Replace hand-me-down comics with new strips

Recently, there has been discussion about the content of the comics page. I think it is time for a major overhaul.

A common issue facing newspapers is a lack of interest from younger generations. I am 22 and an avid newspaper reader, but I'm in the minority for my generation in that regard. One reason younger generations are not getting hooked into newspapers is that comics pages, often a starting point for young readers, are no longer comical.

A major reason for the lack of humor in modern comics is the trend among strips to hand them down to new artists after the original creators retire or die. This has happened with many well-known strips such as 'Beetle Bailey” and 'Hagar.” The consequence of this is that new and relevant strips get fewer opportunities to attract an audience while the handed-down strips lose their originality and grow stale. Bill Watterson had the graciousness to retire his strip completely, opening the door for some of the only comical strips in syndication, such as 'Pearls Before Swine” and 'Retail.”

Matthew Downey

Cedar Rapids