Can Newspaper Comics Survive?
I’ve never been a huge fan of “serious” comics – graphic novels, manga, the Marvel stuff, and so on. I know that this sub form of comics enjoys a strong following and is still a vibrant sect of the comic world. I’m more familiar with the standard comic strips that have always appeared in newspapers, “the funnies.” Having looked at the dazzling visual displays of Windsor McCay’s Little Nemo for the first time, and also having some familiarity with the surreal, otherworldly qualities of George Herriman’s Krazy Kat, I’m struck by how much the medium of newspaper comics has declined since the golden age of the early 20th century. Compare the kaleidoscopic splendor of a Little Nemo page to the drab, compressed look of say, Garfield. There’s no comparison. Much of the change is the result of the economic constraints placed on newspapers: when they were engaged in fierce competition for a huge amount of potential customers around the turn of the century, they had both the revenue stream and t
