Comics you love/hate
As editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News, one thing I have learned is that readers have very strong opinions about individual comics. And changing comics is a lot like closing your eyes and putting your hand on top of the stove to see which burner is on or off.
Knowing all that, here I go.
I am thinking about changing a couple of comics, and I'm asking for a little guidance.
I want to know which comic published in the Daily News you like the most.
And (or) more importantly, I want to know which comic you DISLIKE the most, and why. I say knowing which comic you dislike is more important because it's often easier to replace a comic most people seem to dilike than to cut loose a comic that at least some people do like. Know what I mean?
So, please share your thoughts with me, and ask your friends to pitch in, too.
I'll let you know in a column in the Daily News how this informal survey turns out, and what I plan to do next.
posted by Patrick Rice @ 2:51 PM
194 Comments
194 Comments:
I guess you’re a glutton for punishment. I’ve lived in a bunch of different places and read a bunch of newspapers, and people get out of sorts when somebody messes with the comics. I can’t believe you asked.
Anyway to answer the question I most dislike Cathy. I deal with enough losers as it is. I don’t want to read about another loser always feeling sorry for herself. Of course I haven’t read it in years, so it may have changed, but since you asked there it is.
Any comic by a dead author should be killed outright. By my reckoning that's about half your comics page. RIP Shoe, Peanuts, Wizard of Id and B.C.
P.S. OPUS FOR PRESIDENT!!!
Cathy needs to go. Now. It seems that all that comic ever does is complain about her weight. I can't really stand the way the characters are drawn either, though my biggest problem is it always seems like it is one story arc... her weight. It's not even funny anymore either.
Cathy is a comic that appeals only to a very few...dump it.
Some authors may be dead, but their work endures...keep Shoe, Peanuts, Wizard of Id, B.C.
My favorites are Crankshaft, Shoe, Lola, Rose is Rose, For Better or for Worse, Non Sequitur...don't ever lose those!
My favorites, by the way, are Dilbert, Wizard of Id, and Non-Sequitur.
I know I said it before, but it bears repeating: Drop Cathy, now.
Cathy needs to leave FWB. How often can the same kitchen be repainted. Also, Snuffy Smith needs to head to them thar hills.
I am not sure my "vote" counts since the comic I read on a regular basis is "Mallard Fillmore" which I usually have to search to find in the classified section of the paper.
I always thought that was a strange location. Doonesbury has a much different point of view and I will look at it after having found Fillmore. I would suggest putting both in the comics section since more space is available there than on the editorial page.
Other than that, many of the comics that have been around for decades seem tired and out of date. Beetle Bailey and Dagwood were enjoyable in the '60's but don't seem as relevant and I don't bother reading them anymore.
Thanks for asking and the chance to submit an opinion.
Get the Boondocks!
Yeah, the Boondocks is Awesome! Right on NWF LOVER! It is a wonderfully introspective comic that deals with social issues.
I have to disagree about Beetle Bailey and Blondie. Next to the ones I mentioned before, those are probably my favorites too. Even if they are outdated, they're entertaining.
The so called "comics" that I never read are:
Cathy, Rose is Rose, Dilbert, For Better or Worse. Occasionally if I have nothing better to do I will look at Zits and I will sometimes look at Lola.
What ever happened to some of the good old time "comics?"
Jim said..
I agree with the majority of your comments so far - dump Cathy. There is nothing 'funny' about it at all - always about the weight.
My favorite is Delbert.
Another comic that I enjoy reading, and have to go to the internet to read it, is 'In the Bleachers' by Steve Moore. It reminds me somewhat of The Far Side - still in my book the best ever!
the worst are Kathy,family circle and Peanuts
the best are dilbert and opus and pearls before swine
a comic that i enjoy that i think you should carry is Pooch City it is very good
I have to agree with some of the things that the first person said about changes to the comics. Every time the newspaper decides to nix some comic, they end up taking out a few of the ones I like and then adding some that I could care less about. I always end up wondering, why in the world did they put that one in?
That being said, I decided that this time I would have to say something. The comics are the first things I look for when getting out the paper in the morning. I read them over breakfast and read the rest of the paper, piecemeal. I'm surprised at what people have said about the comics that they dislike so much. Cathy may have been getting into a rut, but now that she's married, it's been better. I don't think she's as bad as people keep saying.
Being a wife and mother, I can identify, and hence greatly enjoy, Rose is Rose, For Better or For Worse, and Zits. I also get a laugh out of Herman, Garfield (I like him better now that he's finally dating someone!), and Non Sequitur.
I'd have to say that the last time the paper took out a comic and added another, it was with Pearl's Before Swine. I do not enjoy that comic strip, so that is my pick. I also get annoyed with Opus on occasion, and Frank and Ernest is rarely funny to me. But all of these are Sunday comics.
I would love it if you would add Baby Blues!
I LOVE Doonesbury and wish you would carry it on Sunday as well as weekdays.
I also enjoy "for Better or For Worse" and
"non sequiter"
Thanks
I dislike Kathy and Opus the most. I don't even read Kathy anymore and Opus takes up twice as much space as the other comics, yet it's one of the worst.
I do like Blondie, Beetle Bailey, and Crankshaft the best.
Cathy should go also Frank and Ernest, Rose is Rose, Opus, Herman and Pearls before Swine.
The Comics would not be the same without Blondie, Peanuts, For Better or Worse, Beatle Baily, Hager the Horrible, Snuffy Smith, Born Looser, Crankshaft, Wizard of Id, Zits and Born Looser. Almost forgot "The Family Circus". I disagree that just because a cartoonist dies the strip should be dropped. Example would be "Blondie" which has got better since Chic Young died. Thanks for asking. Jerry
Being a military family, I have lived and read the funnies in 8 differnt states! I was shocked to find Snuffy Smith in your newspaper! I have not seen that comic since I was a child! I find it outdated, and not particularly funny at all. It needs to go. There are so many fantastic comics that should replace it.
To suggest a nationwide favorite: GET FUZZY! This is the best comic! If you have not read it, check it out! Also, you need Baby Blues! Lets get the NWF Daily with the times!
Others to go: Frank and Ernest, and since everyone is complaing about losers, lets keep Cathy and get rid of the BORN LOSER!!!
LOVE Crankshaft, Shoe, Rose is Rose, For Better or for Worse, and Zits. Miss Shoe on Sunday.
Born Loser, Herman and Frank & Ernest are excruciatingly boring. Need Family Circle and Dilbert for daily sanity fix.
I'd hate to see Beetle Baily, Blondie, Garfield or Peanuts go, but Cathy needs a more positive direction for sure.
I would happily trade a reprise of Calvin & Hobbs for Hagar the Horrible or Wizard of Id.
I love the Comics...alway read them, Local Page and Sports now that we have time in the am. Shoe, Peanuts, family circus, Wizard of Id, B.C., Crankshaft, Blondi, Dilbert, Zits (I like the name Jeremy better), Hager the Horrible, Snuffy Smith, Born Looser,and Beetle Bailey are amoung our favorites.
Cathy & Opus can hit the bricks as far as we're concerned. Boondocks right behind them.
Thanks for asking before the cut.
