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February 18, 2008

For some, losing this comic really is 'worse'

It's not the homicides or the stories about people losing their homes in the sub-prime lending crisis that elicit the most outspoken responses. No, it's the comics. Or in this case, the end of a comic.
“For Better or for Worse,” which appeared on the Connecticut Post’s comic page for more than 25 years, was replaced today by a new comic, "Arctic Circle." And it's not sitting well with those of you calling or e-mailing me today. "How could you do this?" was the tenor of several readers, lamenting what they felt was a poor choice by Post editors.
In fact, however, the strip's artist, Lynn Johnston, has been in semi-retirement since September and has been using recycled story lines since then, according to John Burgeson, our comic page editor. “This has resulted in confusion for readers, in part because of the disjointed timeline, and in part because Johnston’s artistic style has evolved over the years.”
United Media, which syndicates "For Better or for Worse," said Johnston would be retiring from the strip almost completely soon, and that it would either drawn by a new artist, or that the comic would simply go into repeats. So the Post decided to go in a different direction.
“Arctic Circle” is a new strip from artist and writer Alex Hallatt, who is from New Zealand. It centers on three penguins who have journeyed from Antarctica to the Arctic to escape the thinning ozone layer.
It remains to be seen if you will enjoy "Arctic Circle." But what is clear is that the passing of "For Better or for Worse" is a blow to some of you.

Posted by Ted Tompkins on 4:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack