Landers Newspaper Slots Fill Up

By: Dave Astor By the time Ann Landers' last column ran July 27, at least 75% of her 1,200 newspapers had made replacement decisions.

Over 800 papers bought Creators Syndicate advice columns, according to CS President Richard Newcombe, whose firm distributed Landers.

More than 100 signed "Dear Abby," said Universal Press Syndicate Director of Communications Kathie Kerr, raising the list to a huge 1,300-plus papers.

Other advice columnists benefited, too. For instance, "Tell Me About It" writer Carolyn Hax gained about 25 clients since Landers' death, reported Washington Post Writers Group Sales Manager/North America Karisue Wyson.

Creators' reaction to the post-Landers sales total? "It's beyond my expectations," said Newcombe, noting that the syndicate hired temporary help to process orders. "There's still a strong market for general advice columns."

Most of Creators' new advice sales were for its three-in-one package, while the rest were for the recently signed Amy Alkon (whose list includes many alternative weeklies). Newcombe said most papers didn't automatically replace Landers with the package, but did so after reading and liking column samples.

The package's most popular part is the daily "Annie's Mailbox" by Landers' assistants Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, followed by the twice-weekly "Dear Prudence" by Landers' daughter Margo Howard. Newcombe said there was initially a lot of editor interest in the package's third element -- a weekly best-of-Landers column -- but many papers decided rerunning older columns wasn't the best way to attract younger readers.

Newcombe added that, as of July 28, each element of the three-in-one package started being offered for individual sale.'

Pleased With 'Abby' Increase

Kerr said Universal is "very pleased" with the 100-plus-increase. "We think it indicates that editors are very comfortable filling the Ann Landers space with 'Dear Abby,'" she said.

The new total of more than 1,300 clients makes "Abby" by far the most widely syndicated column of any kind.

Speaking of "Abby," Universal announced that a new tagline on the column says Jeanne Phillips is now sole author. Her mother, 84-year-old Pauline Phillips, founded the column in 1956.

Hax has actually gained about 70 clients since mid-June, noted Wyson, who said 45 Gannett papers coincidentally joined the list around the time of Landers' June 22 death at age 83. Hax, whose advice is geared mainly to readers under 30, now has more than 180 subscribers. Wyson added that the column just moved to three times a week from two.

"Help Me Harlan" writer Harlan Cohen signed nine new clients, bringing his total to more than 75 (including college papers). Cohen, who has been writing his twice-weekly column for eight years and brings a male perspective to a mostly female advice field, has a tougher sales road because of being self-syndicated.

Another advice column, Harriette Cole's "Sense and Sensitivity," starts July 29. The thrice-weekly feature, which has run in the New York Daily News since 2001, was going to enter syndication this fall. Landers' death led United Media to move up the launch, said Vice President and General Manager Lisa Klem Wilson, so sales are just starting. Three papers signed "Sense" as of last week, and a number were testing it -- as they were doing with other advice columns. Cole is a former Essence magazine editor and author of best-selling books such as Jumping the Broom: The African-American Wedding Planner.

Some cost-conscious dailies aren't replacing Landers, while others are using non-advice columns or local content.

A total tally is hard because some columns "replacing" the daily Landers feature aren't daily, or run on different pages than Landers did.

Client-gain numbers for various advice columns could not be confirmed independently. But there's no doubt that a lot of space is at stake.

"Ann Landers' death," said Wyson, "opened up some pretty valuable real estate on newspaper pages."

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Preparing For 'Post' Post

Tom Toles Discusses His New Job

On July 29, an important position in the nation's capital is being filled after lying vacant since last year.

That position is staff editorial cartoonist of The Washington Post, where Tom Toles succeeds the late Herbert Block.

"I'm excited and nervous, with excitement predominating," said Toles, whose last day at The Buffalo (N.Y.) News was July 19.

The Universal Press Syndicate-distributed cartoonist told E&P Online that he doesn't envision his Post work having a big impact at first. "I don't expect to set foot in Washington and turn the city around in a couple of weeks," he said wryly. "I hope to initially be another voice. Eventually, I hope on certain issues to drive home a point effectively enough where I make a difference."

Toles reported that he will be doing five or six cartoons a week, with one "local-ish" and most of the others national and international in scope. Plans are for the cartoons to appear in Herblock's old spot (though Toles' work is more horizontal) on top of letters to the editor and to the right of the editorials.

His opinions will probably not be to the right of the Post's, though Toles said his progressive philosophy has been somewhat tempered by experience. "I'm a chastened liberal," he quipped.

Toles said his cartoons will not be required to reflect the Post's editorial line, though he believes he and the paper have similar views on many issues.

To prepare for his new job, Toles perused the Post every day and read as much as he could about Washington. Now that he's at the paper, he plans to tap the knowledge of reporters and others there to help his cartoons.

