Comics Kingdom News

© King Features Syndicate

In what we can only hope will be an annual event Sarah Rose joins dad John for a special Father’s Day week with the return of Li’l Sparky to Barney Google and Snuffy Smith. Cartoonist John Rose breaks the news:

I am pleased to announce that Li’l Sparky returns again for another “run!” He will be featured in a special week of comics beginning on Father’s Day, June 20th. And, who knows, his famous grandfather may even make an appearance!

© Terry & Patty LaBan

Edge City by Terry and Patty LaBan has also returned to Comics Kingdom, not new strips but the entire archive from strip #1 is now running daily. Here’s Tea welcoming them back to the fold:

We’re reprinting Edge City from the beginning, and Tina’s Groove from 2006, and would like to give a big shout out to Rina Piccolo and Terry and Patty LaBan for being such good sports to let us obsessively re-read two of our favorite comics.

Newer Terry can be seen at The Nib and at his monthly Comic Brake.

© Rina Piccolo

Yeah, you read that right Tina’s Groove by Rina Piccolo has also returned, again as reprints from the original run. Sez Rina:

When I decided to end Tina’s Groove in 2017, lots of readers reached out to ask if I’d publish the archives. I hesitated for four years. I really had to mull it over. The reason? To be honest, I HATE my old stuff! It’s downright cringe-worthy! I’m not alone – many comic artists feel the same over their own past works. It’s kind of like the feeling you get when you hear a recording of your own voice. You think, “is that me? Do I really sound like that? I sound so… stupid!” Can you relate? In any case, I came around, and here we are.

New Rina can also be seen these days on the daily Rhymes With Orange.

© King Features Syndicate

We don’t know if it is permanent or temporary, but creator Bruce Tinsley and cartoonist Loren Fishman have switched Mallard Fillmore schedules. For this week anyway Loren did the Monday through Wednesday dailies, while Bruce seemingly will do the Thursday through Saturday dailies. Past practice has been the opposite. (As far as we know Tinsley will continue to do all the Sundays.)

Let’s return to Tea Foughner (mentioned above). The Phantom Podcast featured an in depth interview with Tea, King Features Syndicate editor-in-chief of comics and current steward of The Phantom. Discussed is The Phantom Bible (dos and don’ts), King Features history and work-for-hire (always impressed with Tea’s knowledge of comics history), International and domestic Phantom comic books (far more popular overseas), promoting to the young via social media (newspapers are for us old farts), the controversial “Diana and the Heartbreakers Gang” (done in the clear and uncomplicated Wilson McCoy style), licensing (not really her domain), and so much more.