Keep For better or for worse, zits, Crankshaft,dilbert, Hagar and Dunsberry
Drop Lola, born loser, herman and the wizard of id
Kathy is getting boring except for the 2 dogs...
I enjoy ALL comics,except Cathy.
I don't even bother to read (or scan) the thing!
Rangers Lesd he Way!
Every Saturday and Sunday I read the comics first off. I really enjoy reading all of them but the comics I'm a big fan of Zits, Non Sequitur, Rose is Rose, and Opus! Comics I'm not so fond of are Hagar, Ask Shagg, Dennis the Menace, and Frank and Ernest, oh and Cathy.
opus is insulting...cathy should have been a topic for imus...gotta go too...i read everything else in your weekday/saturday papers
The paper did a poll a few years ago, said you were going to drop some comics, never happened.
most dislike
CATHY,DILBERT,Frank and Ernest, Blondie
Love: Non Sequitur, Hagar, Crankshaft, Zits,Rose is Rose, For Better Or for Worse,Lola,peanuts
Please keep Rose is Rose, Peanuts,Zits, Garfield and Crankshaft. Loose Herman and Dilbert. On Sundays I don't enjoy Pearls Before Swine, Herman, Jumpstart or Dilbert.
Pearls before swine DUMB DUMB!!
The rest are OK.
Cathy and Rose Rose are the worst cartoons. Both my husband and I agree. Some others aren't that great but the two mention are awful!
My husband doesn't like Pearls before Swine.
I can live without Cathy.
We both LOVE Zits and For Better or For Worse.
Unfortunately, you can't please everyone, but this method of voting is not a good representation of the readership because many seniors do not use computers but read the paper. Try to keep at least one or two comics for each generation would be my suggestion.
Keep Beetle Bailey for the military; Zits for teenagers; Rose Is Rose for new mothers (and add Baby Blues, a neat strip for new mothers); Crankshaft for elders (add Pickles a funny strip for seniors); and yes, Cathy for newlyweds; and as much as I hate it, keep Dilbert for office workers who seem to like it.
That said, our household (2) would like to do away with: Dilbert, Mallard, Garfield, Pearls Before Swine, Peanuts (if we must have reruns, bring back Calvin) Opus and Doonesbury.
Our favorites: Hagar, Born Loser, Blondie, Zits, Crankshaft, Rose is Rose, Beetle Bailey, For Better Or Worse and Rose Is Rose.
Although not our favorite, we like Cathy and Snuffy.
Dump Cathy, Keep Crankshaft
I think that a Pearls Before Swine daily strip should be brought in. I know that many of my friends and teachers enjoy it very much. Opus and Dilbert and Non-Sequitor are also favorites, and I appreciate the wittiness of Frank and Ernest.
Snuffy Smith needs to go. It is the only strip that I do not read at all. I rarly find BC funny, or even entertaining, and now that the author is dead, the plug should be pulled on it. Regarding Peanuts, if you must have reruns, bring back Calvin and Hobbes. Quite frankly its dumbfounding for me as a teenager to find that their are many people of my generation that have never heard of it.
Very easy - dump Rose is Rose, Cathy, Family Circus, and For Better or for Worse.
Thanks for asking.
Cathy is the most annoying comic ever. I agree with those that have said the plot never changes, & she's always complaining about her weight. It gets old. I don't read that or Snuffy Smith anymore, because I've never found either of them remotely funny.
Get rid of those two. And Opus is a waste of space, too.
Keep Zits & Pearls Before Swine. Those actually make me laugh.
Please get rid of "Cathy" and "Opus". I read the rest on weekdays except Peanuts. A very dated comic. Only one responder has mentioned the best comic ever in print (Calvin & Hobbs). You could not do better if you added this if possible. On Sunday, "Pearls Before Swine," "Jump Start," and "Herman" would not be missed. Thanks for listening and hope a decision is made soon.
I have never understood why Herman is considered a "comic." I don't think it is the least bit funny. Every time I try again and read it, it just confirms my opinion. Get rid of it.
Dear Mr. Rice,
Thank you for asking us what we want to see in the 'paper! My favorite comics to which most people could relate are 9 Chickweed Lane, Ben, Betty, Cathy, Dilbert, For Better Or For Worse, Foxtrot, Humble Stumble, Non Sequitur, Over the Hedge, Peanuts, Red and Rover, Rose is Rose, Speedbump and Zits.
Of the comics in your newspaper, I like "For Better Or For Worse" the most, and I like "Herman" the least. Even though sometimes, "Herman" can show a flash of brilliance, "Herman" often depicts people, and particularly women, in a very slovenly manner which I do not find amusing--it's either sad that they are not able to present themselves better, or repulsive that they choose to be as depicted. I think "Pearls Before Swine" is too vulgar for any publication that children will be (hopefully) reading.
As far as what you include in the paper goes, what you are doing would be more useful to me if you included the Sunday Comics (and the sale flyers) online, just like a real newspaper. Instead, I had to track down the websites of the comics (and companies that might have a sale) that you don't show, and I would rather not have to go to each site, individually, so I'm considering obtaining a "comics aggregator" program to load them for me. (This is less time I spend reading your newspaper, by the way. . .) If I was not allergic to newsprint and averse to the clutter of the paper in my house and the wasted trees and fuel of delivering them, I would consider going back to the hard copy paper to get the Sunday comics and sale flyers.
On a related, entertaining topic: I know they aren't comic strips, but would you consider including the NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day? The images are inspiring and educational, and sometimes, they include humor as well. Their main page is located at: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Pat,
Dump Cathy now!! The last editor promised to do a poll and get rid of the least favorite comic, but he took a job out west when it looked like you guys were getting sold.
Thanks
I don't usually read the comics but have a story to share.
One of my most wonderful Sunday morning family memories is of my Father reading the comics out loud to us all. He, being the first to rise, always commandeered the News Herald. After reading it, and waking us, having breakfast and talk about the weather, he'd find just the right time and start to explain one or the other of the comics. He'd laugh as he explained the drawings and mimic what he thought the characters would sound like as he hit the punch line.
These days, I'm 44 and I still go home to Panama City once a month, early enough on Sunday morning, to hear my Dad read the comics. Please--whatever your decision, always remember the lives you touch with every word, picture, and change of your paper.
hello pat, the comics are fine. perhaps you could group the comics to a kids page (everyday printing) and keep the more mature comics grouped with the crossword puzzle. it used to be, i could go to one section and find all my entertainment. now it seems i have to search for comics and the crossword. thanks for asking our opinion.
Opus has got to be the worst ever. Get rid of it and Kathy, Snuffy Smith, Herman and Non Sequitur. Wasn't the comics originally meant for kids?
Favorites: Zits & Rose is Rose
Add daily B.C., if Johnny Hart will let you (as with Schutz).
Keep Cathy; great for people who have to work and live (non retirees)
Get rid of OPUS; quickly!
It's funny...isn't it, that the most comments in Mr. Rice's blog are for a post about comics.
But I guess it makes since because it was plugged on the front page of the NEWSpaper.
I'm just sayin'...
I am a long time newspaper reader and love to read the comics with breakfast. they give me a laugh and start the day out right. The comics I like the best are Zits and Non Sequitur. Even though I don't have any children at home anymore, I can relate to both the teenager and the parents in Zits and the strip really amuses me. When Non Sequitur was first added, I rarely read it, but now find myself reading it first every day. Definitely keep the above two comics.
