RIP Lee Salem of Universal Press Syndicate...

[Hogan's Alley]

Dear fellow cartooning fan:

By now, you might have learned that retired Universal Press Syndicate vice president Lee Salem has passed away. Lee was behind the introduction and success of so many landmark comic strips (Doonesbury, Calvin and Hobbes, For Better or for Worse, Cathy, etc.). I was rereading the interview I did with Lee 20 years ago (which was published in Hogan's Alley #7), and I wanted to share it with you today. He made so many great, insightful statements in this piece and demonstrated why he was such a visionary. He seemed a bit taken aback why a comics magazine would want to interview a syndicate executive, but once you read the interview you'll have no doubt why I wanted to talk to him:

https://www.hoganmag.com/blog/universal-soldier-the-lee-salem-interview

While we have your attention, I would encourage you to join the Hogan's Alley group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2189307464491747/2617599811662508/. It's a closed group so good behavior is mandatory, and it's been great fun for the hundreds who have joined.

Thank you for your time and attention, and we hope you had a wonderful summer!

--Tom Heintjes and the staff of Hogan's Alley