Newspaper Comics: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (Mass update links)
Line 2: Line 2:
Before the Internet and [[Web Comics]], the only place to find daily, serialized comic strips was (and for many people, still is) the back page of your local mainstream or alternative newspaper.
Before the Internet and [[Web Comics]], the only place to find daily, serialized comic strips was (and for many people, still is) the back page of your local mainstream or alternative newspaper.


Comic strips can cover a wide range of formats, topics, characters and artistic styles. ''[[The Far Side (Comic Strip)|The Far Side]]'' and ''[[The Family Circus (Comic Strip)|The Family Circus]]'' are one-panel gag strips. ''[[Bloom County (Comic Strip)|Bloom County]]'' and ''[[Pogo (Comic Strip)|Pogo]]'', while light-hearted on the surface, were thick with [[Story Arc|Story Arcs]] and [[Strawman Political|political commentary]]. Other strips, like ''[[Peanuts (Comic Strip)|Peanuts]]'' and ''[[Calvin and Hobbes (Comic Strip)|Calvin and Hobbes]]'', delightfully portray the experiences of childhood, and thus have broad, long-term appeal. There have been countless serialized adventure strips like ''[[The Phantom (Comic Strip)|The Phantom]],'' ''[[Flash Gordon (Comic Strip)|Flash Gordon]],'' ''[[Prince Valiant (Comic Strip)|Prince Valiant]]'' and ''[[Dick Tracy (Comic Strip)|Dick Tracy]]''; soap opera/slice-of-life strips like ''[[Comic Strip/Gasoline Alley|Gasoline Alley]]'' and ''Rex Morgan M.D.'', and strips that fall in between, like ''[[Little Orphan Annie (Comic Strip)|Little Orphan Annie]]''.
Comic strips can cover a wide range of formats, topics, characters and artistic styles. ''[[The Far Side]]'' and ''[[The Family Circus]]'' are one-panel gag strips. ''[[Bloom County]]'' and ''[[Pogo (comic strip)|Pogo]]'', while light-hearted on the surface, were thick with [[Story Arc|Story Arcs]] and [[Strawman Political|political commentary]]. Other strips, like ''[[Peanuts]]'' and ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'', delightfully portray the experiences of childhood, and thus have broad, long-term appeal. There have been countless serialized adventure strips like ''[[The Phantom (comic strip)|The Phantom]],'' ''[[Flash Gordon (comic strip)|Flash Gordon]],'' ''[[Prince Valiant (Comic Strip)|Prince Valiant]]'' and ''[[Dick Tracy (comic strip)|Dick Tracy]]''; soap opera/slice-of-life strips like ''[[Comic Strip/Gasoline Alley|Gasoline Alley]]'' and ''Rex Morgan M.D.'', and strips that fall in between, like ''[[Little Orphan Annie]]''.


Compared to other media, newspaper comics can have incredibly [[Long Runners|long tenures]]. New ''[[Peanuts (Comic Strip)|Peanuts]]'' strips appeared daily for over 49 years. ''[[Doonesbury (Comic Strip)|Doonesbury]]'' has been running for 40 years and ''[[Garfield (Comic Strip)|Garfield]]'' has been coming out for over 30 years. Neither show any signs of stopping. Even more impressively, ''[[Blondie (Comic Strip)|Blondie]]'' has run for well over 75 years, ''[[Comic Strip/Gasoline Alley|Gasoline Alley]]'' has run over 90 years, and most impressively of all ''[[Comic Strip/The Katzenjammer Kids|The Katzenjammer Kids]]'' has been running since 1897! A 10-year run is considered tremendous for a television show, but when ''[[Calvin and Hobbes (Comic Strip)|Calvin and Hobbes]]'', ''[[The Far Side (Comic Strip)|The Far Side]]'' and ''[[Bloom County (Comic Strip)|Bloom County]]'' each ended production after a decade, it seemed far too soon.
Compared to other media, newspaper comics can have incredibly [[Long Runners|long tenures]]. New ''[[Peanuts]]'' strips appeared daily for over 49 years. ''[[Doonesbury]]'' has been running for 40 years and ''[[Garfield (Comic Strip)|Garfield]]'' has been coming out for over 30 years. Neither show any signs of stopping. Even more impressively, ''[[Blondie]]'' has run for well over 75 years, ''[[Comic Strip/Gasoline Alley|Gasoline Alley]]'' has run over 90 years, and most impressively of all ''[[Comic Strip/The Katzenjammer Kids|The Katzenjammer Kids]]'' has been running since 1897! A 10-year run is considered tremendous for a television show, but when ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'', ''[[The Far Side]]'' and ''[[Bloom County]]'' each ended production after a decade, it seemed far too soon.


