Brad Guigar, whose finger always seems to be on the pulse of these kinds of things, just linked to this article in the LA Times. The upshot is that newspaper strips are too timid, and the art form is stagnating at least in part because editors lean towards pleasing legacy readers rather than attracting new ones. It's a story that has been played out in countless industries over the last 200 years, and the outcome is fairly predictable. Brad's commentary cuts, as always, straight to the heart of the matter. "So, in a way, people like me are indebted to the myopia of people like Ms. Joyce [president of the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors]. You keep sending them, Ms. Joyce, and I'll keep keeping them."
Amen to that, Brad. I love newspaper comics for just that reason. Their pallor keeps me in business.
