According to E&P, both Creators and Copley News Service have recently reworked their web sites. Creator’s site is certainly a major step in the right direction. They now feature RSS feeds and a section for news about their creators in the news.
After the heated discussion last week regarding the launch of Rich Stevens’ Diesel Sweeties webcomic into print syndication, I asked if Ted Rall, who acquired DS for United Media, if he’d be willing to respond to any questions from you readers about DS. I’d like to thank Ted for participating in the dialog on this […]
Aaron McGruder, who in February put his strip “The Boondocks” on what was supposed to be a six-month hiatus, has not decided when, or if, he will return to the newspapers.According to an article from Editor & Publisher, Universal President Lee Salem said “it was obvious that Aaron would not be able to meet his […]
According to Editor & Publisher, Dean Miller, executive editor of The Post Register in Idaho Falls, sent a letter to King Features Syndicate saying the existence of King’s DailyINK online service may mean King “places little value on syndication fees.” And he wondered if the syndicate should start paying newspapers to run comics.
I’m a bit late with this, but E&P reported that Creators Syndicate has named three new vice presidents. Marianne Sugawara is not now the vice president of operations, Melissa Lin is now vice president of business affairs, Kathy Kei is now vice president and editorial director, and Andrea Fryrear is the new operations manager.
From Universal Press comes news of several promotions within the company. Sue Roush has been promoted to VP of the syndicate; Kathie Kerr becomes assistant VP/communications; Cathy Kirkland will be assistant VP/digital services; Christina Craver becomes director/creative projects and Sarah DeCoursey will be director/licensing.
Ted Rall is celebrating 10 years of syndication with Universal Press where he draws cartoons for over 140 newspapers and also produces a weekly column.
King Features has launched it’s third feature of 2006 (Retail and Pajama Diaries being the first two). The new feature is a Sunday only called Heaven’s Love Thrift Shop by Kevin Frank. Heaven’s love focuses on the the characters (Wilson, Cassidy, and Dag) who run a charitable thrift shop which supports outreaches including a soup-kitchen and homeless shelter.
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?
United Media has announced that Ted Rall has joined them and will help acquire and develop comics and text features…. Ted has his ear to the ground and he knows where to look to find more edgy content that appeals to younger readers and addresses the needs of today.”Editor and Publisher also has filed a story.
Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip ?Dilbert?, will address the Assemblly Technology Expo (ATExpo 2006) as the keynote speaker.Not familiar with Expo? As in years past, it’s where you can discuss everything “from lean manufacturing to adhesive use and wire harness assembly.” Hold me back!
Ziggy celebrates 35 years on the comics page, which debuted on June 28, 1971. The comic is distributed to over 600 newspapers by Universal Press Syndicate.
From a story out of Reuters comes news that Warner Home Video has negotiated a deal with Hearst Entertainment and King Features for worldwide distribution rights to all of Popeye’s theatrical shorts and television cartoons…. Warner also has licensed the exclusive rights to 220 Popeye made-for-TV animated shorts produced from 1960-62, 65 episodes of “The Continuing Adventures of Popeye,” produced from 1978-81 (and consisting of 161 animated shorts) and 26 “Popeye & Son” shorts produced in 1987.The Popeye theatrical slate includes 120 black-and-white shorts (106 of them produced by Fleischer Studios, the other 14 by Famous Studios) and 111 Technicolor cartoons (three produced by Fleischer Studios and 108 produced by Famous Studios).Warner will now have to begin preservation and restoration.
King Feature’s DailyINK has added five more comics to their list of features subscribers can subscribers to. The new features are: Beetle Bailey, Bringing up Father, Buz Sawyer, Flash Gordon, and Rip Kirby.
According to their new blog (authored by Derek, Dir. of Web Operations) the site is the combination of Universal’s uComics.com and GoComics.com web sites. Aside from the obvious visual changes, the new site uses a Flash-based comic reader to thwart would be copyright violators.