On the flip side, one of the reasons why [[Web Comics]] are 5-10 years ahead of Web-based indie music distribution (and 15-20 years ahead of non-corporate Web movies) is that "making it big" in sequential art has been traditionally defined as "being able to support a middle-class lifestyle without a day job". Only about 10 people in the whole 20th century got seriously stinking rich drawing [[Newspaper Comics]], and of those only two or three achieved actual ''stardom''.
On the flip side, one of the reasons why [[Web Comics]] are 5-10 years ahead of Web-based indie music distribution (and 15-20 years ahead of non-corporate Web movies) is that "making it big" in sequential art has been traditionally defined as "being able to support a middle-class lifestyle without a day job". Only about 10 people in the whole 20th century got seriously stinking rich drawing [[Newspaper Comics]], and of those only two or three achieved actual ''stardom''.


The downside is that many newspaper comics have a reputation for [[Jump the Shark|not being funny anymore]] and the [[Long Runners]] often derisively described as "zombie strips". This is because, as far as a newspaper is concerned, comic strips are just advertising: they're there to lure in readers and make them more willing to fork over some subscription money. They're [[Fan Service]], basically. And the last thing you want to do with fanservice is serve up something that doesn't actually please the fans. As such, [[Darker and Edgier]] humor, political- and/or current-events-based humor must be handled carefully, lest they cost the newspaper (or the ''artist''!) more subscriptions than they gain. Even worse, newspaper strips are written anywhere from six weeks to ten ''months'' in advance of print date, which doesn't help topical humor. Newspapers have also been cutting down on the amount of space that comic strip artists are given in which to practice their visual, art-based medium, resulting in [[Bowdlerized]] art and abbreviated storytelling.<ref>As Bill Watterson of ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'' fame [http://ignatz.brinkster.net/ccomicsjournal.html said] of the space restrictions way back in 1989: "A beautiful strip like [[Pogo (Comic Strip)|Pogo]] would be impossible to read at today's sizes." Of course it only got worse, and ultimately this was one of the factors that led to Watterson's decision to stop doing the strip. Along with a lot of the other stuff mentioned here.</ref> And the newspaper itself has become a victim of the Information Age; not only can consumers get the news online, they can get ''comics'' online too. So newspapers have to play it safe, and they do so by angling for broad, non-offensive humor with a wide appeal, often by recycling tired jokes and premises that sitcoms put to pasture years ago.
The downside is that many newspaper comics have a reputation for [[Jump the Shark|not being funny anymore]] and the [[Long Runners]] often derisively described as "zombie strips". This is because, as far as a newspaper is concerned, comic strips are just advertising: they're there to lure in readers and make them more willing to fork over some subscription money. They're [[Fan Service]], basically. And the last thing you want to do with fanservice is serve up something that doesn't actually please the fans. As such, [[Darker and Edgier]] humor, political- and/or current-events-based humor must be handled carefully, lest they cost the newspaper (or the ''artist''!) more subscriptions than they gain. Even worse, newspaper strips are written anywhere from six weeks to ten ''months'' in advance of print date, which doesn't help topical humor. Newspapers have also been cutting down on the amount of space that comic strip artists are given in which to practice their visual, art-based medium, resulting in [[Bowdlerized]] art and abbreviated storytelling.<ref>As Bill Watterson of ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'' fame [http://ignatz.brinkster.net/ccomicsjournal.html said] of the space restrictions way back in 1989: "A beautiful strip like [[Pogo (comic strip)|Pogo]] would be impossible to read at today's sizes." Of course it only got worse, and ultimately this was one of the factors that led to Watterson's decision to stop doing the strip. Along with a lot of the other stuff mentioned here.</ref> And the newspaper itself has become a victim of the Information Age; not only can consumers get the news online, they can get ''comics'' online too. So newspapers have to play it safe, and they do so by angling for broad, non-offensive humor with a wide appeal, often by recycling tired jokes and premises that sitcoms put to pasture years ago.