The strips I never read are Cathy, Doonesbury, Rose is Rose and Filmore. I find them boring and have never been able to develop an interest in reading them.
Thanks for asking for your readers imput and giving us a chance to vote for our favorites.
You will notice that in my comments I did not say dump anything. I just listed those "comics" that I do not read. It seems that someone like each of the strips. Just because I do not like a particular one does not mean that I think it should be dumped. Why should my taste deprive someone else of what they want?
If I thought and acted like that someone would soon be calling me a liberal. I would only get rid of something if the space in your paper was such you had to eliminate something.
G
Drop Cathy! Drop Non Sequitur
Zits, Non Sequitur, & Doonesbury are MUST haves.
Rose is Rose is a waste of ink.
"Anonymous" needs to learn the difference between a "loser" and a person like most of us with baggage in the form of insecurities. Cathy,s wedding plans overlapped my daughter's and we hooted almost daily as we shared the latest Cathy moment that somehow resembled our own. Cathy should stay.
Addendum to previous post: Sunday only comics Opus and Pearls Before Swine are top notch.
Get rid of Opus, Cathy, Lola.
Get rid of Cathy. She strive to hard to get organized but never really gets there. Reminds me tooo much of my ex (Kathy).
Really like Doonesbury and Mallard Filmore and will never understand why you hide them and not put them in the Opinion section of the paper. They are in the regular comics section of the Sunday paper!!!
I really like Zits, Dilbert and For Better or Worse.
LOVE "For Better or Worse" and Zits because they start my day with a smile.
Dislike all political cartoons. Can read the editorial page for political opinions.
What is funny to one is not funny to another. I enjoy Cathy, sorry. She makes me laugh at my own issues. My day just doesn't flow right until I have read For Better or Worse, Crankshaft and Rose is Rose. Lola is a hoot. But my favoitie has to be Zits!
Wizard of Id and Non Sequitur can go.
I do not envy your decision of which stays and which goes. No matter what you choose many are bound to be ticked and threaten to cancel they subscription.
My prayers and thougts are with you.
Loyal Reader
Seems like we did this before and the consensus is the same. Dump Cathy for all the reasons stated by others and if you need another Rose is Rose would be next. Lots of favorites, even the ones you hide, Mallard Fillmore and Doonesbury. Mallard,Opus and Non Sequitur are pure genius
Dilbert, Cathy(how did she ever get in there in the first place) and Non Sequitur gotta go.
Keep Lola(local cartoonist by the way),For Better or Worse,Crankshaft
Born Loser, Beetle, Blondie, Hagar,Zits and Id are keepers.
I'm neutral on all the rest.
How about Barney Google,a rerun of Dick Tracy, and some of the oldies.
HCM
Not sure what it says about me, BUT... the first thing I read are the comics. My favorites are: For Better or Worse, The Family Circus, Herman, Born Loser and Hagar. Would not miss, Cathy, Zits, or Shoe. Would love to see you cary Baby Blues and Mother Goose & Grimm.
The best newspaper for comic strips is, "The Washington Post."
The Apple Lady
Thanks, Pat, for taking this on. We've been subjected to too many lame comics in the NWFDN for years, with promises that changes are going to be made. Maybe now...
Make Pearls Before Swine a daily strip, as once a week for this strip isn't enough. Get Fuzzy is a very funny strip which has broad appeal and should also be considered.
As I've said in the past, Cathy is a total bore and needs to go. Herman and the Born Loser are close behind, as little to no imagination goes into those comic strips. Family Circus and Garfield are also simplistic, but they are institutions in the comic world and you'd probably be tarred and feathered if you tamper with them.
I read the comics every day and always turn to the classified pages where Doonesbury resides. (I could care less about Mallard Fillmore)
I LIKE:
Cathy, Crankshaft, Dilbert, For Better or for Worse, Zits, Rose is Rose and Non Sequitor.
I don't like:
Herman, Shoe, Wizard of ID, Dennis.
I HATE Opus and Pearls Before Swine. I do NOT read them.
I also hate it when my favorite comics are dropped without warning.
Sandra
I love Zits. I have teenage son and it makes me laugh everyday at their similarities.
Cathy can go!!! I dont even bother to read it anymore. Herman is a waste of ink! It is never funny and sometimes you dont even know what they are talking about.
I wish you would add "Baby Blues" I loved that comic when I was in Atlanta. (I saw it in the Pensacola News Journal the other day)
Get rid of Peanuts, it may be a classic by the creator is dead and it is mostly stupid. Make way for new comic strips. If you are going to do reruns pick something really funny like Far Side or Calvin and Hobbs. Strips I hate are Opus, and Dilbert. Really mostly Opus. I love Zits. So do the 4 of my kids old enough to "get" comics, so never drop that one.
Oh and could you please get a more difficult crossword for the daily.
Thank you for asking for our opinions.
Please delete Cathy, Frank and Ernest, B.C. and Opus.
Everythig else is fine. We especially like For Better or For Worse, Zits, Hagar, and Garfield.
Some folks may think comics are a waste of time, but with all of the gloom and doom we read about, it's nice to have the comics to add a little cheer to my day. I always read them last, so I can go to work in a good mood. Thanks!
Ditch Shoe. Zits is by far the best comic in your paper -- it's funny, insightful, contemporary, and it's the first thing I look at in the paper each morning
Our favorites are: Crankshaft, Dilbert, For Better Or For Worse,
Shoe, and Zits.
Can't stand to read: Cathy -ugh! Garfield, OR Snuffy Smith.
Absolutely ZITS! It's the best comic strip in your paper by a mile. My day isn't complete until I read Zits. Can "Rose is Rose"
Have been wanting to let you know for a long time that changes need to be made. Since you asked though, I would get rid of several in this order: Cathy, Non Sequitur and Opus along with that stupid Pearls before Swine, Tank should go as wwell as Mallard Fillmore. Then you should stabilize the daily comic page to the back of the classified section and keep it there. Also, move Doonesbury to the same page as the rest. My favorites are Crankshaft, Shoe, Lola, Rose is Rose, For Better or for Worse.
I read the comics for entertainment not for relevancy. There is plenty of that elsewhere.
LEAVE 'EM ALONE!!! I drive 5,000 miles a year and read a lot of papers, and our comics are great. They are a well balanced blend. Don't fix what ain't broke!!
If you must get rid of something, make it Garfield and Peanuts.
Love the Born Loser and Zits.
I look forward to the comics each day and appreciate the chance to provide an opinion.
Please get rid of Cathy, I used to enjoy the strip but it is just annoying now. Snuffy Smith & Beetle Bailey are so outdated, they need to go.
I wish you would add "Get Fuzzy", it is so funny and consider bringing back "Calvin & Hobbs".
My favorites are Rose is Rose, For Better or For Worse, Crankshaft & Zits, lots of life lessons in those strips. Pearls before Swine & Opus are great too, wish they were daily features.
Thank you!
Get rid of Mallard Fillmore, Dilbert, Opus and that horrible Pearls Before Swine. Also Peanuts should go and how about trading Garfield for Marmaduke--I'm tired of silly cats.
