Has 'Washington Examiner' Greatly Shrunk Comics Section?

By: E&P Staff Has The Washington Examiner sliced its comics lineup by more than half?

ComicsDC blogger Mike Rhode reported that Examiner issues he has seen during the past few days have only six strips and panels -- compared to 14 comics in an Examiner issue he saw last month.

E&P phoned the Examiner to try to verify this, and briefly talked to an editor Tuesday afternoon and yesterday morning. But the editor said he didn't have time to talk. A voice-mail message left yesterday afternoon was not returned by the editor.

According to Rhode, the Examiner's comics lineup used to include "Adam@Home," "Frazz," "Overboard," "The Duplex," "Pooch Cafe," "Jump Start," "Prickly City," "Rose is Rose," "Over the Hedge," "The Buckets," "Monty," "Spot the Frog," "Marmaduke," and "Herman." He said the strips that remain are "Frazz," "Over the Hedge," "Overboard," "Spot the Frog," "Adam@Home," and "Prickly City."

A reader letter in yesterday's Examiner lamented the loss of "Pooch Cafe"; an editor's note under the letter confirmed the dropping of that strip.

Rhode is co-author of the "Comics Research Bibliography," an editor with the "International Journal of Comic Art," and a contributing writer for the "Hogan's Alley" comics publication.