Successful newspaper comics usually find their way into [[Animated Shows|other]] [[Comic Books|media]], but are most fondly remembered as simple pen-and-ink drawings on cheap newsprint.
Successful newspaper comics usually find their way into [[Animated Shows|other]] [[Comic Books|media]], but are most fondly remembered as simple pen-and-ink drawings on cheap newsprint.


Sometimes you'll hear the term [[Underground Comics|"Underground Comix"]]; in the USA, at least, this term refers to pen-and-ink comics not distributed by a syndicate and normally published in "alternative" papers, 'zines, etc. [[Web Comics]] and the consolidation of the [[In Name Only|supposedly "Alternative"]] newsweekly industry have put a dint in their circulation, but ''[[Cerebus (Comic Book)|Cerebus]]'' and ''[[American Elf (Webcomic)|American Elf]]'' among others started out this way, and the latter still appears in alternative weeklies, or at least the one in the author's hometown.
Sometimes you'll hear the term [[Underground Comics|"Underground Comix"]]; in the USA, at least, this term refers to pen-and-ink comics not distributed by a syndicate and normally published in "alternative" papers, 'zines, etc. [[Web Comics]] and the consolidation of the [[In Name Only|supposedly "Alternative"]] newsweekly industry have put a dint in their circulation, but ''[[Cerebus]]'' and ''[[American Elf]]'' among others started out this way, and the latter still appears in alternative weeklies, or at least the one in the author's hometown.


Also, these have a very high chance of [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]], but ''only'' when they do a very common "[[Aside Glance|look at the reader at some other person's comedy or comedy failure]]".
Also, these have a very high chance of [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]], but ''only'' when they do a very common "[[Aside Glance|look at the reader at some other person's comedy or comedy failure]]".
Line 20: Line 20:
=== Newspaper Comics that have wiki pages: ===
=== Newspaper Comics that have wiki pages: ===
{{sidemenu}}
{{sidemenu}}
* [[Born in The Funny Papers]] <br />- tropes inspired by newspaper comics
* [[Born in the Funny Papers]] <br />- tropes inspired by newspaper comics
* [[Military and Warfare Comics]]
* [[Military and Warfare Comics]]
{{sidemenuend}}
{{sidemenuend}}