Love Hagar, Blondie Born Loser and Zits. I like Cathy, especially when the dogs are in it.
My least favorite- by far- is Herman! I never seem to get the "joke," if there is one. And it's poorly drawn.
My favorite comic you carry is Zits. My favorite comic you don't carry is Arlo And Janis.
My least favorite is Cathy, the horse is dead, quit beating it. Beetle Baily is also getting to be a bore, how many times can the fat Sarge beat up the skinny Beetle. Love zits, For Better or Worse, Crankshaft and strangely enough Rose is Rose (love the alter ego biker babe). The others have a story line that I can look forward to day after day.
Bring back Doonesbury ASAP. Shalimar Partisan
Skeets said ...
I love For Better or Worse, Rose is Rose, Born Loser, Lola, and Zits. Yuck for Non Sequitur.
It might have been a good idea to ask the age (and possibly education) of the person making comments.
I read the comics in the Daily News and I get another dose of comics each day from my online subscription. I like comics that either 1) make me laugh out loud or 2) tell a story in a serial fashion. In that regard, Crankshaft, Non-Sequitor, Zits, "A Lawyer-A Doctor-and A Cop", "Mother Goose and Grimm", The Grizwells, and "Cow and Boy" make me laugh more often than not. Prince Valient, The Phantom, "For Better or Worse", and Luann have storylines that are compelling and not too long for my senile mind. If you want to make room, tell Cathy, Beetle Bailey, and Lola that it is time to stop whining, get a real job, and move to Vegas in that order...anything that keeps them out of FWB. You should consider reprinting some of the older comic strips that are not active due to the death of their authors. You already have Shoe, Peanuts, B.C., and the Wizard of Id, comic strips by dead authors that continue to be popular, but how about adding some of the classics like Dick Tracy and Rip Kirby...these comic strips were well drawn with great storylines and scripts...and since these two would be best in color, perhaps for the Sunday edition? Finally, political correctness is bogus...comic strips have been politically incorrect for years and banishing Mallard and Doonesbury to the hinterlands of the classified section was a wussy decision. If you are going to run Doonesbury and Mallard, then run "State of the Union", "Reality Check", "Moderately Confused", and "Watch Your Head" and get a real spectrum of political spice on the comic pages. If you have to separate the comics as you do now, put Doonesbury and Mallard at the bottom of the page next to the editorial page...at least it will be easier to find.
Dump Jumpstart and Cathy!!!
Least liked in order of worst to well---ok
Frank and Ernest
Garfield
Cathy
I've found one I like - Prickly City
Bettie
Cathy needs to go, as well as Beetle Bailey (same strip every day or so it seems) & Snuffy Smith, so outdated. Bring back "Get Fuzzy", it's so funny.
Zits is my fav -- Maybe because I raised 6 teenagers. PLEASE leave it in. B. Smith
Cathy makes lists about clothes she wears and clothes she no longer wears. More lists about things she eats and those she no longer can eat. She's been making lists so long she now makes lists about the decades in which lists were made. Put her on Santa's naughty list and drop her from the comics.
The people have spoken, loud and clear. LOSE THE LOSER (Cathy)!
My favorites in the daily comics are For Better Or For Worse and Zits. My least favorite is Dilbert. In the Sunday comics, my least favorites are Pearls Before Swine, Doonsbury and Opus.
I dislike intensely Garfield, Cathy, Rose is Rose, Lola, and Zits
I love Dilbert, Born Loser, Shoe, Wizard of Id
JG
cathy sucks. zits rocks
True, "Garfield" has gotten a lot better now that Jon's dating someone.
"Rose is Rose" has gotten boring and repetitive. That can go.
"Zits" has always been good.
"Pearls Before Swine" is the highlight of the Sunday paper!
I never miss For Better or For Worse, Born Loser, Lola, Zits, Shoe, or Rose Is Rose.
Don't care for Cathy (too wordy), Blondie, or Non-Sequitur.
Arlo & Janis is a good comic strip.
I also like Mallard Fillmore and would like to see that on the comics page, not have to search through the classifieds for it.
We love For Better or Worse. The aging of the characters and the ongoing story adds to the daily anticipation of the strip.
We don't like Opus or Swine before Pearls, but maybe we just don't "get" them.
Cathy can be very good at times, but it seems one month of every year is spent on buying a bathing suit. The shopping strips are very boring.
Zits is also one of our favorites.
We like Crankshaft, except for the running over the mailbox and the mothers chasing the school bus. Way overdone!
We think the Daily News has one of the best comic pages that we have read during our travels. Thanks for giving us an oppertunity to express our comments.
Our favorites are Zits, For Better or Worse, Crankshaft, Doonesbury, and Rose. But we REALLY love Zits.
We don't like Dilbert, Shoe, Wizard of Id and Lola. And we REALLY can't stand Lola.
We'd love to see you add "Baby Blues".
Please, please have mercy and get rid of "Cathy". It is the worse comic strip ever foisted upon mankind.
The best is "Pearls Before Swine" which is in your Sunday comics but needs to be in your daily comics also.
Thanks.
I like Doonesbury, Zits, For Better or Worse, Non Sequiter.
I don't like Mallard Fillmore, Cathy, Beetle Bailey, Rose is Rose(except for the Mimi character!).
Kathy is a pathetic excuse of a comic strip and Swine before Pearls is worse yet. Both should be scrapped.
As I have written you via email. Dilbert is truly the worst. Cathy is at least as bad!
for Better or for Worse is an interesting contemporary comment.
Thanks for asking.
These are the comic strips I'd like you to keep not necessarily in order of preference: For Better or Worse, Zits, Rose is Rose, Crankshaft, Lola, and, the all-time favorite, Peanuts. To me, these have universal chucklesome appeal.
Thanks for asking for our opinions.
A-nony-mouse
I like most of the comics. My favorites would have to be Crankshaft,Zits, For better or worse, Rose, Lola, Born Loser and Family Circus. The oldies but goodies Beetle Baliley, Blondie Garfield and Peanuts are still enjoyable. My husband could be the one writing Frank and Earnest, he loves that one. Our least favorites are: Cathy - she just goes on and on and on and on and on and is boring, Dumb Dilbert. Pearls Before Swine and Opus can not even be considered as a comic, not even funny. Shoe and Non Sequitur and Herman are so-so.
Pearls before Swine is the dumbest thing I've tried to read. I quit trying long ago.
Family Circle is the best.
I find this particular subject most interesting.
The editor makes a statement on many different very important local and world topics and maybe the most discussed will have 10 or 15 responses. Now the comics are the topic and there are currently 93 responses.
Does this tell us something about what is the most important thing in people's minds and just how their mentality works?
Get rid of Cathy and keep the rest.Zits, Lola, and Non-Sequitur are the best. Peanuts are all old reruns.
The only two comics I read regularly are Dilbert and Garfield. Most of the rest I never read.
Personally, I keep on wishing Mallard Fillmore would go away. Doonesbury might not go well with Conservative voices, but at least Gary Trudeau has a great talent for comedy. All Mallard is a rant-fest that makes Don Imus look like Gloria Steinheim. It's time to cook the duck, fellows. Enough is enough is way too enough. If you want a good substitute, try the Boondocks.
