2024 Debuts, Departures, and the Dearly Departed – Part Two: Detours and Deviations
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This is an installment of 2024 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)
2024 DETOURS & DEVIATIONS
Some changes to U. S. newspaper comic strips and panels in 2024.
But first a missed 2023 change:
On November 27, 2023 Andy Marlette began daily reruns for his Shrimp & Grits.
New Sunday pages continue to this day.
On to 2024:
The Lockhorns, after 55 years with King Features Syndicate,
move to Andrews McMeel Syndication on January 1, 2024.
Continuing from 2023 Bret Blevins is ghost artist for
Judge Parker daily and Sunday from January 1 to January 7, 2024.
Rod Whigham ghosts Judge Parker art daily from March 11th to the 16th of 2024
and ghosts the Sunday art for March 17 and March 24, 2024.
Also continuing for an ailing Mike Manley is Sunday The Phantom artist
Jeff Weigel taking on daily duties from November 23, 2023 to January 13, 2024.
Then Bret Blevins is the signed daily artist from January 15 to June 8, 2024.
Mike Manley returns to the daily art on June 10, 2024.
In 2024 Luke McGarry spelled Steve McGarry as cartoonist for KidTown
on January 28; November 17; December 1; December 8; and possibly more often.
Patrick McDonnell had a very busy year – as a result his Mutts comic strip was mostly reruns.
New Mutts strip for 2024 appeared on February 14, March 15, April 26, May 6 and 27,
June 23 (Sunday) to the 29th (Saturday), July 1, 15, and 21, August 19,
September 5 and 15, November 27, December 23 – 25.
Dick Tracy went through some changes throughout 2024.
Shelley Pleger who had drawn Dick Tracy since October 25, 2021
ended her run on February 10, 2024.
On February 11 to February 25, 2024 Eric Costello and Dee Fish,
as guest writer and artist respectively, ran a two week “Minit Mysteries” story.
On February 26, 2024 Charles Ettinger took over as the regular Dick Tracy artist.
On May 19, 2024 Eric Costello took over for an ailing Mike Curtis
writing the regular Dick Tracy comic strip until August 10, 2024.
Eric Costello then, with Leonardo Batic as artist, wrote a “Minit Mysteries”
sequence from August 11 to August 25, 2024.
The regular Dick Tracy team of Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger
returned on August 26 and continued until October 5, 2024
(except for Eric Costello writing the Sunday September 11, 2024 special edition).
Matthew K. Manning, script and Howie Noel, art produce a “Minit Mysteries” interlude.
When the regular Dick Tracy story returns on October 21 it is with Eric Costello as writer.
The regular Dick Tracy storyline by Eric Costello and Charles Ettinger is broken up
by a Minit Mysteries 2018 rerun by Mike Curtis and Rich Burchett from December 1 – 15.
Eric Costello and Charles Ettinger return on December 16, 2024
On March 1st 2024 (a Friday) Reply All and Reply All Lite, both by Donna A. Lewis,
switched syndicates moving from Washington Post Writers Group to Counterpoint Media.
Olivia Jaimes took a Summer sabbatical from the Nancy comic strip. Subbing for her were:
Leigh Luna – June 23 (Sunday) to July 7 (Sunday), 2024;
Shaenon K. Garrity – July 8 (Monday) to July 21 (Sunday), 2024;
Caroline Cash – July 22 (Monday) to August 11 (Sunday), 2024;
Megan McKay – August 12 (Monday) to August 18 (Sunday), 2024;
“McKay + SHEN” (Andrew Tsyaston) August 19 – August 25, 2024;
Megan McKay – August 26 (Monday) to September 1 (Sunday), 2024.
Olivia Jaimes who had left after the June 23rd strip returned with the September 2nd comic.
Luann also had a guest cartoonist.
Jay Fosgitt drew the dailies only from June 24 to July 6 to July 6, 2024.
Greg and Karen Evans remained as the writers/scripters.
Atomik Komix comic books transferred to Crankshaft on July 7, 2024
with Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis creating a “Tales of the Space Grill” cover.
Gene and Dan Weingarten offered up the Barney & Clyde comic strip scripts
to some Style International contest winners and runners-up with credits.
Guest scripts, all in 2024, by Marc Liebert (July 22); Mark Raffman (July 24);
Leif Picoult (July 26, July 29); Mark Raffman with Horace Labadie (July 28);
Duncan Stevens (August 23). And then later there was Leif Picoult (August 21);
Sam Mertens (August 25); Mark Raffman (September 1);
Neal Starkman September 5, September 20); Chris Doyle (November 21).
David Clark remained as artist.
Junco Canché returned as guest artist on La Cucaracha for
the dailies of September 2 – 7, 2024 and Sundays for September 22 – October 5, 2024.
Rod Whigham, who had been drawing Gil Thorp since 2008,
left with strip with his September 28, 2024 comic.
Rachel Merrill took on art duties for the daily only on September 30, 2024.
In 2024 Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos invited some people to guest cartoon
their Sunday Baldo comic stip for Hispanic Heritage Month. Guest cartoonists were:
Lebo (David Le Batard) – September 15 (reprint from September 27, 2009);
Rafael Navarro – September 22; Gonzalo Alvarez – September 29;
Flan Arroyo – October 6; and Crystal Gonzalez October 13.
Political cartooning in 2024:
On September 14 the anonymous “Rivers“ (Cameron Cardow) announced he was retiring his alter ego.
Two weeks later Florida Weekly signed Edward Dziura to supply editorial cartoons on September 26.
For the week of October 14, 2024 Amber Waves by Dave Phipps joined the King Features Syndicate stable.
The weekly comic strip had been distributed by the King Features Weekly Service since 2001 and
it continues being offered there while also at King Features Syndicate.
With the November 10, 2024 ending of the Fort Knox comic strip that effectively closes the doors on
The Washington Post Writer Group comic strip and editorial cartoon division.
The syndicate continues to distribute columns and special reports.
After a decades long absence Karen Donovan Matchette returns to write and draw
the Dennis the Menace Sunday of October 27, 2024.
David Hoyt and Jeff Knurek go on vacation as they turn their Jumbler puzzle
over to an assorted bunch of cartoonists for 2024’s Guest Jumbler Week.
September 18 – Dee Fish (Finding Dee)
September 19 – Bob Weber, Jr. & Scott Underwood (Slylock Fox)
September 20 – Susan C. Konar (Six Chix, Wednesdays)
September 21 – Luca Debus (Wannabe)
September 22 – Georgia Dunn (Breaking Cat News)
September 23 – Todd Clark (Lola)
The Artizans Syndicate for political cartoons closes on December 31, 2024.
Late edit:
Glenn McCoy has returned as cartoonist of The (daily) Duplex on December 30, 2024 after a 21 month leave.
Corrections and Additions
Welcomed and Encouraged
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