* ''[[Nine Chickweed Lane (Comic Strip)|Nine Chickweed Lane]]''
* ''[[9 Chickweed Lane|Nine Chickweed Lane]]''
* ''[[The Adventures of Jeremiah (Comic Strip)|The Adventures of Jeremiah]]''
* ''[[The Adventures of Jeremiah]]''
* ''[[Alex (Comic Strip)|Alex]]''
* ''[[Alex]]''
* ''[[Alley Oop (Comic Strip)|Alley Oop]]''
* ''[[Alley Oop]]''
* ''[[Andy Capp (Comic Strip)|Andy Capp]]''
* ''[[Andy Capp]]''
* ''[[Arnold (Comic Strip)|Arnold]]''
* ''[[Arnold]]''
* ''[[Baby Blues (Comic Strip)|Baby Blues]]''
* ''[[Baby Blues]]''
* ''[[Baldo (Comic Strip)|Baldo]]''
* ''[[Baldo]]''
* ''[[Barnaby (Comic Strip)|Barnaby]]''
* ''[[Barnaby]]''
* ''[[Barney and Clyde (Comic Strip)|Barney and Clyde]]''
* ''[[Barney and Clyde]]''
* ''[[BC (Comic Strip)|BC]]''
* ''[[BC]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Beau Peep|Beau Peep]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Beau Peep|Beau Peep]]''
* ''[[Beetle Bailey (Comic Strip)|Beetle Bailey]]''
* ''[[Beetle Bailey]]''
* ''[[Between the Lines (Comic Strip)|Between the Lines]]''
* ''[[Between the Lines (comic strip)|Between the Lines]]''
* ''[[Bizarro (Comic Strip)|Bizarro]]''
* ''[[Bizarro]]''
* ''[[Blondie (Comic Strip)|Blondie]]''
* ''[[Blondie]]''
* ''[[Bloom County (Comic Strip)|Bloom County]]''
* ''[[Bloom County]]''
* ''[[The Boondocks (Comic Strip)|The Boondocks]]''
* ''[[The Boondocks]]''
* ''[[Brewster Rockit Space Guy (Comic Strip)|Brewster Rockit Space Guy]]''
* ''[[Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!|Brewster Rockit Space Guy]]''
* ''[[Bringing Up Father (Comic Strip)|Bringing Up Father]]''
* ''[[Bringing Up Father]]''
* ''[[Buckles (Comic Strip)|Buckles]]''
* ''[[Buckles]]''
* ''[[Buck Rogers (Comic Strip)|Buck Rogers]]''
* ''[[Buck Rogers]]''
* ''[[Bus Stop (Comic Strip)|Bus Stop]]''
* ''[[Bus Stop]]''
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes (Comic Strip)|Calvin and Hobbes]]''
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]''
* ''[[Candorville (Comic Strip)|Candorville]]''
* ''[[Candorville (Comic Strip)|Candorville]]''
* ''[[Carl Giles (Comic Strip)|Carl Giles]]''
* ''[[Carl Giles]]''
* ''[[Cathy (Comic Strip)|Cathy]]''
* ''[[Cathy]]''
* ''[[Chelsea Boys (Comic Strip)|Chelsea Boys]]''
* ''[[Chelsea Boys]]''
* ''[[Crankshaft (Comic Strip)|Crankshaft]]''
* ''[[Crankshaft]]''
* ''[[Cul De Sac (Comic Strip)|Cul De Sac]]''
* ''[[Cul de Sac (comic strip)|Cul De Sac]]''
* ''[[The Cursing Hedgehog (Comic Strip)|The Cursing Hedgehog]]''
* ''[[The Cursing Hedgehog]]''
* ''[[Curtis (Comic Strip)|Curtis]]''
* ''[[Curtis]]''
* ''[[Deflocked (Comic Strip)|Deflocked]]''
* ''[[Deflocked]]''
* ''[[Dennis the Menace US (Comic Strip)|Dennis the Menace US]]''
* ''[[Dennis the Menace US]]''
* ''[[Dick Tracy (Comic Strip)|Dick Tracy]]''
* ''[[Dick Tracy (comic strip)|Dick Tracy]]''
* ''[[Dilbert (Comic Strip)|Dilbert]]''
* ''[[Dilbert]]''
* ''[[Doonesbury (Comic Strip)|Doonesbury]]''
* ''[[Doonesbury]]''
* ''[[Dykes to Watch Out For (Comic Strip)|Dykes to Watch Out For]]''
* ''[[Dykes to Watch Out For]]''