As for the regulars, I enjoy Crankshaft (always enjoy the mix of humor and heart. Far more appealing to Conservatives than Millard ever could dream), Non-Sequitur (very diehard fan of the artist, by the way), Beetle Bailey (military brat), Garfield (okay, that's an obvious choice), Hagar (dig Old School), and classic Peanuts (Don't you ever retire that strip!).
I don't care much for the rest, except for Cathy which I wish would disappear along side Mallard. The fat jokes and marriage gripes were old before the strip was ever started. Herman's a bit pointless too. Zits has its moments, but I just skip them best I can.
I won't lose sleep if Cathy, Herman, and Zits are gone...but Mallard has got to go. Retire the duck, give him a wake and an orange glaze and cook him at 400 degrees for an hour or so. Time for the Conservatives to find another strip to call their own and this time it should be funny!
"For Better or Worse" is worse, difficult to follow and definitely not funny. Non Sequitur is also not very funny.
The daily strips are all O.K. but on Sunday Opus and Pearls Before Swine are not funny to me. Opus is crude and often obscene. It should go the way of Don Imus. BWB
Almost all the comics I like, except Cathy, Dilbert and the Pig one on Sunday.
Favorites are Dagwood, For Better or Worse, Crankshaft, Zits, Charlie Brown and Herman.
My least favorites are:
Cathy, Delbert, Frank & Earnest, Hagar the Horrible,Peanuts, Rose is Rose & Wizard of ID.
The Best is Doonesbury, followed by Non-Sequitur. The worst is Mallard Filmore, get rid of that one.
Whatever you do, keep Crankshaft and Frank and Earnest!!!
The winners are Mallard Fillmore, Dilbert, Shoe, Wizard of Id, Herman, Garfield and Crankshaft. The losers that can go away are Doonesbury, Rose is Rose, Cathy, Born Loser, Non Sequitur, Hagar the Horrible and Zits. Others that can stay are Beetle Bailey, Peanuts, Blondie, For Better or for Worse and Frank & Earnest.
I read all the comics EXCEPT Cathy and Dilbert. I used to read Cathy, but once she got married it just hasn't been funny/enjoyable. I have never read Dilbert....well, I've read it actually a few times which is why I never read it now. It wasn't funny then, and last time I checked it still wasn't funny. For Better or For Worse and Garfield are my 2nd and 3rd place favorites.
Favorites: For Better or Worse; Zits
Dislike: Rose is Rose; Opus
I read all of the comics EXCEPT Cathy and Dilbert. I used to read Cathy, but in the last couple of years I lost complete interest in it. Dilbert has never appealed to me although I read it every couple of months in hopes of it being interesting/funny/appealing, but it still bores me.
My favorite comic is Zits - wouldn't miss that one ever! My 2nd and 3rd place favorites are For Better or For Worse and Garfield.
The comic I like the most is Zits.
My least favorite is Rose is Rose.
Pearls Before Swine is a treat on Sunday.
Please present all the comics on one page Monday through Saturday, consistently in the same section of the newspaper.
Dave
My favorites are: "For Better or For Worse", "Zits", and "Crankshaft". My least favorites are: "Opus" and "Pearls before the Swine".
Crankshaft and Born Loser have to stay. The rest would not be missed. Especially Cathy, For Better or For Worse, Lola and Dilbert.
My favorites are "Crankshaft", "Lola", "Zits" and "For Better or For Worse".
Get rid of "Kathy".
Bring us "LuAnn"
In the Daily News - Love Zits & For Better or Worse....can't stand Cathy & Frank / Earnest.
But, by far, the worst is OPUS in the Sunday paper - it's not even a comic, it's a poor play at an editorial in the funnies - DUMP IT !!!!!
Please eliminate Cathy and Rose is Rose and replace with Alley OOp and Kuczu. Also replace Opus on Sunday with anything.
I love Hagar, Crankshaft, Blondie, Peanuts, Beetle Bailey, Dilbert and Shoe. I would like to see you add "Jump Start" everyday.
My least favorite would also be "Cathy" and I could take or leave "Lola".
I thoroughly detest Zits. However, I love Snuffy Smith (Sunday's paper).
Favorite: Non Sequitur
Dislike: For Better or For Worse, Cathy, Family Circle
Bring Back Tumbleweeds
Dilbert is great. Pearls Before Swine is great - please consider running it all week long. Zits is pretty good. Opus and Non Sequitar are good too, even though it takes more thinking to appreciate them than I usually care to engage on Sunday morning.
Cathy has been running the same unfunny joke for years - please get rid of it. Born Loser is seldom amusing. Family Circle is nauseatingly unfunny. Please either kill it or move it somewhere else. And please don't start Boondocks, a comic strip about hostility and negative racial stereotypes is not how I want to start my day.
Wow - I would never have guessed we had that many different opinions. I agree Cathy is boring and obnoxious. Ditto for Herman, Garfield, Snuffy Smith, Dennis the Menace - always the same - Frank and Ernest and the Born Loser.
The greates comic is Zits by a long shot. Whoever doesn't like it has no contact with teenagers.
I also LOVE Hagar.
I like Rose is a Rose - it's kind of sappy, but it grows on you and shows how little things make you happy.
I think Pearls Before Swine can be stupid, but sometimes it's really funny, in its stupidity. (Like the crocs.) It's not a masterpiece but it's not as bad as the above-mentioned.
I love the comics. I read them from all over the country. What I do not like are comics that use tired writing. An all time case in point is Dennis the Menace. Can’t remember the last time that strip was funny. I think Cathy has too many words, it is tired. I think that Garfield is the most offensive. Domestic violence is not funny. Garfield uses one hackneyed domestic violence routine after another. I think Imus pales in PC sin comparison to Garfield. Kick that cat to the curb (pun intended.) Dilbert is the best strip written with Get Fuzzy a close second.
My grandkids made me promise to write and tell you that their favorites are Garflied by a long shot and then Peanuts. Those are about the only 2 they understand. They like For Better or Worse when it is about the rabbit.
I generally enjoy most of the comics you currently have, though I think most are pretty hit-or-miss. The ones I really like, and would hate to lose, are Zits, For Better or For Worse, Opus, Doonesbury and Non Sequitur.
Lola is annoying because it's so badly drawn. Sometimes I don't even understand Herman. B.C. is offensive when it is proselytizing.
I think you really need to add Baby Blues and the Sunday Doonesbury.
I wouldn't bother with Get Fuzzy. It's stupid and not funny.
The absolute keepers are Blondie, Beetle Baily and Dilbert.
Absolute losers to me are Peanuts (re-runs), and Cathy.
Could you please investigate moving Mallard Fillmore and Doonesbury to the comic pages?
And last -- please pick a section to run the comics and stick with it. First thing in the morning is no time to have to hunt for them.
Keep: For Better\Worse, Herman, Zits, Lola, Id, Shoe & Born Loser.
Dump the rest of them please.
Cathy has to go. Keep Dilbert, Garfield, Non Sequitur.
Thumbs down on Cathy, Frank & Earnest, and Peanuts (enough is enough!)
Thumbs up for Zits and Opus!
In my opinion, Dilbert has to stay. Cathy and Rose is Rose have to go. The comic I would love to see added is Get Scratchy.