Will Meet People 'At Arm's Length'

What about meeting President Bush, members of Congress, and other major Washington players? Toles said there are advantages to getting a firsthand look at people a cartoonist comments on, but also disadvantages when one's personal feelings of like or dislike potentially color the work. Toles will try to find a middle ground by "meeting people at arm's length" -- as he did during his 20 years at the News (1982-2002) and nine years at the now-defunct Buffalo Courier-Express (1973-82).

The lifelong Buffalo-area resident said he will miss many aspects of living there -- including regularly seeing friends and enjoying summer weather less hot and humid than in D.C. But the lure of the perhaps the most important and influential editorial cartoon position in the country was too much to turn down.

Toles, who was hired by the Post in April, did delay his start there to allow his 16- and 12-year-old children to finish their school years before the family relocates. His wife, Gretchen, works as a historic-parks-preservation advocate.

When asked about the News' budgetary decision not to hire another staff cartoonist at this time, Toles replied that he thinks the paper will eventually replace him.

What are Toles' thoughts about replacing Herblock, the multi-Pulitzer-Prize winner whose Post tenure lasted more than 50 years? Toles, a 1990 Pulitzer winner himself, said Herblock "loomed so large that it's somewhat daunting" to succeed him. But he added that "the stylistic differences are significant enough" to preclude a really close comparison.

Toles concluded that this is a good time to be a cartoonist -- though some of today's major stories, such as corporate corruption and Mideast violence, aren't good for humankind.

"Every year I've been a cartoonist, there have been crucial issues," said Toles. "But anytime there's a higher reader engagement with issues, it's better. Now is one of those times."

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Legislator Uses Pool Series

'The Buckets' Aids Effort To Pass Law

A legislator is using facts, persuasion, citizen outrage and ... comic strips ... in an effort to crack down on unscrupulous swimming-pool dealers and installers.

"I find that humor is a great tool in politics," said Massachusetts State Rep. Paul E. Caron, D-Springfield. "Of course, when [pool problems] happen in real life, it's not funny."

But there's humor in "The Buckets," which, since the spring, has featured a recurring storyline showing its cartoon family experiencing pool-construction hell. Caron, an avid cartoon reader, told E&P Online he spotted the series and received permission to use it in his lawmaking effort. Some of the strips were mounted on a board during a July 23 hearing on the legislation in Boston. And Caron has included copies of the comic in his correspondence about the matter.

The Democratic representative's legislation would, among other things, require that anyone who sells, installs, repairs, or renovates pools be licensed by the state's Department of Public Safety and carry liability insurance. Also, pool dealers who subcontract out the work or refer customers to independent contractors would be required to cover the contractors' work on their liability insurance. There have been a number of cases where dealers sell pools and then refuse to take responsibility for problems caused by the contractors who actually build them.

Caron thinks the legislation will be approved, but noted that possible passage may be at least a couple months away.

"The Buckets," which began in 1990 and now runs in about 110 newspapers worldwide, is by Scott Stantis and Greg Cravens of United Media.

How did Stantis react to Caron's interest in the series? "It was a pleasant surprise," said the cartoonist, who was having a pool built at his house as he wrote the strips. Stantis told E&P Online that while there were some construction delays, the firm he used is reputable. But he's heard "a lot of horror stories" from people dealing with various kinds of contractors.

Stantis is also an editorial cartoonist for the Birmingham (Ala.) News and Copley News Service as well as president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

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News Services Will Mark 9/11

Content Includes Serious Dave Barry Piece

A serious piece by humor columnist Dave Barry will be among the content distributed by news services to mark the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11.

Barry will write about Shanksville, Pa., the town near the crash site of Flight 93, for a special 12-page section offered by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. The package will also include a piece by Leonard Pitts Jr., whose Sept. 12 column contained perhaps the most memorable commentary about the events of the day before. Both Barry and Pitts are with The Miami Herald and Tribune Media Services, which markets KRT. The paginated section -- which also includes a number of other 9/11-related stories, as well as photos and graphics -- is available starting Aug. 15 for use on or after Sept. 8.

The New York Times News Service will move a lot of material from The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and other NYTNS contributors, according to Executive Editor Laurence M. Paul, who added that the New York Times Syndicate will distribute 9/11 content from a special Sept. 8 edition of The New York Times Magazine. Also, a paginated section about 9/11 will be made available to papers abroad.

The Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service will distribute a lot of 9/11 content from its namesake papers as well as other contributors such as Newsday of Melville, N.Y.

And Scripps Howard News Service -- which is marketed by United Media -- is moving a large package of stories, photos, and graphics on Aug. 1. An abbreviated paginated version (consisting of three pages and a cover page) will also be available.

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