Information Week has a story about a new California startup company that is offering a free comic strip service that includes “Girls & Sports” (by Justin Borus and Andrew Feinstein) and “The Meaning of Lila” (by John Forgetta)….  Peanuts is distributed through Namco; Dilbert can be had through Verizon; Garfield is distributed through Gocomics; and GoGags is also a newly launched product that allows any cartoonist to get into the phonesWill mobile phones be the next comics page?

After the LA Times ran a story quoting comic strip heavy weights Berkeley Breathed, Wiley Miller questioning the future of the American Comics page, the discussion has been spreadign to other publications.Today on CNN.com, they have a story called “Who reads the comics anymore?”…  On the one hand they want younger readers which would require hip-per, edgier features like “Pearls Before Swine” and “Get Fuzzy,” but such features are lost on the older generation that is the bread and butter of the newspaper subscriptions.From Tom Daning, managing editor for United Media:”They’re looking for something new and edgy, but many of their readers are over 35,” he says.

The article talks about the growing popularity of the quirky strip and how it almost didn’t make it.Even then, he didn’t have instant success.”He was in a holding pattern at [syndicate] United Media,” recalls Pastis’ friend and “Get Fuzzy” cartoonist Darby Conley…. More recently, the strip has gotten a big boost from newspapers wanting to fill the hole left by the temporary run of “Calvin and Hobbes” (tied in with “The Complete Calvin and Hobbes”) and those dopey crocodile characters, who moved in next to Zebra (or, as the crocs say, “zeeba neighba”).

Patrick McDonnell has helped raise $12,000 for the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Ramnagar, India, according to Editor and Publisher.Visitors to the Muttscomics.com store donated $2,000 (in $1 increments), which was matched by McDonnell.  That $4,000 total was then matched twice by The Corbett Foundation and the World Wildlife Foundation of India.

This section features audio interviews of actors, writers and directors of past and upcoming DreamWorks films.  If you feel there is info missing here and can help expand it e-mail me at jawad@dreamworksfansite.com.

Dave Coverly, “Speed Bump” creator has created the 2nd Speed Bump cartoon contest for fans to come up with a snappy caption to one if his cartoons….  The deadline is May 14 and the winner will be announced on the 27th during the NCS meeting in Chicago.Details can be had at Dave’s web site.

Kirk Anderson has been added to the Universal Press line up of editorial cartoonists according to Editor and Publisher….  Paul Pioneer Press from 1995 to 2003 before being laid off.

Before Ann Telnaes became the 2001 Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartooning, she was an animator for Disney.  One of her animated shorts that she created while a student at California Institute of the Arts will be part of an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City according to Editor and Publisher.The exhibit, entitled “Tomorrowland: CalArts in Moving Pictures” runs May 25-Aug.

According to Lynn Johnston’s web site, the “For Better or For Worse” creator was recently honored by the Purina Animal Hall of Fame during a induction ceremony in Toronto….  Lynn and her dog character “Farley” received the special award for “chronicling the bond between people and their pets.”

This Sunday, Jules Feiffer, the Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist from the Village Voice, will be at the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York City to sign his book “A Room with a Zoo.”  The book signing runs from 1:30 to 2:30.

From Lynn Johnston’s web site comes news that she and several other cartoonist will be attending a book signing at the Borders bookstore in Chicago the weekend of the Reuben awards.  The other artists include: Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse), Dan Piraro (Bizarro), Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Rick Kirkman (Baby Blues), Darrin Bell (Candorville and Rudy Park), Jef Mallett (Frazz), Paul Gilligan (Pooch Cafe), Greg Evans (Luann), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey) and Mark Pett (Lucky Cow).

This year’s Associated Press Society of Ohio award for editorial cartooning goes to Jim Borgman who is celebrating 30 years with the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Second and third place go to Jeff Darcy of the Plain Dealer (Cleveland) and Chip Bok of the Akron Beacon Journal.Jerry King, who contributes editorial cartoons to The Independent, also took first place in editorial cartooning, presumably in a different circulation size category.

“Jump Start” creator Robb Armstrong will be the guest motivational speaker to Winslow Township High School tomorrow.  Winslow Township has the dubious honor of having the second highest number of students who are incarcerated or adjudicated in New Jersey.

This year’s festival will focus on the work of Milton Caniff.From the OSU’s web site:Milton Caniff, known as the “Rembrandt of the Comic Strip” for his work on Terry and the Pirates, Male Call, and Steve Canyon, is one of the most honored cartoonists in history, with awards ranging from two Cartoonist of the Year “Reuben” awards from his peers in the National Cartoonists Society, to the Exceptional Service Award of the United States Air Force.  A May 19, 1947 Newsweek cover story about Caniff estimated that the daily readership of Steve Canyon was thirty million people worldwide.Caniff is especially noted for his accurate background research and excellent writing; for his innovative use of graphic techniques in his comic strips; for his unusual public service, especially to the United States Air Force; and for his professional leadership in founding the National Cartoonists Society and the Newspaper Features Council (later named the Newspaper Features Council).Terry and the Pirates provided the vehicle for Caniff’s maturation both as an artist and as a storyteller.

Back in December, Rob Cabrera feature Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade in his feature “Silo Roberts.”…  Now, during the NBA playoffs, that segment will be featured on nba.com (under “Editors Picks”) and will be made into a limited edition series of Topp trading cards.