Zits needs to stay. Pearls Before Swine and Opus must go. Don
Replace "Opus" with "Sherman's Lagoon" (Jim Toomey).. It fits in very well with our coastal environment.
Sunday paper: Love the first and last pages; Don't care much for "Family Circus" or "Jump Start."
Being a long-time fan of the graphic storytelling format, and having read most of the posted comments, I have come to a few conclusions.
I would agree with the termination of strips by deceased cartoonists. Those strips continued by 'heirs' typically haven't the heart as imbued by their original creators. Those being reprinted prevent other cartoonists from making their own mark. Strips worthy of the process , such as Peanuts, are being chronologically collected in beautiful hardcover editions.
I could rant endlessly about this subject of comic strips, but I will restrain myself to the topic at hand.
Lose: Garfield(hackwork), Cathy(stagnant), Wizard of Id, Herman, Lola, Hagar, Opus(not worthy of the page space), Jumpstart, Snuffy Smith(until Barney Google makes an appearance),
B.C., Pearls before Swine, Doonesbury(tired political hack), Mallard Filmore(whiner)
Add: Mutts, Boondocks, Get Fuzzy, FoxTrot, Baby Blues, Liberty Meadows
CURRENT LINEUP IS GREAT.
EXCEPT: MOVE "MALLARD" FROM CLASSIFIED TO ED PAGE (OKAY - "DUNESBURY" ALSO).
Please add Get Fuzzy, Foxtrot, and Baby Blues! Favorites from your current lineup are For Better or for Worse, Zits, Dilbert, and Opus; least favorite are Cathy, Non Sequitur, and Snuffy Smith.
Oh, one silly request. I don't suppose you could upgrade the 'Find Richard' icon into a full cartoon strip, could you? I'd like to see some of his adventures, if possible. About time we had a nice locally drawn cartoon, at least for Sundays. Please consider this humble plea. I'm sure there's quite a few here who'd love to have 'Find Richard' as a strip.
Rose is a Rose, and Kathy should go.
The others are fine.
Keep For Better or Worse, Crankshaft,Mallard Filmore,Dilbert.
Dump Frank and Ernest, Herman, and Cathy.
Don't read Lola, Cathy. Hardly read Frank & Earnest, Non Sequitur. How about facing up to the reality that some of think it's all good, and putting Doonesbury on the comic page?
Thanks for asking Pat! Keep up the good work, it's a tough audience out there.
Discontinue Cathy, Rose is Rose and Opus. Keep all others, especially Doonesbury and Mallard. They gise a sense of balance to each other. Keep the dead artists.
Get rid of Cathy. It is the same strip over and over with perhaps a small change in dialogue. I also dislike Garfield; the only thing changes in the strip is the various ways of the title "Garfield."
Favorites are: Crankshaft, Rose is Rose, Zits and For Better or Worse. However, I read that the cartoonish is stopping that strip soon--the reader's loss.
Go ahead, dump Cathy! She's the worst, followed closely by "Jump Start" and "Doonesbury"
Bill Gilmore
I dislike Herman, Opus, and Dilbert the most. I like Cathy and love most of the others. Carrying B.C. on a daily basis would make me happy, I like that one a lot.
Save Cathy! She's the only way to get through the holiday season with relatives!!
Garfield, Dilbert, and Snuffy Smith wouldn't be missed by me, and as a parent, I would LOVE to see Opus moved to outer Mongolia. The comics page is an obvious way to get kids to start looking at the newspaper, and that cartoon is not something any child should see.
I read every comic except Cathy - its annoying. Overall I like the comics page just the way it is. I aggree with the suggestion to limit Opus size - it seems too big for what it is.
Interesting exercise, Mr. Rice ... I'm not a Cathy fan (but please save Opus!), but for voting for the hook, I'd like to know the alternative? New, fresh, comic relief or more advertising?
I read the comics for relief to the depressing news. Peanuts makes me smile along with Beetle Bailey and Snuffy Smith. Theres always fun to be had with the Family Circus and Blondie. As for Cathy, I would not lose any sleep if the strip was'nt there any longer.
Please keep Cathy. I have been reading her for years. I've clipped several of her comics. My favorite was many years ago when I worked in Manhattan. With a stack of paper work on her desk, she sighs: "I love my career". That was taped my desk for over ten years. I will miss her if she goes. I'm waiting for her to have children.
Please keep Cathy. I have been following her life for over ten years. When I worked in Manhattan, I cut out one of my favorites. Cathy sat at her desk with a large pile of paperwork. The caption said: "I love my career" I just love her sense of humor. I would like to see her and her husband start a family.
Leave Cathy, in fact put it back in on Sunday's, please dump Opus, the wizard of id, Herman, Frank and Ernest which aren't even funny
get rid of LOLA! You may want another choice as Lola isn't in Sunday paper. Then chooseJump Start, Non-Sequitur, Pearls before Swine -leave Cathy alone!
Please, PLEASE, remove Cathy from the comics page (and send Rose is Rose with her!!).
Pat, as far as which comic strips I'd like you to replace, I guess Cathy tops my list -- followed by Opus. The two strips above are ones I simply don't read any more because I find them unfunny and stupid. That said, I realize that if everybody felt the same way we'd have a pretty boring country. It's pretty easy to skip over the ones I don't enjoy.
Cathy needs to go. She should have taken a hike several years back. You can add Adam@home.
Please expand my beloved Opus and Pearls before Swine to include daily editions. Mallard and Doonesbury are definite keepers, the rest are ok.
If you are going to discontinue some strips get rid of the ones that require no independant thought, or put them as headers for the "Spout Off" column where they belong.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE move Cathy and her new equally irritating husband to another town, one that the Daily News doesn't service. These are two obsessive, whining, insecure, annoying people I'd prefer not to encounter over my morning coffee. And whle you're loading the moving van, pile in Rose Is Rose with her family and cat and sideways comic strips. That way, I won't inadvertently starting reading either of these comic strips before realizing I didn't skip over them fast enough.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE move Cathy and her new equally irritating husband to another town, one that the Daily News doesn't service. These are two obsessive, whining, insecure, annoying people I'd prefer not to encounter over my morning coffee. And whle you're loading the moving van, pile in Rose Is Rose with her family and cat and sideways comic strips. That way, I won't inadvertently starting reading either of these comic strips before realizing I didn't skip over them fast enough.
You have not made it clear whether we are discussing the daily comics or the Sunday comics. One must assume that all comics are potential for the chopping block.
Cathy: yes, she can be repetitive, but so are most of the comics. I believe that there has been significant improvement since the character was married. Please note that most of your respondents said that they don't even read her anymore. Therefore they would not notice the change. Please KEEP CATHY on the daily page.
By far, my one of my favorites is For Better or For Worse. The story has been evolving for years and I would hate to lose touch with it now.
Our second most beloved comic is ZITS. On countless occassions, ZITS is passed from one family member to another first thing in the morning. Perhaps having a son about that age and temperament affects our judgement!!
Last comment: please do not eliminate Peanuts. There is a place for cutting, sarcastic and droll comments, but please don't lose a gentle, kid-friendly comic that pleases young and old readers alike.
