Alan Gardner

The topic for this In Focus article has been rolling around in my mind for a few months now. Since October, when I started this blog, I�ve read several reports (usually around end of financial quarters) that bemoan the dropping circulations and overall readership of the newspaper. How was this trend affecting the big six syndicates who sell editorial cartoons and comic strips?� Because their business is so closely dependent on the health of the newspaper industry � what were syndicates doing to grow their business in this climate and ultimately, how would these trends affect the current or future syndicated cartoonist?

King Features has announced that Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott’s Zits has crossed another client list milestone with over 1,500 subscribers worldwide.  Zits was launched in 1997 and within it’s first four years had already surpassed 500 clients, according to Jay Kennedy, Editor in Chief of King Features.

According to the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, 75% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 who said they read the a newspaper when they were younger (13-to-17) now read their local paper at least once a week.Eighty-one percent of those surveyed said they read the local Sunday paper in the past four weeks and 66% said they read it last Sunday.MORI Research conducted the study on behalf of the NAA Foundation….  The study also noted that roughly 800 papers carry some sort of syndicated youth content for all ages.The study shows that when teens pick up the paper they are more attracted to stories written by their peers (but not by much).

Back in the mid-90’s I was watching a video that Tribune Media Services distributed to newspapers to promote Jeff MacNelly. Half way through I noticed Jeff was using some kind of pen that made thin and narrow strokes like it was a brush – but it definitely was a pen.  I did slow-mo several times trying to figure out what he was using. I finally emailed Chris Cassatt who was Jeff’s assistant at the time and asked him what he was using. He wrote back telling me it was a brush pen that could only be purchased from an art store in Canada and also gave me contact information on how to order one – which I immediately did.  Since then, that brush pen (I still use the original) has been irreplaceable. I love the freedom of being able to work away from my desk and not have to carry around an ink bottle and cup of water to clean the brush.

The Republican (no, really, a newspaper in Massachusetts called the Republican!), has picked up the Pajama Diaries while Cathy is away on vacation and The Chronicle-Telegram (Ohio) has picked up the Sunday version.Meanwhile, Terri Libenson, Pajama Diaries creator, is getting a favorable write up about her balancing working as a writer for American Greetings, comic stripper, AND work from home mother of two.  The Chronicle article also has tidbits on her goals for the strip.She was also a guest on the Washington Post’s Meet the Artist live chat last Friday.Pajama Diaries was launched back in April by King Features.

Here’s what I’ve been able to come up with as a list of who to expect at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con: