Friday Runaround – New York Post Drops Its Cartoons, But Doesn't Want To Talk About It

Published Fri, 09 May 2014 05:25:28 -0500

Last updated Fri, 09 May 2014 05:25:32 -0500

NEW YORK STATE OF MINDLESSNESS

"It caught everyone by surprise," King Features comics editor Brendan Burford tells me. "We got zero notice." King, which sold three comics to the Post, was told of the move on Tuesday – the day the strips vanished. (The paper had only seven strips; King sold "Mallard Fillmore," "Rhymes with Orange," and "Dennis the Menace" to the Post.)

The Post hasn't explained why it killed the section, says Burford, and King is trying to get the strips back into the paper.

"Rhymes with Orange" creator Hilary Price tells me she learned from a fan that her strip and others had been dropped by the Post. The fan wrote her: "I emailed them, and they gave me a cryptic message about the cost of running them."

I called the Post newsroom this afternoon and was told the only comment would come from spokesperson Suzi Halpin. Her office at Rubenstein Communications said she'd only answer questions via email; she's received mine.

The Washington Post picked up the story, also talking to Price.

"One of my reactions" to this news, cartoonist Hilary Price tells The Post's Comic Riffs, "is that there was no announcement in the New York Post. That creates confusion among the readers. If you're sitting there on the subway and reading your newspaper and looking for your comics page, your first inclination is [to think]: I must be missing a page. Not: Oh, the comics are gone."

(Comic Riffs called the New York Post newsroom Thursday afternoon seeking comment; an employee acknowledged the news about the dropped comics, but the paper did not respond to multiple requests for more information.)

An announcement in the Post's pages might have helped readers glean who made the decision. Some industry observers point to Jesse Angelo, who as the paper's new publisher began making changes a year ago. Of the publisher, Price says: "I think he's taking a gamble. He's not reaching out to ask readers what [they would] like. His way of business is not a way I'm familiar with."

Will anyone answer these quizzical hacks?

SPIDER GRILLED

I know that Tom DeFalco would love to revive the Spider-Girl comic. And his star is rather on the rise right now. But this is going too far. CBS Philadelphia reports.

Police say that around 2:20 a.m., a black female suspect wearing a Spiderman sweatshirt zipped over her face entered the business and showed a handgun before demanding money and cigarettes.

The clerks complied and turned over and undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes before the suspect fled south on South State Street.

Police have released surveillance photos from the scene, which show the woman wearing an all red, zip-up, hooded Spiderman sweatshirt, jeans and white sneakers.

HERE IS MY JETPACK

Jetpack Comics gets really excited about the post. They're like this with eery letter, you know.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YmEShou6Gs[/youtube]

FIRST SECOND FINAL

Graphic novel publisher First Second has joined Diamond Comic Distributor's Final Order Cut-off (FOC) program, which enables retailers to increase or decrease their non-returnable order closer to shipping date, without penalty. along with the premier publishers and Boom!, Dynamite, Oni, Valiant and Zenescope.

COMIC GONE

Sorry folks, no further sales of San Diego Comic Con tickets…

In past years Comic-Con International has been able to hold a sale of returned and unallocated badges in June. Unfortunately, due to an extremely low rate of refunds and cancellations this year, we are not able to hold a resale of Comic-Con 2014 badges. Thank you for your support and understanding.

THEY ARE COMICS

This is how social media works.

Idea: A photo campaign of personal statements from people on the margins, w/ photos reading "I am comics." Somebody do this?

— Rachel Edidin (@RaeBeta) April 26, 2014

And this is that tweet on Buzzfeed.

And The Huffington Post

IT'S ALL IN THE GAME

Dorkshelf looks at the changing Toronto Comic Arts Festival.

"At TCAF everything comes together because there are interested and passionate people," said Butcher. That included Spooky Squid designer Miguel Sternberg, who was searching for an outlet while organizing the original Comics vs. Games showcase with TIFF Nexus. "Miguel came to me with a great idea looking at different kinds of narrative and how comics had influenced different media."

The effort brought the first Comics vs. Games to TCAF, which in turn led to similar events, including the creation of last year's Bit Bazaar. The invasion may have been inevitable. TCAF was established as an outlet for independent comic creators working outside the superhero mainstream. The convention seeks to highlight comics that push the artistic boundaries of the medium.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!