I most dislike Frank & Ernest - its stupidity is galling. However, my biggest gripe with the comics is I have to go online on Sunday to read Doonesbury. Are we more sensitive to liberals on Sunday than any other day of the week? I've enjoyed Cathy, but won't search it out if you remove it.
I wouldn't miss "Herman" or "The Born Loser", especially "Herman" - can't skip over that quick enough. Do they still have "Dick Tracey"? That was always pretty good. How about "Phantom" or "Mutts"?? Keep "Cathy". Every now & then she has a cut out & keep one. I love "Peanuts" & "For Better of Worse".
I most dislike Frank & Ernest - its stupidity is galling. However, my biggest gripe with the comics is I have to go online on Sunday to read Doonesbury. Are we more sensitive to liberals on Sunday than any other day of the week? I've enjoyed Cathy, but won't search it out if you remove it.
Cathy may be intensely dull, but it does have one thing in its favor: it's not Family Circus. That is the worst comic in the history of mankind!!
Keep Dilbert, Zits, Herman, and Non Sequitur. And, if we must have reruns, replace Peanuts with Calvin and Hobbes or Farside.
Keep Cathy - If you want to get rid of a weekend comic, get rid of Pearls Before Swine - all the weekday comics are good.
Please keep Cathy!! Also, keep Rose is Rose, For Better or for Worse, Zits, Lola, BC, Wizard of Id. Actually, just about everything that is now in there except:
You can happily dump Non-Sequitur, Pearls Before Swine, and Opus.
I always get a kick out out Opus and Cathy, so kept them. Wish Doonsbury was on the comic page so I don't have to search for it everyday. Really too bad the paper doesn't have a large comic section. There are a few that I don't like, so I don't read them.
While they don't appear on the comics pages, Doonesbury and Mallard Fillmore are usually not funny and are just plain nasty on occasion. Opus is also frequently more off-color than funny and can occasionally be just nasty. You would be better off with blank space where they presently run. I would not miss Non Sequitur either, for similar reasons.
Please keep Rose is Rose. It's almost the only functional family around.
I regularly read "Peanuts, Dilbert, Beetle Baily, Hagar, Family Circus, Dennis The Menace, Blondie, Wizard Of Id, Herman, and B.C.". I've tried to get into the rest but it wouldnt bother me if they were replaced with something new.
My wife reminded me that women also read comics and Cathy is a favorite. I on the otherhand will leave that strip to the ladies and question how you can even call Doonesbury and Opus a comic!!! strip. But good luck. Your publishers advise should be reviewed again.
Dump Crankshaft!! For that matter, you can also get rid of Family Circus, Rose Is Rose, and Lola. There are several more that are ridiculous...Wizard of Id, Garfield, Frank and Earnest, and Born Loser. Zits is the Best!! Also good are For Better or Worse, Hagar the Horrible, Dilbert, Blondie, and Beetle Bailey.
Cathy is all about self centered, self indulgence, Keep it.
Does it just seem to me that most of the objectors are Female?
I love Cathy. She most certainly is not a loser. She is a very astute observer of the human condition. She knows our weaknesses where consumerism is concerned, especially in trying to adjust to the pitfalls of what the clothing industry is trying to push down our throats, also trying to adjust to marriage and most of all what everyone does at tax time.
Rose is Rose is a favorite too. I love her alter ego.
I read all of the comics except Frank and Ernest. I don't care for silly punsters.
Neither do I understand what is funny about Lola. I have a feeling we still have it because a local draws it.
Some of the comics are childhood hold overs and as such are meaningful. All of the comments go to show that we all have different tastes.
I am one of your over 60 female readers and maybe it's because my sister-in-law knows the woman who writes Cathy, but she cracks me up. The comic is a true reflection of the author's life and her search for the "perfect husband" plus the typical meddling parents of an older just wed daughter. Zits is hilarious, Crankshaft is funny, and I really enjoy For Better or Worse because the storyline is so true to life and yet funny at the same time. I never read Opus, Pearls before Swine, or Dilbert and ignore Doonesbury's ridiculous political comments. I do read Mallard, however.
Dump Cathy & Rose. They are almost never funny. Opus is funny at least sometimes.
During the last survey on which comics to delete, your boss was sitting in your seat and he did the same survey and guess what? We voted back then to delete Kathy but your boss decided to move on so no action was taken. I think Kathy needs to go; best two out of three.
Pat;
I appreciate you taking on the issue of canceling some comics,this shows me that you are not the kind of editor that backs away from a third rail as stated by publisher Tom Conner, this is not to say Mr. Conner is right or wrong.
I'm sure that the last thing you would like to do is alienate your readers, even though this is part of your job title.
I say Cathy should go as I have discussed this with many of my friends and we all agree that "Cathy" comic strip is a waste of good space in the North West Fl. Daily News.
Please keep Cathy. I have always enjoyed her. Love Zits, For Better or Worse, Rose, Family Circle.
Opus is creepy and i wished it was on a page I didn't even have to turn to.
You missed a good chance. you should have just dropped Cathy one day. I don't think most people would have noticed. I don't think you would have had many complaints. As a suggestion, "One Big Happy" would be a nice change. No I did not leave a word out of the title.
I enjoy reading Cathy. It was already dropped on Sunday. Please keep this comic on weekdays. Opus, Zits, and Dilbert are favorites. I don't read B.C., Dennis the Menace, or Wizard of Id.
Keep Cathy and put Opus in the classified section where it cant be found. Now you have two free spots in the comics. Garfield and Dilbert are my favorites
Cathy may not fit in the profile of gender or age of most people who read the comics. I have been reading it for years. The subject might deal with alot of issues that people have gotten tired of, but my Mother and I have been cutting them out and sending them to one another, when her life dilemma's mirror one of our own. This has become our tradition, that has bonded us . I still find her endearing . I hope you can reconsider her demise a little longer. Surely there is one of the other comics that people can do without. Thank you for your consideration.
It is embarrassing how boring Cathy is; I quit reading it a long time ago. Zits is funny, but most of the current comics are tired and dull. I like Pearls Before Swine (Sunday), especially when the alligators are in it!
Thanks for asking for our opinions.
This thread has been fascinating to follow, with everyone weighing in on their favorites. Now that things seem to be wrapping up I'll put in my 2 cents worth (I also need to cancel out my wife's vote against Pearls Before Swine).
As has been mentioned before, it's a hard thing to change the comics page. Every comic has its fanbase (some more rabid than others), and every comic has it's detractors. Ergo, you'll never be able to please all the people all the time. Even Cathy has fans.
I do not understand the people who say they only read one or two comics and no others. What's wrong with them? Are they humor impaired? Do they have such tiny absurdity reservoirs they can fill them up after only one or two strips? I can't fathom that. Mine is limitless. So rather than drop comics, why not expand? The comics are really the only reason I subscribe to the paper anyway! Let's have 2 pages of funnies! Even better, do 3 or 4, get them all! The more the merrier!
However, newspaper space being what it is, I know that isn't likely to happen. So we must choose our favorites and lobby for them. That being said, I am in favor of dropping Cathy (she got a boost when she married Irving, but she's back in the same old rut she's been in for decades), Born Loser (I rarely find this one funny), Beetle Bailey (I enjoyed this before I got in the military, and now that I am, it is so far off the mark it's not funny anymore), Frank and Ernest (I enjoy the puns, but there are so many other comics I would prefer to read each day, the same can be said of Shoe and Lola) and Family Circus (It's somehow managed to lose the magic it had 15-20 years ago).
