Providence Journal will refresh comics lineup based on reader feedback, changing tastes

One of my earliest memories of newspapers was sneaking a peek at the comics section before my mom and dad had a chance to read the paper. I was probably about 10 years old when this started.

I'd remove the rubber band and carefully check the index to find the correct page. My favorites were "The Family Circus" (they had a lot of kids, like my family, and the mom had short hair, like my mom) and "For Better or For Worse" (again, a big, kooky family with neighbors and friends who felt familiar). When I was done, I'd carefully fold the paper back up to avoid the ire of Mom and Dad. As I got older, I branched out into reading Dear Abby, high school sports stories, recipes (I've always loved cooking and baking) and, well, here I am today, working for newspapers.

In high school, the first boy I liked was a "Calvin and Hobbes" fan. He even had a bumper sticker on his car of Hobbes with the Grateful Dead bears. So I started reading that comic strip, too, just in case it ever came up in conversation with him. (It never did, but I did grow to love Hobbes a lot, and even the Grateful Dead a little bit.)

So comic strips have a special place in my heart, as I know they do for many readers. For this reason, I'm thrilled to announce that The Providence Journal, along with newspapers across Gannett, will debut a refreshed comics page on Jan. 15. The decisions surrounding which new comics we offer were made after surveying and listening to our loyal readers.

The Providence Journal's comics page will include some of the most popular old favorites, such as "Peanuts," "Dennis the Menace," "Hagar the Horrible," "Pickles" and "For Better or For Worse." But we will also welcome some new comic strips, including "Crankshaft," "Pearls Before Swine" and "Luann."

Alas, we do say goodbye to a few comic strips. But times change, tastes change, and, as with everything we do, newspapers must adapt to better serve readers.

Of course, you can always check out a treasure trove of comic strips online at providencejournal.com/comics. And feel free to send me your thoughts at lynne.sullivan@gannett.com.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our stories in the coming weeks about the history and evolution of comic strips.

Lynne Sullivan is regional executive editor of The Providence Journal and the Newport Daily News.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Comics page: Projo holds on to 'Peanuts,' 'Dennis the Menace,' 'Blondie'