* ''[[The Family Circus (Comic Strip)|The Family Circus]]''
* ''[[The Family Circus]]''
* ''[[The Family Upstairs (Comic Strip)|The Family Upstairs]]''
* ''[[The Family Upstairs]]''
* ''[[The Far Side (Comic Strip)|The Far Side]]''
* ''[[The Far Side]]''
* ''[[Flash Gordon (Comic Strip)|Flash Gordon]]''
* ''[[Flash Gordon (comic strip)|Flash Gordon]]''
* ''[[Fleep (Comic Strip)|Fleep]]''
* ''[[Fleep]]''
* ''[[Footrot Flats (Comic Strip)|Footrot Flats]]''
* ''[[Footrot Flats]]''
* ''[[For Better or For Worse (Comic Strip)|For Better or For Worse]]''
* ''[[For Better or For Worse]]''
* ''[[FoxTrot (Comic Strip)|FoxTrot]]''
* ''[[FoxTrot]]''
* ''[[Frank and Ernest (Comic Strip)|Frank and Ernest]]''
* ''[[Frank and Ernest]]''
* ''[[Frazz (Comic Strip)|Frazz]]''
* ''[[Frazz]]''
* ''[[Funky Winkerbean (Comic Strip)|Funky Winkerbean]]''
* ''[[Funky Winkerbean]]''
* ''[[Gallos Humor (Comic Strip)|Gallos Humor]]''
* ''[[Gallos Humor]]''
* ''[[Garfield (Comic Strip)|Garfield]]''
* ''[[Garfield (Comic Strip)|Garfield]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Gasoline Alley|Gasoline Alley]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Gasoline Alley|Gasoline Alley]]''
* ''[[Get Fuzzy (Comic Strip)|Get Fuzzy]]''
* ''[[Get Fuzzy]]''
* ''[[Hagar the Horrible (Comic Strip)|Hagar the Horrible]]''
* ''[[Hagar the Horrible]]''
* ''[[Heart of the City (Comic Strip)|Heart of the City]]''
* ''[[Heart of the City]]''
* ''[[Heathcliff (Comic Strip)|Heathcliff]]''
* ''[[Heathcliff]]''
* ''[[Hi and Lois (Comic Strip)|Hi and Lois]]''
* ''[[Hi and Lois]]''
* ''[[If (Comic Strip)|If]]''
* ''[[If...]]''
* ''[[Ink Pen (Comic Strip)|Ink Pen]]''
* ''[[Ink Pen]]''
* ''[[Jommeke (Comic Strip)|Jommeke]]''
* ''[[Jommeke]]''
* ''[[Judge Parker (Comic Strip)|Judge Parker]]''
* ''[[Judge Parker]]''
* ''[[Jump Start (Comic Strip)|Jump Start]]''
* ''[[Jump Start]]''
* ''[[Jungle Jim (Comic Strip)|Jungle Jim]]''
* ''[[Jungle Jim]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/The Katzenjammer Kids|The Katzenjammer Kids]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/The Katzenjammer Kids|The Katzenjammer Kids]]''
* ''[[De Kiekeboes (Comic Strip)|De Kiekeboes]]''
* ''[[De Kiekeboes]]''
* ''[[Krazy Kat (Comic Strip)|Krazy Kat]]''
* ''[[Krazy Kat]]''
* ''[[Kudzu (Comic Strip)|Kudzu]]''
* ''[[Kudzu]]''
* ''[[Liberty Meadows (Comic Strip)|Liberty Meadows]]''
* ''[[Liberty Meadows]]''
* ''[[Life in Hell (Comic Strip)|Life in Hell]]''
* ''[[Life in Hell]]''
* ''[[Lil Abner (Comic Strip)|Lil Abner]]''
* ''[[Li'l Abner|Lil Abner]]''
* ''[[Lio (Comic Strip)|Lio]]''
* ''[[Lio]]''
* ''[[Little Lulu (Comic Strip)|Little Lulu]]''
* ''[[Little Lulu]]''
* ''[[Little Nemo (Comic Strip)|Little Nemo]]''
* ''[[Little Nemo]]''
* ''[[Little Orphan Annie (Comic Strip)|Little Orphan Annie]]''
* ''[[Little Orphan Annie]]''
* ''[[The Lockhorns (Comic Strip)|The Lockhorns]]''
* ''[[The Lockhorns]]''
* ''[[Love Is (Comic Strip)|Love Is]]''
* ''[[Love Is]]''
* ''[[Luann (Comic Strip)|Luann]]''
* ''[[Luann]]''
