'The Norm' Relaunching as Online Strip

By: Dave Astor "The Norm," which left print syndication in September, is resuming as a Web comic that can be seen by paid subscribers.

Several months ago, Nicole Jantze began a campaign seeking 4,000 new "members" of The Norm.com. If that goal was reached, her husband -- "The Norm" creator Michael Jantze -- would start doing new installments of his comic for viewing on the site or via e-mail delivery.

Nicole didn't give the exact number of people who signed up (for a minimum of $25 a year), but she said the number was close enough to 4,000 to make the campaign a success. Michael will do comics from Monday through Saturday each week, Nicole reported.

"The Norm," which had been distributed by King Features Syndicate since 1996, was running in about 50 newspapers when it ended Sept. 12.

Relaunching the strip online "was not Michael's idea," said Nicole, the model for the Reine character in her husband's comic. "He had already ended his contract with King and retired the strip. But after reading the ensuing fan mail, I was intrigued with seeing if people really meant what they were saying; if they would pay to read the strip."

She added: "Comic strips are unique because readers don't feel they should have to pay to read them. This was my main hurdle. Newspapers still are the best way to reach millions of readers every day. But that doesn't translate into a viable living for most creators."