Comments on: Old Newspaper Strips

by: rich

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:12:20 +0000

Funny, since many readers have claimed that the first thing they turn to is the comic strips. At least, that’s what they claimed in the 1980s … Maybe Bhob’s theory is on target.

by: Bhob

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:30:56 +0000

My theory is that newspaper editors, after years of journalism school, reporting and editorial positions, received invitations to do lectures — and were surprised, threatened and resentful when they were asked questions about comic strips rather than news coverage. Solution? Minimize the threat by making it smaller and smaller each year.

Btw, King Features’ emailed DailyINK feature is quite a bargain: Your choice of new strips, vintage strips and editorial cartoons for only $15 a year.

by: gene phillips

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:33:42 +0000

I imagine that only the number-crunchers can produce allged proofs that the papers are actually saving money by conserving precious ad space, as against whatever money they might lose from readers who stop buying the paper because of the shrunken comics.

Admittedly, a lot of people probably don’t bother buying the cow (the newspaper) when they can get the milk free (Internet strip reprints).

by: Al

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:54:05 +0000

I know this has been brought up many times before, but the strips in today’s paper are printed so small!

What gives with that, is it really such a money saver for a newspaper to cram many tiny comic strips onto a page, but print them so small that it is hard for half the reading audience to see the printing?

It’s as if the publishers know that readers want the strips, but page space is so darn precious, that the strips are run very small (1.5″ x 5.625″ each in my local paper text size about 6 pt).

I find this to be one of the major differences in appearance between the past and present of strips in papers.

by: Stephen Worth

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:16:41 +0000

It isn’t just the art… it’s the variety of styles, the range of subject matter, the quality of the layouts, the sheer scale of the pages and the sense of fun. It’s easy to single out one or two recent strips and one or two aspects that modern newspaper comics have going for them, but if you look at the overall picture, there’s just no contest. The point is to compare a typical Sunday section from 70 years ago to today’s Sunday section. Do that this weekend and see what kind of differences you find.

by: BradyDale

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:02:18 +0000

You know, Beatster, I have to disagree with you a little here. Those drawings are better, but I honestly just don’t think that super great art is what is needed in strips. I like where they are at these days. Though it would be nice to have a real contrast of foreground and background on the level that Bill Watterson brought to the table in C & H

by: Jimmie Robinson

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:09:13 +0000

It’s all fun and games until you mess with Kuleeah.
Then it all ends in tears and the protective clutching of groins.