* ''[[Mafalda (Comic Strip)|Mafalda]], see also [[Quino (Comic Strip)|Quino]]''
* ''[[Mafalda]], see also [[Quino]]''
* ''[[Mallard Fillmore (Comic Strip)|Mallard Fillmore]]''
* ''[[Mallard Fillmore]]''
* ''[[Mandrake the Magician (Comic Strip)|Mandrake the Magician]]''
* ''[[Mandrake the Magician]]''
* ''[[Mark Trail (Comic Strip)|Mark Trail]]''
* ''[[Mark Trail]]''
* ''[[Marmaduke (Comic Strip)|Marmaduke]]''
* ''[[Marmaduke (comic strip)|Marmaduke]]''
* ''[[Marvin (Comic Strip)|Marvin]]''
* ''[[Marvin]]''
* ''[[Mary Worth (Comic Strip)|Mary Worth]]''
* ''[[Mary Worth]]''
* ''[[Minimum Security (Comic Strip)|Minimum Security]]''
* ''[[Minimum Security]]''
* ''[[Modesty Blaise (Comic Strip)|Modesty Blaise]]''
* ''[[Modesty Blaise (comic strip)|Modesty Blaise]]''
* ''[[Mother Goose and Grimm (Comic Strip)|Mother Goose and Grimm]]''
* ''[[Mother Goose and Grimm]]''
* ''[[Mutts (Comic Strip)|Mutts]]''
* ''[[Mutts]]''
* ''[[My Cage (Comic Strip)|My Cage]]''
* ''[[My Cage]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Nero|Nero]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Nero|Nero]]''
* ''[[Nemi (Comic Strip)|Nemi]]''
* ''[[Nemi]]''
* ''[[Non Sequitur (Comic Strip)|Non Sequitur]]''
* ''[[Non Sequitur (comic strip)|Non Sequitur]]''
* ''[[Off the Mark (Comic Strip)|Off the Mark]]''
* ''[[Off the Mark]]''
* ''[[One Big Happy (Comic Strip)|One Big Happy]]''
* ''[[One Big Happy]]''
* ''[[On the Fastrack (Comic Strip)|On the Fastrack]]''
* ''[[On the Fastrack]]''
* ''[[The Optimist (Comic Strip)|The Optimist]]''
* ''[[The Optimist]]''
* ''[[The Outbursts of Everett True (Comic Strip)|The Outbursts of Everett True]]''
* ''[[The Outbursts of Everett True]]''
* ''[[Over the Hedge (Comic Strip)|Over the Hedge]]''
* ''[[Over the Hedge (comic strip)|Over the Hedge]]''
* ''[[Peanuts (Comic Strip)|Peanuts]]''
* ''[[Peanuts]]''
* ''[[Pearls Before Swine (Comic Strip)|Pearls Before Swine]]''
* ''[[Pearls Before Swine]]''
* ''[[The Perishers (Comic Strip)|The Perishers]]''
* ''[[The Perishers]]''
* ''[[The Perry Bible Fellowship (Comic Strip)|The Perry Bible Fellowship]]''
* ''[[The Perry Bible Fellowship]]''
* ''[[The Phantom (Comic Strip)|The Phantom]]''
* ''[[The Phantom (comic strip)|The Phantom]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Piet Pienter En Bert Bibber|Piet Pienter En Bert Bibber]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Piet Pienter En Bert Bibber|Piet Pienter En Bert Bibber]]''
* ''[[Pluggers (Comic Strip)|Pluggers]]''
* ''[[Pluggers]]''
* ''[[Pogo (Comic Strip)|Pogo]]''
* ''[[Pogo (comic strip)|Pogo]]''
* ''[[Pondus (Comic Strip)|Pondus]]''
* ''[[Pondus]]''
* ''[[Pooch Cafe (Comic Strip)|Pooch Cafe]]''
* ''[[Pooch Cafe]]''
* ''[[Popeye (Comic Strip)|Popeye]]''
* ''[[Popeye (comic strip)|Popeye]]''
* ''[[Prickly City (Comic Strip)|Prickly City]]''
* ''[[Prickly City]]''
* ''[[Prince Valiant (Comic Strip)|Prince Valiant]]''
* ''[[Prince Valiant (Comic Strip)|Prince Valiant]]''
* ''[[PVT Murphy's Law (Comic Strip)|PVT Murphy's Law]]''