A year or two ago I would have suggested you drop Herman, but I don't know if the artist changed or they started running old ones or what, but something changed and the daily strips are funny again.
Drop the Sunday Herman though, that's the same as it always was. Also from Sundays drop Jumpstart. It stopped being funny when the kids started growing up. Now it's just a poor imitation of For Better or For Worse. Sunday Dennis the Menace can go too, but it would be great to get for weekdays, the one-shot dailies are much better.
So what about what's left? Keep Zits (who are those 3 people who didn't like it? They must never have been teenagers!). Keep Garfield. The Jon-Liz romance has revived it's freshness for the time being. Non Sequitur is a hoot at least 5 days out of the week, keep it. Keep Opus. Maybe it's because I enjoyed Berkely Breathed's previous strips Bloom County and Outland so much that I'm attuned to his work. It's big, it's colorful and pokes fun at places we'd rather not have poked. It's delightfully impertinent! If it wasn't a Sunday only strip I'd want it every day.
Pearls before Swine is hysterical. Somehow Pastis has turned its simplicity and irreverence into something wonderful. I always save it for last on Sundays so I can savor the anticipation (hullo, zeeba neighbah!). Let's get Pearls seven days a week.
Dilbert is also very funny. I can see how those that have never worked in environments where they were "managed" might not get all the jokes, but it is not solely a "corporate" comic strip (much of its insights apply to the military nowadays much better than Beetle Bailey does). Be warned: If you don't get it, you might be a PHB!
So what should get put in? My first choice: Frazz. I first read this one in Stars and Stripes (which actually has 3-4 pages of comics and about twice that on Sundays) while deployed and enjoyed it every day. It's like Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes fame, naturally) grew up, got a job as a school janitor and now has to deal with a bunch of kids who are just like he was! Get Frazz.
A tangent about Classic Calvin vs. Classic Peanuts: Both are great strips. But keep Peanuts, don't get Calvin. Calvin was a funny strip that was sometimes insightful, Peanuts is an insightful strip that is sometimes funny. Peanuts has 50 years of strips to work with, Calvin only 11 or 12. Almost none of your readers will have seen all the Peanuts strips. Many of them probably have most of the Calvin books. Don't get rid of all the insightful comics, we need those just like the funny ones. Peanuts is an American institution.
There is a wealth of good comics I would like to see in the paper. Other top favorites are: Pogo, Liberty Meadows (Is Frank Cho still doing this one for newspapers?), Sherman's Lagoon, Get Fuzzy, Mother Goose and Grimm, Sally Forth, Baby Blues, Tina's Groove, Buckles and Over the Hedge.
Foxtrot is an excellent strip that is now a Sunday only feature. Swap Jumpstart or Dennis for it.
If anybody cancels a subscription because one or two of their favorite strips were replaced, well, that's just pathetic.
Pat,
I have to get this to you. Cathy is my FAVORITE comic strip. I only read 4-5 of them; the rest a waste of time to me. She is about real life issues for women of many ages.
My husband, who reads all the comics, even the ones he doesn't like,(I don't know why) says get rid of Born Loser. S. Coffey
Keep Non-Sequitor, it's almost as awesome as Pogo, L'il Abner, and Calvin and Hobbs. Trendy, funny and CLEVER! Zits is pretty good too. Dilbert has good moments.
To "kill" one I'd choose (besides Mallad Duck who is out of bounds.) I'd say deep six Dennis the Menace. It just takes up space. Then, an old favorite, "Blondie" is a really OOOOLD favorite.
Best of luck, making the choice. No matter which we lose, you'll hear about it I'm sure!
Please please for the love of God get rid of Cathy and Rose is Rose and if a 3rd one has to go get rid of Pearls before Swine. Cathy and Rose are about the dumbest and most idiotic cartoons in the paper. At the very least if you don't dump them put them in the fold so that I don't have to worry about seeing them! The best are Zits, Crankshaft and For Better or Worse.
I know Im in the minority, but Cathy is one of my favorite comic strips. I can't stand Rose, Dilbert, Opus. I can relate to Cathy with all her wierd relationships. I love Zit, Crankshaft, For Better or Worse, even Dennis the Menace because they're about family and not some dumb characters. So if this makes me a loser, so be it. There's so few comics in this paper and if you take Cathy out, there's not much left to enjoy.
Feel Free to Change At-Will. Change is Good. Change keeps the market rolling, anything else just dies.
Keep 'Dilbert' & 'Pearls Before Swine'. The rest? "have at it"
Looking forward to something new.
'Get Fuzzy' would be good.
If there is a god in heaven, my comics will be changed. And he will see that it is good.
You can lose Cathy, but I was surprised to see the negative reaction to Opus. Keep Opus, Zits, Non Sequitur, Beetle Bailey, Blondie and Dilbert. And this may be sacrilege, but feel free to dump Peanuts. That stopped being funny years ago.
Keep Cathy - Lose Rose!!!!
Keep Cathy! Ditch Rose, Herman, and For Better or Worse, Add Arlo and Janis and put Pearls before Swine in the Daily paper.
Paleease can Cathy!! Opus can go too, but bring back Shoe on Sunday.
Dump Cathy,my favorites are Dilbert,Born Loser, Zits, For
Better or Worse, Crankshaft and
Peanuts
Jesse
I would say drop Peanuts from the weekly paper (perhaps just in the Sunday edition?).
And especially drop Jump Start from the Sunday comics. There is nothing funny about it in the least.
While it's not a favorite - I enjoy Cathy
And I love Rose is Rose, Zits and Non Sequitur
Thank you!
I don't like Opus or Pearls Before Swine. I love Cathy!
I can't believe all the folks who "love Crankshaft" -- I've never enjoyed crotchety, mean-spirited, grumpy people and don't find them at all funny! Cathy is still one of my favorites because she's so "real" with her indecision. Her author portrays her sympathetically, with a knowing smile, but always with hope. Zits is another perfectly portrayed family -- it's my favorite almost every day!
ROSE is ROSE must stay!! Why must the comics be negative and grumpy, so that we only laugh at the worst of human nature instead of the best?!
Cathy has just been the same tired joke ever since it was created. Dump it. Peanuts is just reruns of dated 1950s and '60s strips. We can buy Snoopy compilations in any bookstore. Dump it. Family Circus has never once been funny, except in the "Disfunctional Family Circus" parodies. Dump it. If you must have a "kids" strip, get Foxtrot or Tiger. Rose Is Rose has lovely artwork but all that syrup makes my breakfast table sticky. Dump it. Need a "family" strip? Baby Blues is pretty consistently humorous. Crankshaft: ho-hum. DUmp it. B.C. stopped being funny 20 years ago when Johnny Hart decided we all needed religion crammed down our throats. Dump it. How about running something consistently funny, like Ernie (gotta love those Pirhana Club members!). What about an "action" strip like The Phantom? But thank you, thank you for Opus, Non Sequitor, Herman and Zits! 'Specially Opus!
enough debate... just change something... hell, change anything... dump anything that's been around too long and freshen it up...
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