'FoxTrot' now a Sunday-only strip

[AKA]

This happened almost a year ago, apparently, and I'm finding out just now. I'm obviously very "out of the loop."

Amend is a very talented man, and FoxTrot is one of the best strips being produced today, so the fact that there is now 1/7 less Fox Trot than there was a year ago bums me out.

But that's not the point of this thread. My question is this: is Amend's decision to go Sunday-only after a successful daily run an unprecedented move, or is he following in someone else's footsteps?

I know Berkeley Breathed brought back the character of Opus in his own self-titled strip, but this was a sequel to two canceled strips, the most recent of which ended eight years earlier.

[mike65!]

Amend is a very talented man, and FoxTrot is one of the best strips being produced today, so the fact that there is now 1/7 less Fox Trot than there was a year ago bums me out.


Don't you mean 6/7 less? :shh: Anyway, I agree. While stuff like Cathy keeps trudging along, we keep losing the best strips

[reechie]

I know Berkeley Breathed brought back the character of Opus in his own self-titled strip, but this was a sequel to two canceled strips, the most recent of which ended eight years earlier.
True, but I believe Breathed's Outland was also a Sunday only strip. His last daily was Bloom County.

I can't think of any others off hand who ditched the weekdays for Sunday only.

I know Lynn Johnston had planned to retire For Better Or For Worse this year, only to be talked out of it by her syndicate. She's changed the format somewhat, and is actually reusing old art at times. Might have been a good idea to cut back to Sunday only in this case.

[mike65!]

I know Lynn Johnston had planned to retire For Better Or For Worse this year, only to be talked out of it by her syndicate. She's changed the format somewhat, and is actually reusing old art at times. Might have been a good idea to cut back to Sunday only in this case.

So that's the story with this strip. I thought it was just a vacation thing. It'll be a shame to see this one go. I've been reading this forever, and it seems like I've grown up with the family, even feeling sad (it kind of ruined my day) when Farley died. If it is a matter of canceling it or having someone else take over the strip, though, I'd rather it be retired.

[Oatsdad]

This happened almost a year ago, apparently, and I'm finding out just now. I'm obviously very "out of the loop."

Amend is a very talented man, and FoxTrot is one of the best strips being produced today, so the fact that there is now 1/7 less Fox Trot than there was a year ago bums me out.


I think it's funny that you're bummed out... but it took you a year to notice. How bummed out can you be by the reduction of a strip you apparently didn't read daily anyway? :confused:

[avnut]

I loved Fox Trot as well, but haven't read it or many other comics in some time - sure you can get em online, but it seems like if I am not holding a physical newspaper, I don't think about it!

Bloom County was and will always be a favorite - Liked Outland as well, but haven't really gotten into Opus.

[il pleut]

I think it's funny that you're bummed out... but it took you a year to notice. How bummed out can you be by the reduction of a strip you apparently didn't read daily anyway? :confused:

a thing can't bum you out until you know about it. things you take for granted that suddenly aren't there anymore...

[Oatsdad]

a thing can't bum you out until you know about it. things you take for granted that suddenly aren't there anymore...

My point is that it comes across like you're a big fan of the strip, which would make me think you'd have noticed its disappearance sooner. I just think it's funny that you liked the strip enough to be sad about its more limited run... but not enough to read it for more than a year...

[Andrew T.]

For what it's worth, my local paper never bought the Sunday "FoxTrot" strip to begin with. When FoxTrot moved to a Sunday-only format, I simply assumed that either the paper dropped the strip or the strip itself had ended production. I didn't realize what had really happened until several months after the fact. :)

[Veech]

I miss Calvin and Hobbes... :cry:

[-Alan]

I miss Calvin and Hobbes... :cry:

Agreed, and The Far Side. :righton:

[guy incognito]

But that's not the point of this thread. My question is this: is Amend's decision to go Sunday-only after a successful daily run an unprecedented move, or is he following in someone else's footsteps?


