This is an installment of 2023 U.S. Newspaper Comics: Debuts, Departures, and the Dearly Departed.
(part 1: Debuts and Departures – – part 2: Detours and Deviations – – part 3: the Dearly Departed)
2023 DEBUTS
These comics began appearing in U. S. newspapers in 2023.
BEWARE OF TODDLER
by George Gant
Sunday only
January 2023 –
King Features Syndicate
[first appeared online June 19, 2022 (Comics Kingdom)]
FIRST DATE
by Joe Bergeron
February 21, 2023 – 2023
daily?
Claremont (N.H.) Eagle Times
[first appeared online September(?) 2022]
A PIECE OF WORK
by Dale Hrabi and Kagan McLeod
April 19, 2023 –
weekly/bi-weekly
Wall Street Journal
LITTLE MICE
by Caleb Spell
May 7, 2023 – ?2023?
weekly
The Dunkirk (N.Y.) Observer
NEVER BEEN DEADER
by Tommy Devoid
October 21, 2023 –
(Great Bend Tribune)
King Features Syndicate
[first appeared as webcomic ?2023?]
FLASH GORDON
by Dan Schkade
October 22, 2023 –
Sunday and daily
[previously ran January 7, 1934 – March 16, 2003]
[in rerun status from March 23, 2003 – October 15, 2023]
Additions and Corrections
Welcomed and Encouraged.
2023 DEPARTURES
These comics ceased new run appearances in U. S. newspapers in 2023.
R.F.D.
by Mike Marland
1982 – (the week of) January 30, 2023
The Littleton (N.H.) Courier 1982 – ?? weekly
The Union Leader (N.H.) May 1983 – May 1986 daily
The Union Leader March 1988 – April 1992 daily
King Features Weekly Service (the week of) May 11, 1992 – January 30, 2023
POSTCARD FROM MOUND CITY
(aka: Post Card from Mound City)
by Dan Martin
December 25, 1996 – February 4, 2023
weekly
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
MT. PLEASANT
by Kent Sligh and Rick McKee
January 3, 2021 – February 26, 2023
Tribune Content Agency
[ran online January 1, 2021 – February 28, 2023]
DILBERT
by Scott Adams
April 16, 1989 – daily: March 11, 2023; Sunday:March 26, 2023
United Feature Syndicate/Universal Uclick-Andrews McMeel Syndication
[continues as an online comc strip retitled “Dilbert Reborn”]
HALF FULL
by Maria Scrivan
December 2(?), 2013 – May 14, 2023
panel
Tribune Content Agency(March 15, 2015 – January 11, 2021/Andrews McMeel Syndication
[first appeared as a GoComic webcomic September 16, 2013]
[April 30, 2023 to May 14, 2023 are reruns]
[continues as a 3x a week webcomic]
ELLA
by Nathan Archer
January 3, 2020 – May 19 (12?), 2023
weekly
Tallahassee Democrat
FRED BASSET
by Alex Graham, Arran Kieth & Michael Martin (signing “MBM”)
July 9, 1963 (UK date) – July 15, 2023 (US date)
The London Daily Mail-Mail on Sunday/Solo Syndication/Alex Graham Ltd
[continues as reruns July 16, 2023 on]
[first U.S. newspaper appearance: June 28, 1965
Hall/Field/News America/North America/Tribune Media/UPS-UU-Andrews McMeel Syndication]
[Dates, unless noted, are as published in the United States]
GINGER MEGGS
originally: Us Fellers
by Jimmy Bancks, Ron Vivian, Lloyd Piper, James Kemsley, Jason Chatfield
November 13, 1921 – August 13, 2023 (Sundays)
daily: ?April 25, 1994? – September 10, 2022
Sydney Sunday Sun
In U.S.: McClure 1930-1931/Lafave 1939-1948/UPS-AMS 2004-2023
[Australian import]
PROS & CONS
originally: A Lawyer, A Doctor, and A Cop
by Kieran Meehan
September 5, 2005 – July 31, 2023
panel
King Features Syndicate
REAL LIFE ADVENTURES
by Lance Aldrich and Gary Wise
March 24, 1991 – November 17, 2023
panel
Universal Press Syndicate-Universal Uclick-Andrews McMeel Syndication
[daily reruns October 16, 2023 – November 16, 2023]
[update: Real Life Adventures reruns continued online (GoComics) and in
at least one Sunday and one daily paper (see Comments) until December 31, 2023]
Additions and Corrections
Welcomed and Encouraged.
For Dilbert, I would perhaps modify it to read “subscription-only” online strip? Since 99% of us former casual readers of it won’t see it.
And I think the online only nowadays Dilbert strip may have been renamed “Dilbert Reborn”.
So, Fred Basset is really ended? Sad.
I noticed Real Life Adventures was running the Sunday reruns for the last several weeks in the Illinois Daily Herald Sunday comics.
Thanks Darryl. I updated the Real Life Adventures entry.
Rumor has it the now ended Real Life Adventures Sunday strip in the Illinois Daily Herald has now been replaced by a new Sunday strip in the Daily Herald’s Sunday comics – The Flying McCoys.
Just found out Real Life Adventures stopped on December 31, 2023 with the final Sunday rerun.
Yeah, apparently Andrews McMeel kept Real Life Adventures circulating in newspapers through the 2023 year so they would have The Lockhorns ready to replace the panel come January 1, 2024.
It worked for The Bakersfield Californian:
“The popular comic ceased production Dec. 31 with the retirement of creators Lance Aldrich and Gary Wise, which led us to select a new comic for that spot on our Monday through Saturday comics page.
On Saturday, we introduced ‘The Lockhorns’ by cartoonists Bunny Hoest and John Reiner.”
https://www.bakersfield.com/columnists/christine-peterson/sound-off-new-comics-introduced-and-more/article_fde979b2-acb3-11ee-a9e4-db678054c891.html