Changes in the Nashville Tennessean

[Mike Rhode]

I can't find the article online, but my father-in-law is reporting that they're adding Rubes, Argyle Sweater and Breaking Cat News, and dropping For Better or For Worse, the cancelled Nancy, Beetle Bailey (stating its creator has died), and Family Circus while switching Doonesbury from daily to Sunday only.

There are running puff pieces or interviews (with Rubin) on the 3 new strips:

The Argyle Sweater: Scott Hilburn's comic creation is a childhood dream realized
March 31, 2018
https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2018/04/01/argyle-sweater-scott-hilburns-comic-creation-childhood-dream-realized/470321002/

Inside the quirky mind of 'Rubes' comic creator Leigh Rubin
Jessica Bliss, USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee March 31, 2018
https://www.tennessean.com/story/life/2018/04/01/rubes-comic-creator-leigh-rubin-10-questions-quirky-responses/439407002/

Meet Breaking Cat News Cartoonist, Georgia Dunn
Jeffrey Jenkins, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee March 31, 2018
https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2018/04/01/meet-breaking-cat-news-cartoonist-georgia-dunn/467443002/

[Jimmy Delach]

For reference, here is the Tennessean's recent comics lineup...

3/2/2018 (the latest Daily paper on newspapers.com)

The Family Circus
Pluggers
Ziggy
Close To Home
Heathcliff

Adam @ Home
Arlo & Janis
Baby Blues
Beetle Bailey
Blondie
Curtis
Classic Doonesbury
For Better Or For Worse
Garfield
Hagar The Horrible

Lola
Marvin
Nancy
Peanuts
Pearls Before Swine
Prickly City
Red & Rover
Sally Forth
Tiger
Zits

Sunday (as of 2/25/2018)

Peanuts
Dilbert
Grand Avenue
Close To Home
Red & Rover
Garfield
Frazz
Hagar The Horrible
Nancy
Pearls Before Swine
Arlo & Janis
Curtis
Marvin
Baby Blues
For Better Or For Worse
Fox Trot
The Fusco Brothers
Broom-Hilda
Doonesbury
Beetle Bailey
Blondie
Pickles
Lola
Prickly City
Zits
Tiger

[D.D.Degg]

Mike Rhode wrote:
> I can't find the article online, but my father-in-law is reporting
> that they're adding Rubes, Argyle Sweater and Breaking Cat News,
> and dropping For Better or For Worse, the cancelled Nancy,
> Beetle Bailey (stating its creator has died), and Family Circus
> while switching Doonesbury from daily to Sunday only.

That info is included below the Rubin interview.

> Inside the quirky mind of 'Rubes' comic creator Leigh Rubin

> https://www.tennessean.com/story/life/2018/04/01/rubes-comic-creator-leigh-rubin-10-questions-quirky-responses/439407002/

To make room, we are dropping several comics:

Nancy, which ended in February when writer/illustrator Guy Gilchrist
— a Nashville resident — quit creating new strips.
Beetle Bailey, whose original artist, Mort Walker, died in January.
For Better or For Worse, which had been in reruns.
Family Circus.

In addition, Doonesbury is moving from seven days a week to
Sundays only. The Monday-Saturday strips had been in reruns.

So reruns and dead creator are the reasons for dropping the strips.

Yet Jimmy DeLach's list shows they continue to run
the old Peanuts and Tiger reruns.

As for Legacy/Zombie strips, they don't drop
Pluggers, Ziggy, Heathcliff, Adam @ Home, Blondie,
Hagar the Horrible, Sally Forth,and Grand Avenue.

Other than Nancy I would guess $$$$ is the deciding factor.

D.D.Degg

[D.D.Degg]

Other papers and other changes

The Elizabethtown (KY) News-Enterprise has reduced its
Sunday Funnies section from six pages down to four pages.
A, let's say it together, cost cutting measure.

In doing so they have squeezed the comics down enough
so that only two strips had to be dropped.

Ziggy continues as a daily but no longer a Sunday,
and, tragically, the other Sunday they have dropped
is Prince Valiant (boo, hiss).
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/opinion/columnists/funny-page-change-is-no-april-fool-s-joke/article_cbd63546-d533-5723-a5d7-a4b25f4a3f8f.html

Elsewhere, the Lima News has resigned Dilbert.
http://www.limaohio.com/news/293245/jim-krumel-your-input-appreciated-on-content-updates

D.D.Degg

[D Heine]

And for Family Circus: Recycled art with tweeks.