King Features regularly issues a directory for its syndicated offerings, but this week they surprised us by putting up a directory for their King Features Weekly Service (KFWS) branch.
Let’s take a look at the KFWS listing for comic offerings (not in alphabetical order):
Tiger
Flash Gordon
Stan Smith Tennis (aka Stan Smith’s Tennis Class)
Grin and Bear It
Popeye
Prince Valiant
Jack Nicklaus Golf (aka Play Better Golf with Jack Nicklaus)
Olive and Popeye (see update below)
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith (see update below)
R.F.D. (see update below)
Amber Waves
The Spats
Just Like Cats and Dogs
Out on a Limb
Update April 8, 2023: We were sent an updated list of available comics from KFWS:
COMICS AND GRAPHICS
PACKAGE
B&W and color
Editorial Cartoons
(10 a week, 2 in color)
Flash Gordon
Prince Valiant
Popeye
Snuffy Smith
Olive
Amber Waves
Just Like Cats and Dogs
Grin and Bear It
Out On A Limb
Spats
Play Better Golf
Stan Smith Tennis
Notes:
This changes the twice weekly Olive and Popeye strip from web-only to syndicated print comic strip, though I don’t know of any print newspaper carrying the comic.
Update April 8, 2023: The updated list from KFWS titles the strip as “Olive” not Olive and Popeye, so Popeye will guest in the Olive daily-format strip and Olive will guest in the Popeye Sunday-format strip.
The directory credits Popeye to Hy Eisman, but it is the new Randy Mulholland Sunday version being distributed.
Other first run strips (as far as I know) are Amber Waves, Just Like Cats and Dogs, Out on a Limb, and The Spats.
Again as far as I know: R.F.D. is no longer being syndicated. (Ended too late to drop from the directory?)
Update April 8, 2023: the new listing confirms that R.F.D. is no longer a part of their weekly package.
All others are reruns. (KFWS seems to run Snuffy Smith a year from original publication.)
Update April 8, 2023: Barney Goole and Snuffy Smith is listed as simply “Snuffy Smith.”
The illustrated features of Joe Wos’ MazeToon, Henry Boltinoff’s Hocus Focus, and Davie’s Scramblers are reruns and are listed among the puzzles.
The new directory is a change from the Weekly Service’s page that we had to rely on for titles.
More and different comics, also: no They’ll Do It Every Time, no Henry, no Laff-A-Day in the new directory.