More Reasons Why

Still attempting to discover why the bad comics still appear. Daily. Let's look at some other possibilities:

4) THE INTERNET. Now, I don't normally spend much time dwelling on the God-awful soap opera strips. You know, your Rex Morgans, your Mary Worths, etc. They're actually much, much funnier than most of the funnies. Only, unintentionally so. Or is it intentional? Come on. As I see it, these things ONLY exist because of the online communities that have grown up making fun of them. Don't believe me? Check out my (newly updated) links list. Even slightly modern comics like For Better or For Worse are ripe for the snarking.

5) IT'S JUST BUSINESS, MAN. Jon suggested this idea, and I will just quote directly: "Maybe the big syndicators (can we call them "Big Syndi" like Big Oil and Big Pharma?) package their good comics with the crappy old ones. For instance, United Syndicates may sell Dilbert to a paper but only if they buy Nancy and Marmaduke. Of course, the United webpage lists Marmaduke as a "beloved reader favorite" so that may be part of the problem right there..." First, Jon, damn you, I had managed to forget all about Nancy until now. Second, hmmmmm. . . maybe he is on to something? You know, these syndicates have spun their "beloved reader favorites" into major logo and licensing deals. You can get your favorites on greeting cards, mugs, mouse pads, etc. I guess they must be big money makers for the syndicates, and therefore, they need to use their pull to keep them in the public eye. Just think, if Marmaduke were pulled, who in the world would go out and by a Marmaduke-logoed dog bone? It doesn't really explain Tiger, though. Or Hi & Lois. I'm not sure I've ever seen any Hi & Lois paraphernalia. Thank goodness.

6) THE FUNNY PAGE EDITORS ACTUALLY THINK THESE THINGS ARE FUNNY.
Hmmmm . . . Could it be true?



Uhm, in a word: NO.

Today's culprits: The Internet, Big Business, and Unfunny People. Are there more? Certainly. Feel free to theorize. I'll be thinking of other reasons.