Bob Thaves, who created Frank & Ernest in 1972 has died at age 81 in Torrance California.  He leaves behind his wife, Katie, of 52 years, his son Tom, daughter Sara.

Norm Feuti’s Retail now has a permanent spot on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s comics page. The strip was tested in January where it received high rankings by readers. It replaces Johnny Hart’s B.C.

According to a Universal Press press release, the Oregonian reported that their top 10 most popular comics are: For Better or For Worse, Pickles, Stone Soup, Zits, Doonesbury, Blondie, Luann, Get Fuzzy, Mutts and Pearls Before Swine.

The International Herald Tribune (IHT) wants to substitute this Friday’s Non Sequtuir according to E&P. The cartoon in question pokes fun of Ann Coulter who is wearing a burqa after getting everything she’s ever wished for (the non-existence of liberals being one of those things).

Nick Anderson’s latest 3-D animated editorial cartoon has been copied over to YouTube where it has climbed to #11 in most linked to video on YouTube and has been watched 1,273 times.

Citizens of North Hartlepool England will be lobbied for a statue to commemorate cartoon strip character Andy Capp this month. The North Hartlepool Partnership will be leafletting door to door to gauge public interest and if it exists, the partnership will ask the Daily Mirror – where Andy Capp was first published back in 1957 – and ask for a sizable donation.  The project has been discussed for several years, but has not gained enough momentum to bring it to realization.

I found this interesting story about Fantagraphics publishing company and how they almost went under back in 2003. The company focuses on publishing collections, comics and graphic novels and by most accounts their passion for the art has attracted some of the best writers and artists such as R. Crumb, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Peter Bagge and Chris Ware.

Greg Evan’s Luann will be the center of attention at the Luann & Friends: Comic Families exhibit in California Center for the Arts, Encondido Museum (CA) that is running now through September.  The exhibit also includes work from Jim Davis (Garfield), Rick Kirkman (Baby Blues), Lynn Johnston (For Better or for Worse) and Brian Crane (Pickles).

Baldo co-creator Carlos Castellano will be appearing at the Florida Super-Con this upcoming November 3rd through 5th.  This year’s show includes a Superman tribute and features several actors for the Superman movies, television shows, and Superboy shows.

Over on Mike Lynch’s blog (Blogspot and MySpace) he has posted photos of Rina Piccolo’s studio when he recently visited her to pick up some original artwork.  Rina is the creator of Tina’s Groove and one of the Six Chix – both syndicated by King Features.

Montreal Gazette editorial cartoonist Terry Mosher (who uses the pen name Aislin) will be in the spotlight for an episode of Canada’s Life and Times Biography Series.

A few weeks ago, I brought you news that while Mike Luckovich was away on vacation, his paper – the Atlanta Journal-Constitution – held a contest called “Think you can do better?” in which they invited their readers to send an editorial cartoon.  The results have been posted (registration required) with the winner going to William Warren won with 541 votes (out of 3,158 cast online). Warren just happens to be this year’s John Locher award winnner from Forest Lake University.

Teletoon, Canada’s first and only 24 hour cartoon network has entered into an agreement to create an animated series based on Bob Unger’s Herman comic strip that is syndicated by United Media. The article did not specify a timeline.

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 current package includes Daryl Cagle, Mike Lester, Mike Keefe, Jeff Parker, Larry Wright, Brian Fairrington, R.J Matson, Bob Englehart and Pat Bagley.  Looking at the syndicate’s site, it looks like Gary’s cartoons became available just this last Sunday, July 30th.