Did The Sunday Comics Die With The Death of Charles Schultz???

[Brian Damage]

Since his death back in 2000, which marked the end of the Peanuts comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, Cathy & Brenda Star have all announced that they were ending. Did Schultz's death lead to the comic strip business to die as well??? Or Perhaps, it is still too early to say?

[dakert]

Peanuts had lost relevancy around 1980. I wish the newspapers would reprint the 50s/60s Peanuts strips.
In all my years my newspapers have never carried Brenda Starr or Little Orphan Annie.
IMHO Cathy jumped the shark when she got married.

I still like
Blondie
Beetle Bailey
Hi and Lois
Pickles
Zits
Baby Blues
Dennis The Menace
Shoe
The Lockhorns
and Pluggers

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...several newspapers, including two in my area {the STAR-LEDGER and the ASBURY PARK PRESS} publish daily and Sunday "Classic Peanuts" strips- right now, they're reprinting the January 1964 continuity...the "latest" daily strip was the one where Lucy barks, "Do this! Do that! Hop to it! Do this! Do that! Hop to it! Okay, let's go! Do this! Do that! Hop to it!", then Linus observes, while Lucy flashes a triumphant smile, "You're right...you would have made a good queen!".

Today's Sunday strip was a sequel to the previous week's one where Lucy makes a fist, telling Linus he'd better change channels so she can watch her program, or....LINUS: (to his hand) "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"-

LUCY: Okay, switch channels!
LINUS: OH, NO! NOT AGAIN! I never get to watch what I want to watch! (pounding a table, angrily working himself into a frenzy) NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! (finally walking back to Lucy, oblivious to his presence) I hope your program gets a lousy rating!


And there are other great current comic strips still upholding interest and entertainment on Sundays: "Over the Hedge", by Fry & Lewis; "Mutts", by Patrick McDonnell, "Rose Is Rose", by Brady & Wimmer; "Dilbert", by Scott Adams; "Curtis", by Ray Billingsley; "The Pajama Diaries", by Terry Libenson...need I describe more?

[MikeLutton]

i miss saturday morning cartoons

[AKA]

I think the comics section has been on life support since the mid-'90s with the end of Gary Larson's The Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes.

The retirement of Charles Schulz in 2000 (remember: he announced his retirement due to a debilitating stroke a few months before his death, so Peanuts was going to go away, anyway) was the biggest blow, though. Factor into the equation the dying newspaper and the fact that one can now read their daily comics online, and you have a comics section that... should be put to sleep.

An aside - I remember when Schulz passed away the night before his final strip was published. That added an extra dimension of poignancy and sadness.

[MrCleveland]

Originally Posted by AKA

I think the comics section has been on life support since the mid-'90s with the end of Gary Larson's The Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes.

The retirement of Charles Schulz in 2000 (remember: he announced his retirement due to a debilitating stroke a few months before his death, so Peanuts was going to go away, anyway) was the biggest blow, though. Factor into the equation the dying newspaper and the fact that one can now read their daily comics online, and you have a comics section that... should be put to sleep.

An aside - I remember when Schulz passed away the night before his final strip was published. That added an extra dimension of poignancy and sadness.

I still think the internet killed the Sunday Comic. Now you can read the comics online.

[angiefan]

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

I still think the internet killed the Sunday Comic. Now you can read the comics online.

I remember when Charles Schultz Died,SNL made fun of it with Marcie and Pig Pen and Franklin[SNL actors dressed as Peanut Characters talking to Ted Coppel< or Peter Jennings. Franklin said a comment about Fat Albert.

[Schmoopie]

Originally Posted by angiefan

I remember when Charles Schultz Died,SNL made fun of it with Marcie and Pig Pen and Franklin[SNL actors dressed as Peanut Characters talking to Ted Coppel< or Peter Jennings. Franklin said a comment about Fat Albert.

OMG, are you serious? I would have been livid had I seen that! I am a HUGE Peanuts fan, as is my husband and that is just horrible to make fun of someone who did something so wonderful for the world.

I used to read the comics faithfully every Sunday, but now I get the Peanuts strip delievered to my inbox every day. I still read the comics in the paper when I get a chance, but what killed it for me is when they decided to give the traditional first page/front and center strip section to someone else. Now they've shoved Peanuts into a corner. Those strips are timeless, and in my opinion there will never be another one. I did love Calvin and Hobbs and was disappointed when it ended. I would love to get that huge box set of those eventually.
I remember being at work on Feb 12, 2000 and reading in the paper that Charles Schulz had died. I almost cried right then and there. Definitely one of the saddest days ever.