Re: Blandstein

On 17 Jun 1997 19:10:23 GMT, in alt.ascii-art pet...@aol.com
(PeteCasso) intoned:

>I just perused the comics sections of a number of newspapers (again), and
>found bland cartoons all over, even from big names syndicates. Considering
>the rather violent reactions to my own bland cartoons, perhaps this level
>of blandness in newspaper cartoons is all that the general public can
>tolerate?

I think it's just that most comics suck, including once-funny ones.
Consider 'Peanuts'.  In the sixties, it was pretty funny.  Now it's
degenerated into nostalgia.  It would seem that this fate befalls all
cartoons dealing with youth or pets (and this is about 80% or so.)
The worst thing to happen to the comics was Larson, Watterson, and
Breathed all quitting within such a short period of time.  ( I know
Larson does calanders and Watterson does books, but it's not the
same.)  Now all we have is Dilbert and the occasional Doonesbury
(which has degenerated as well).  

Of course, much of the blame must go to those newspaper publishers who
keep constantly shrinking the comics.  Watterson did an in-depth piece
condemning this in one of his books, and I can't say I blame him for
his attitude.  There's really no space to elaborate or tell a real
story, and so are reduced to the same old cliches since they take less
space to elaborate upon.  There is a special place reserved in hell
for the newspaper publishers who decided to shrink the comics so much.

Maybe new, creative minds are put off cartooning and go into other
formats because they're appaled by the lack of vitality in the field,
not only on the comics page, but also in the "journalism" practiced
today in the U.S.  I certainly am.  
(I should add that all comments above are directed at US syndicates
and papers, as I don't read others due to a lack of foreign language
ability.*  Are international cartoons any better?)

*Except for Tintin.  He's cool.

>Nice and not so nice comments welcome  :-)

I would say that, not being conformed by artificial format
restrictions, you could do much better than these people.  *steins are
generally lame.  But you have none of their excuses. Nobody edits
alt.ascii-art.

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People who think I take the funnies too seriously can... well,
anyway...

-- 
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