The Flash Gordon strip started as a Sunday-only in 1934, ran daily from 1940-44, went back to Sunday-only from 44-51, daily again from 51-93, and Sunday-only again from 93-03.

[Jay F]

My point is that it comes across like you're a big fan of the strip, which would make me think you'd have noticed its disappearance sooner. I just think it's funny that you liked the strip enough to be sad about its more limited run... but not enough to read it for more than a year...I've been reading For Better or for Worse on and off for many years. Was the grandparents' recent bout of Alzheimer's new, or part of the re-run series we seem to be in now?

[reechie]

I've been reading For Better or for Worse on and off for many years. Was the grandparents' recent bout of Alzheimer's new, or part of the re-run series we seem to be in now?
Not Alzheimer's. He's had two strokes over the last couple of years, the most recent just a couple of months ago.

[Jay F]

Not Alzheimer's. He's had two strokes over the last couple of years, the most recent just a couple of months ago.That was in the present, right? And now they're flashing back? Except when Michael(?) is signing his book? And he's one of the kids they flash back to?

[mike65!]

yep

[Oatsdad]

The whole use of old stuff in "FBoFW" is really lame. She might as well just end the damned strip if it's going to be reruns half the time. "Peanuts" gets away with going the "classic" route because... well, it's "Peanuts", the greatest strip of all-time (though you wouldn't know from the less-than-strong 90s material they run weekdays). I think "FBoFW" has been a moderately interesting strip, but I don't like the current trend...

[reechie]

The whole use of old stuff in "FBoFW" is really lame. She might as well just end the damned strip if it's going to be reruns half the time.
Blame her syndicate. She was planning to retire it this year, they begged her to continue, so she made some compromises. :shrug:

[carrick doone]

Agreed, and The Far Side. :righton:

I thought I had read all of the Far Sides and decided on my funniest panel until I saw THAT one! Thanks for the laugh.

I miss opening the paper and reading Calvin and Hobbes AND Far Side. It made the rest of the news tolerable.

[Evan L]

Calvin And Hobbes was the best. And with Peanuts, they deserve to be termed classics.

Fox Trot is a funny strip, and I also didn't realise it was sunday-only now.

Evan

[Oatsdad]

For a good fairly new strip, I recommend "Pooch Cafe". It's clever and has some attitude but it's not hipper than thou like the too clever-clever (IMO) "Pearls Before Swine":

http://www.poochcafe.com

[seed_drill]

Blame her syndicate. She was planning to retire it this year, they begged her to continue, so she made some compromises. :shrug:

In an interview she said she wanted to tie up some loose story arcs while doing the flashbacks. I predict marrying off Elizabeth to the dweeb and bumping off grandpa before going totally into repeats.

[Oatsdad]

In an interview she said she wanted to tie up some loose story arcs while doing the flashbacks. I predict marrying off Elizabeth to the dweeb and bumping off grandpa before going totally into repeats.

Do you think the strip will still run in most/any papers if it's just repeats? "Peanuts" can get away with that, but I think if "FBoFW" goes to the all reruns, all the time format, it'll get the boot from the vast majority of papers...

[seed_drill]

Do you think the strip will still run in most/any papers if it's just repeats? "Peanuts" can get away with that, but I think if "FBoFW" goes to the all reruns, all the time format, it'll get the boot from the vast majority of papers...

Possibly, but she probably doesn't need the $. She's retiring, I think was talking about moving (or at least going to) Latin America for an extended period. Plus I think her husband leaving her and her real life kids growing up has sapped her familial juices.

Personally, as much as I love Peanuts, I think giving the space over to a current strip would have been preferable. After all, if you want your Peanuts, Fantagraphic Books is doing a heck of a job with their reissue program.

[Oatsdad]

Personally, as much as I love Peanuts, I think giving the space over to a current strip would have been preferable. After all, if you want your Peanuts, Fantagraphic Books is doing a heck of a job with their reissue program.

I totally agree. If you want to read "Peanuts", you can easily do so. It's taking up valuable space that could go to someone new...