Albany Democrat-Herald adds new serial; defends running serials

The Albany Democrat-Herald recently wrote that they are adding a new serial comic strip “Sudden Squail”  to their line up and then offered an explanation as to why the paper still ran serials such as “Judge Parker” and “Rex Morgan” and a went as far as suggesting that the cartoonists and writers should add a “what happened last week…” panel to keep people up to date on the goings on.l

Every once in a while somebody asks why we still run those ancient comic strips.

The answer is tradition, but if nobody reads a comic, tradition is not going to keep it alive forever. So I thought it would be useful to get new readers interested in those story strips.

I hope something happens along those lines. Without it, I?m afraid those strips eventually are doomed.

My  former editor had a similar attitude toward serials. He admitted to me that he was bored by them and disliked them in the paper, but felt obligated to carry a couple of them in the paper for the sake of having diversity of feature.

6 thoughts on “Albany Democrat-Herald adds new serial; defends running serials

  1. The suggestion is a good one: I find it so tough to read the Spiderman comic, even though I love the story. It’s always one or two obscure panels, and I have no frame of reference, as I only pick up papers here and there.

  2. The suggestion is a good one: I find it so tough to read the Spiderman comic, even though I love the story. It’s always one or two obscure panels, and I have no frame of reference, as I only pick up papers here and there.

  3. Are you sure it will be a comic strip?
    Nothing in the article says so.
    I’m taking it to be prose fiction.

  4. Are you sure it will be a comic strip?
    Nothing in the article says so.
    I’m taking it to be prose fiction.

  5. Agree with D.D., the Editor seems to be referencing a new serial “story”, not comic.

    I have followed the serials since I was about 10. If you know who the characters are, you can generally pick up the storyline. I think Woody Wilson does a great job with Dr. Morgan and Judge Parker, keeping the stories fresh.

    Editors who want a synopsis ran every couple weeks seems like they want to cater to those with short attention spans. Research the characters and then take one minute a day and read the serial strips, you’ll figure it out.

    Maybe the Editor should run a continuous story about who is who. Oh, that would take up space not reserved for the comics.

  6. Agree with D.D., the Editor seems to be referencing a new serial “story”, not comic.

    I have followed the serials since I was about 10. If you know who the characters are, you can generally pick up the storyline. I think Woody Wilson does a great job with Dr. Morgan and Judge Parker, keeping the stories fresh.

    Editors who want a synopsis ran every couple weeks seems like they want to cater to those with short attention spans. Research the characters and then take one minute a day and read the serial strips, you’ll figure it out.

    Maybe the Editor should run a continuous story about who is who. Oh, that would take up space not reserved for the comics.

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