* ''[[PVT Murphy's Law]]''
* ''[[Quino (Comic Strip)|Quino]]''
* ''[[Quino]]''
* ''[[Rasmus Klump (Comic Strip)|Rasmus Klump]]''
* ''[[Rasmus Klump]]''
* ''[[Retail (Comic Strip)|Retail]]''
* ''[[Retail]]''
* ''[[Rex Morgan MD (Comic Strip)|Rex Morgan MD]]''
* ''[[Rex Morgan, M.D.|Rex Morgan MD]]''
* ''[[Rip Haywire (Webcomic)|Rip Haywire]]'' (Webcomic parody of a newspaper comic strip.)
* ''[[Rip Haywire]]'' (Webcomic parody of a newspaper comic strip.)
* ''[[Rip Kirby (Comic Strip)|Rip Kirby]]''
* ''[[Rip Kirby]]''
* ''[[Robotman and Monty (Comic Strip)|Robotman and Monty]]''
* ''[[Robotman and Monty]]''
* ''[[Rose Is Rose (Comic Strip)|Rose Is Rose]]''
* ''[[Rose Is Rose]]''
* ''[[Rupert Bear (Comic Strip)|Rupert Bear]]''
* ''[[Rupert Bear]]''
* ''[[Safe Havens (Comic Strip)|Safe Havens]]''
* ''[[Safe Havens]]''
* ''[[Sally Forth Howard (Comic Strip)|Sally Forth Howard]]''
* ''[[Sally Forth Howard]]''
* ''[[Sally Forth Wood (Comic Strip)|Sally Forth Wood]]''
* ''[[Sally Forth Wood]]''
* ''[[Sams Strip (Comic Strip)|Sams Strip]]''
* ''[[Sams Strip]]''
* ''[[Scamp (Comic Strip)|Scamp]]''
* ''[[Scamp]]''
* ''[[Shermans Lagoon (Comic Strip)|Shermans Lagoon]]''
* ''[[Sherman's Lagoon|Shermans Lagoon]]''
* ''[[Shoe (Comic Strip)|Shoe]]''
* ''[[Shoe]]''
* ''[[Slylock Fox (Comic Strip)|Slylock Fox]]''
* ''[[Slylock Fox]]''
* ''[[Snuffy Smith (Comic Strip)|Snuffy Smith]]''
* ''[[Snuffy Smith]]''
* ''[[Sovisa (Comic Strip)|Sovisa]]''
* ''[[Sovisa]]''
* ''[[Spider-Man (Comic Strip)|Spider-Man]]''
* ''[[Spider-Man (comic strip)|Spider-Man]]''
* ''[[Stone Soup (Comic Strip)|Stone Soup]]''
* ''[[Stone Soup (comic strip)|Stone Soup]]''
* ''[[Suske En Wiske (Comic Book)|Suske En Wiske]]''
* ''[[Suske en Wiske]]''
* ''[[Terry and The Pirates (Comic Strip)|Terry and The Pirates]]''
* ''[[Terry and the Pirates]]''
* ''[[This Modern World (Comic Strip)|This Modern World]]''
* ''[[This Modern World]]''
* ''[[Tom the Dancing Bug (Comic Strip)|Tom the Dancing Bug]]''
* ''[[Tom the Dancing Bug]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Tom Poes|Tom Poes]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Tom Poes|Tom Poes]]''
* ''[[US Acres (Comic Strip)|US Acres]]''
* ''[[U.S. Acres|US Acres]]''
* ''[[Urbanus (Comic Strip)|Urbanus]]''
* ''[[Urbanus]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Wash Tubbs|Wash Tubbs]]''
* ''[[Comic Strip/Wash Tubbs|Wash Tubbs]]''
* ''[[What's New With Phil and Dixie (Comic Strip)|What's New With Phil and Dixie]]''
* ''[[What's New with Phil and Dixie]]''
* ''[[What the Duck (Comic Strip)|What the Duck]]''
* ''[[What the Duck]]''
* ''[[The Wizard of Id (Comic Strip)|The Wizard of Id]]''
* ''[[The Wizard of Id]]''
* ''[[The World of Lily Wong (Comic Strip)|The World of Lily Wong]]''
* ''[[The World of Lily Wong]]''
* ''[[Yenny (Comic Strip)|Yenny]]''
* ''[[Yenny]]''
* ''[[Ziggy (Comic Strip)|Ziggy]]''
* ''[[Ziggy]]''
* ''[[Zippy the Pinhead (Comic Strip)|Zippy the Pinhead]]''
* ''[[Zippy the Pinhead]]''
* ''[[Zits (Comic Strip)|Zits]]''
* ''[[Zits]]''


