Starting Again - For Better or For Worse

[wwfpooh]

Agreed. This is why most shows--including kid's shows--ought to have character depth, so when bad times happen, we can feel the sadness coming off of the characters & when good times roll, happiness can come off, as well (ex: superhero shows, including [The New] Teen Titans, IMHO; Sonic the "SatAM" Hedgehog; most Disney films, sans teenybopper stuff & sequels; the work of Henson, et al).

 

[bazooka_beak]

Well, it's her comic, so she can do what she wants with it. I (rarely) read her work, so I can't really say I'm attached to or care much about the characters (the last I checked, the youngest child was a toddler... that's how far behind I am XD).

I think Jim Davis would be better off ending his strip, because from what I heard, it really isn't funny anymore :/ And I love Garfield, so that makes me sad!

 

[wwfpooh]

The reason Garfield is no longer funny could be due to those mediocre movies that milk the idea for all its worth, IMO.

 

[Baby Gonzo]

Have you ever seen Garfield Minus Garfield? Heheh. Funny stuff.

 

[wwfpooh]

Have you ever seen Garfield Minus Garfield? Heheh. Funny stuff.

No. But then again, to each their own.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I think Jim Davis would be better off ending his strip, because from what I heard, it really isn't funny anymore :/ And I love Garfield, so that makes me sad!

I agree! It's the same exact idea playing itself over and over again and it's getting kind of lame honestly...

 

[bazooka_beak]

^ I guess I should be glad I only really stick to the old stuff (80s to early 90s) and haven't checked out recent strips in years. Poor Garfield. Did Jon really get married to Liz?

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Did Jon really get married to Liz?

Nope, they are just dating.

 

[Baby Gonzo]

I don't think Jon and Liz are married. They're just dating.

One thing I have learned about newspaper comics in particular is that safety is key, especially in this fragile time for newspapers in general. While I seriously doubt there is ANYONE who buys the paper just for comics, readers may react negatively upon the removal of their favorite comics. A prime example would be Peanuts. It has been several years since Charles Schulz's passing but his comics are still being published in comic strips. Why not? Everyone loves Peanuts. It's the first comic many people gravitate to (including myself) when they pick up a newspaper. On the other hand, the newspaper is using precious space for this already established, beloved comic as opposed to letting a new comic artist start up their own strip. In this sense, it is almost impossible to become a syndicated comic artist. Statistically, you are more likely to become an A-list movie star than a syndicated comic artist.


This can be applied to Garfield as well. Many people agree that Garfield is past its prime, but it is safe. People know this comic strip and it is more likely to draw an audience than a new comic drawn by Joe Nobody. I for one hate to say it, but newspapers are a dying breed and newspaper comic strips are an example of this. Space alloted for comic strips has been getting smaller and smaller. In general, the paper itself has been getting smaller and smaller as well. I guess it's to save on paper. Which gets no opposition from me.

The good news is, there is still a future for comic strips on other media, such as the web. In fact, there are many possibilities for the future of comics.

Wow. I'm sorry. I went on a complete tangent.

 

[Teheheman]

Like you said, it has to do with how the media is. If more people bought papers, then more people would have a say in the comics in there. Every once in a while, the Cincinnati Enquirer would hold a comic poll(last time they did this was last year when the Cincinnati Post was shutting down and they were taking their comics) on what comics they want to have kept in the paper. Garfield, Blondie, Zits, among others, were still in there, and there were some that were knocked off for the new stuff. I don't think it's because it's safe. I think it's because people who read that stuff still want it in there. They like waking up with a cup of coffee and the morning paper. People don't like change, just look at the presidents, we have elected more than half of our presidents to more than one term. Not because they were good, but because we don't like change. That's just an example, I don't wanna start any political debate in here.

Daniel