Does it strike anyone else that the Sunday Andy Capp comic strips are now basically two dailies with similar settings and complimentary contexts? It has struck me that since cartoonist Lawrence Goldsmith returned to the Sunday page after his hiatus he and partner Sean Garnett have set up these pages in such a way that they can be split in two. Or set up so one or the other of the row of panels can be run across a page as a single tier.
Then, on occasion, they throw in a Sunday that doesn’t seem to follow that standard:
© MGN Ltd
© Ripley Entertainment
Apparently Ripley’s Believe It or Not is following in the footsteps of The Phantom and Shoe by having two artists on the feature. Recent Ripley’s indicate that John Graziano has taken on a lighter load and is now doing the Sunday installment, while cartoonist Castaño (first name?) is now drawing the dailies (with a more humorous take on the items).
A lot of ifs and maybes here today.
Flash Forward didn’t update today so it may be that the web comic has ended. As noted in the comments of last week’s issue it makes for a fitting end to the series. This saddens me on two levels. First, while not approving of all the various takes on the character, I have enjoyed the idea of assorted cartoonists being allowed a (one-)shot at Flash and company.
Second sadness was the people that didn’t get the opportunity. Mostly I wanted a special strip by Bruce Jones and Ralph Reese. The comic started with a Jim Keefe strip and Bruce and Ralph are the only other two creators that remain from the original 1934 – 2003 series. It would have been really nice to have one or the other (preferably both) have done one more Flash Gordon take.
© King Features Syndicate
Non-contemporaneous Synchronicity
© Dana Simpson
Today’s Phoebe and Her Unicorn and a blast from the past on this weekend’s Kevin and Kell page.
© Bill Holbrook
Finally, Pasquale’s Guardian Angel trying to assimilate.
art by Don Wimmer; © UFS/AMS
The same device is used in Rip Haywire and Harley, where Dan Thompson uses two daily strips in place of a Sunday. Maybe it’s catching on.
Is that Stalin drinking that tea? Back around 1980, ARCADE had a bio comic by Spain Rodriguez, and the splash panel referred to the iconic images of Stalin as resembling “a sinister Lipton tea logo.” Spain put the icing on the cake by drawing his self-portrait (each issue had a gallery of selfies by the artists) as the Lipton mascot, holding a cup with his pinky delicately extended. There was a time I thought Spain had no sense of humor, but it was long ago.
Bruce Jones AND Ralph Reese! I missed out on that combo, and it looks gorgeous. Reese’s strong style might be expected to dominate, but it looks like he knows just how to ink Jones.
Other than a few original Sundays at the beginning for Harley I think both of those Dan Thompson strips ran reruns as Sundays.
I don’t think the Andy Capps are reruns.
The Bristol Board has that Stalin graphic bio by Spain:
https://thebristolboard.tumblr.com/post/153967831068/cesarsebastian-stalin-by-spain-rodriguez
The Spain self-portrait for Arcade #4 can be seen here:
https://www.zipcomic.com/arcade-issue-4
The Jones/Reese team went from October 1990 to March 1991 (April 1991 for Sundays) according to Allan Holtz.
https://www.press.umich.edu/2133963/american_newspaper_comics