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 06:39, 8 April 2014

Before the Internet and Web Comics, the only place to find daily, serialized comic strips was (and for many people, still is) the back page of your local mainstream or alternative newspaper.

Comic strips can cover a wide range of formats, topics, characters and artistic styles. The Far Side and The Family Circus are one-panel gag strips. Bloom County and Pogo, while light-hearted on the surface, were thick with Story Arcs and political commentary. Other strips, like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes, delightfully portray the experiences of childhood, and thus have broad, long-term appeal. There have been countless serialized adventure strips like The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Prince Valiant and Dick Tracy; soap opera/slice-of-life strips like Gasoline Alley and Rex Morgan M.D., and strips that fall in between, like Little Orphan Annie.

Compared to other media, newspaper comics can have incredibly long tenures. New Peanuts strips appeared daily for over 49 years. Doonesbury has been running for 40 years and Garfield has been coming out for over 30 years. Neither show any signs of stopping. Even more impressively, Blondie has run for well over 75 years, Gasoline Alley has run over 90 years, and most impressively of all The Katzenjammer Kids has been running since 1897! A 10-year run is considered tremendous for a television show, but when Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side and Bloom County each ended production after a decade, it seemed far too soon.

On the flip side, one of the reasons why Web Comics are 5-10 years ahead of Web-based indie music distribution (and 15-20 years ahead of non-corporate Web movies) is that "making it big" in sequential art has been traditionally defined as "being able to support a middle-class lifestyle without a day job". Only about 10 people in the whole 20th century got seriously stinking rich drawing Newspaper Comics, and of those only two or three achieved actual stardom.

The downside is that many newspaper comics have a reputation for not being funny anymore and the Long Runners often derisively described as "zombie strips". This is because, as far as a newspaper is concerned, comic strips are just advertising: they're there to lure in readers and make them more willing to fork over some subscription money. They're Fan Service, basically. And the last thing you want to do with fanservice is serve up something that doesn't actually please the fans. As such, Darker and Edgier humor, political- and/or current-events-based humor must be handled carefully, lest they cost the newspaper (or the artist!) more subscriptions than they gain. Even worse, newspaper strips are written anywhere from six weeks to ten months in advance of print date, which doesn't help topical humor. Newspapers have also been cutting down on the amount of space that comic strip artists are given in which to practice their visual, art-based medium, resulting in Bowdlerized art and abbreviated storytelling.[1] And the newspaper itself has become a victim of the Information Age; not only can consumers get the news online, they can get comics online too. So newspapers have to play it safe, and they do so by angling for broad, non-offensive humor with a wide appeal, often by recycling tired jokes and premises that sitcoms put to pasture years ago.

Successful newspaper comics usually find their way into other media, but are most fondly remembered as simple pen-and-ink drawings on cheap newsprint.

Sometimes you'll hear the term "Underground Comix"; in the USA, at least, this term refers to pen-and-ink comics not distributed by a syndicate and normally published in "alternative" papers, 'zines, etc. Web Comics and the consolidation of the supposedly "Alternative" newsweekly industry have put a dint in their circulation, but Cerebus and American Elf among others started out this way, and the latter still appears in alternative weeklies, or at least the one in the author's hometown.

Also, these have a very high chance of Breaking the Fourth Wall, but only when they do a very common "look at the reader at some other person's comedy or comedy failure".

Newspaper Comics that have wiki pages:


  1. ↑ As Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame said of the space restrictions way back in 1989: "A beautiful strip like Pogo would be impossible to read at today's sizes." Of course it only got worse, and ultimately this was one of the factors that led to Watterson's decision to stop doing the strip. Along with a lot of the other stuff mentioned here.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Newspaper_Comics?oldid=885468"