A refresher for our daily, Sunday comics: some familiar favorites, some new offerings
Dear readers,
As a child, one of the places I found connection with my parents was through the comics. They would read the news, lifestyles and sports sections, while my brother, sister and I would scramble for the comic strips, especially if they were in color. They helped build lifelong reading habits and an affection for the newspaper that has never waned.
I had my favorites: Peanuts, B.C., Prince Valiant, the Hal Foster strip that according to King Features Syndicate, which distributes it, has been running continuously since 1937 with other artists carrying on the work.
Later in life, as a news executive, I learned that for many readers, turning to the daily and Sunday comics is a devout and enduring ritual. For many, the funnies are sacred. Fool with them at your peril.
But like everything, we evolve.
On Jan. 29, The Oklahoman will roll out a fresh lineup of daily and Sunday comics. The changes are launching across the larger USA TODAY Network as part of an effort to refresh our comics offerings based on reader input and a desire to adjust to the changing tastes of comic fans.
Many of your favorites will remain, along with some new offerings we hope will join your canon of must-reads.
Why the shift on comics? Reader input helped drive changes
Our comics' page remodel was influenced by fresh input from our audience. We took the time to survey our readers and acted upon what we learned.
These changes do not impact The Oklahoman's subscription rates. We will offer the same comics in our eNewspaper, which also offers additional news coverage.
Our readers can find lots of additional comics by going to oklahoman.com/comics.
The good news: Our favorite soldier, red-bearded Viking and swine are sticking around
Our most popular comics will continue to anchor our new daily and Sunday lineup. Those comics include (daily) Hagar the Horrible, Marmaduke, Family Circus, Peanuts, Baby Blues, Zits, Beetle Baily, Garfield, Blondie, For Better or For Worse and Crabgrass.
Here are some of the Sunday classics that will remain: Peanuts, Zits, Blondie, For Better or For Worse, Crabgrass, Beetle Bailey, Hagar the Horrible, Pickles and Pearls Before Swine.
Welcome — Our new faces on Sunday
We are adding several powerhouse comics to our Sunday offerings, including Jump Start, Ziggy, Non Sequitur, Crank Shaft, Baldo, Close to Home, Argyle Sweater, Rose is Rose and Sally Forth.
These comics will do new daily duties: Pickles, Pearls Before Swine, Jump Start, Ziggy and Non Sequitur.
This list isn't exhaustive. Take some time to browse and see what's new.
So long … Comics that didn't make the cut
It's hard to say goodbye, but nothing lasts forever. I'm sure these comics have their fans, but they didn't make the cut:
Daily: B.C. (one of my old favorites, which will still appear on Sunday), Wizard of ID, Shoe (still on Sunday), Macanudo, Herman, Curtis and Hi and Lois (both remain on Sundays).
Sunday: Skylock Fox, Macanudo, Rubes, F Minus, Wumo, Nancy, Dustin, Carpe Diem, Big Nate and Reality Check.
We'll still offer the same number of comics pages daily and on Sunday.
Get to know these cultural legends
In the Jan. 21 edition, we're explaining the evolution of the observations, themes and outstanding art in this newspaper's comic strips. The comics over the years have grown, changed and impacted our society, from war to love to pets and changing political norms.
In the coming weeks, we will help you connect with our comic artists through profiles that give readers a behind-the-ink look at some of these cultural legends. These include profiles on Jeff Keane, author of The Family Circus; Jim Borgman of Zits; Dean Young of Blondie and Brian Crane of Pickles.
As always, thank you for your support as we make these changes.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Daily and Sunday comics get a refresher at The Oklahoman
