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.

According to his blog, Scott Adams is getting married today.

I’ve been following the Orphan Works Act and it looks like it’s making good speed through the House.  Over a Cagle’s blog, he’s posted a stirring story from Michiko Stehrenberger, a cartoon illustrator and character designer who took on a big tobacco company who used her work illegally. Because of current copyright law, she was able to win, but if the Orphan Woks Act were in effect she would have never had a chance.

On the surface one would wonder why the Vietnam Veteran’s of America would ever give an unapologetic anti-war activist, Garry Trudeau an award, but last week, Garry received the President’s Award for Excellence in the Arts for his work to support the soldiers who have little control over where and when they are deployed around the world.

The Portsmouth Herald has an interesting write-up on husband-wife creators of On a Claire Day. Carla Ventresca and Henry Beckett’s feature was launched in April by Creators.

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.

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.

Detroit News editorial cartoonist, Henry Payne has collaborated with a local first-time author Joe O’Connor to create a book called “Where Did Daddy’s Hair Go? The book, published by Random House Children’s Books is about an inquisitive boy and his bald father.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial cartoonist Mike Luckhovich is taking a vacation and the editorial board is running a contest called “Think you can do better?” wherein they invite readers to submit their own editorial cartoon for a chance to appear on the editorial page.

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:

The Portsmouth Herald has posted the results of their comic survey with 502 respondents. The article did provide the score for all of their features, but this is what I’ve put together based on what numbers were given (ordered by positive number of votes). The score after the feature title is positive/negative votes.

Over on Daryl Cagle’s blog, he’s posted a very stirring reminder of a current bill making its way through the House that makes it easier for companies to reprint an artists work without proper compensation if the artist can not be identified.  As Daryl explains it:

The venerable Herbert Block, best known as Herblock will have his own exhibit with the Library of Congress. The exhibit that opens today is small but only a preview of a much larger exhibit that will open up in 2009 to commemorate his 100th birthday.