New comics headed to The Tribune as Gannett bolsters focus on local journalism
Newspaper comic strips are a longstanding American tradition, and we know how important they are to our loyal readers here in the South Bend region. That’s why, starting Oct. 2, we will refresh our comics selections with an updated package that includes some of your all-time favorites.
The updated package is based on surveys of our readers. It's also part of the ongoing efforts of the South Bend Tribune and our parent company — The USA Today Network — to evaluate our content and how to best serve our local communities.
Comics have historically evolved to reflect the culture and tastes of the times. And as part of our continuing efforts to ensure that our coverage reflects the communities we cover, the latest comics package will include strips by cartoonists of color, specifically "Baldo" and two that already appear in The Tribune: "Jump Start" and "Crabgrass."
'It's a great way to make a living': South Bend native behind 'Baby Blues' and 'Zits'
In addition, we will continue running "Baby Blues" and "Zits," which were co-created by cartoonist Jerry Scott, who grew up in the South Bend region and developed an interest in comic strips while delivering The Tribune when he was a young boy.
The new additions to our weekday and Sunday lineups are:
"Hagar the Horrible," "Dennis the Menace," "Baldo" and "Frank & Ernest." "The Born Loser," which currently runs only on Sundays, will join our weekday lineup.
The following current strips will remain in our Sunday and daily offerings:
"Blondie," "Zits," "The Family Circus," "Garfield," "Peanuts," "Baby Blues," "Pickles," "Pearls Before Swine," "Jump Start," "The Born Loser," "Foxtrot," "Crankshaft" and "Crabgrass."
The following comics, which we stopped running, will return to our pages every day, including Sundays:
"Beetle Bailey," "For Better or For Worse," "Luann," "Ziggy," "Marmaduke" and "Non Sequiter."
All comics in the print newspaper will also appear in the eNewspaper. Readers can check out https://www.southbendtribune.com/comics to view additional comics.
The updated comics package will affect all newspapers within The USA Today Network. However, your current subscription rates will not change, as delivering the highest quality product to our subscribers is always our first priority. This change allows us to invest more in local journalism so that we can continue bringing you the types of stories that we know are important to you and your families.
Thank you for being loyal readers, and my team and I look forward to continue to serve you and this great community.
Ismail Turay Jr. is executive editor of the South Bend Tribune. He can be reached at ituray@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Gannett, Tribune change comics starting Oct. 2 to increase local stories
