Tribune Media Services Sued in 'Shoe' Comic Contract Dispute

By: Dave Astor "Shoe" co-cartoonist Susie MacNelly's Blue Salvage Company has filed suit against Tribune Media Services, charging that TMS is making it difficult for the comic to possibly move to King Features Syndicate.

The Virginia-based MacNelly is the widow of "Shoe" creator Jeff MacNelly. The lawsuit against the Chicago-based TMS was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Nov. 16, according to a copy of the suit obtained Friday by E&P.

Blue Ridge Salvage was formed in 1995, and that company (along with Jeff MacNelly) entered into a new contract with TMS at that time, according to the suit.

After MacNelly died in 2000 at the age of 52, Blue Ridge (now owned by Susie MacNelly) and TMS signed a letter to essentially maintain the 1995 agreement -- which included a contract expiration date of March 31, 2008.

The suit says the 2000 letter "does not contain any right of first refusal" for TMS if Susie MacNelly wants to take "Shoe" to another syndicate after March 31, 2008. But TMS says it continues to have the right of first refusal under the 1995 contract.

In addition, the suit says Susie MacNelly felt TMS didn't have a strong enough licensing operation to fully exploit "Shoe" in areas other than syndicating the comic.

King's Aug. 8, 2007, proposal to possibly take over distribution of "Shoe" said the New York-based syndicate would give the comic strong licensing and sales support, as well as provide a signing bonus of $350,000.

TMS made a counter-offer later in August that it said matched King's proposal. But the Blue Ridge/MacNelly suit says the King contract is better overall.

Jeff MacNelly created "Shoe" in 1977. At its peak, it appeared in more than 1,000 newspapers -- and still runs in about 600.

The late MacNelly was also a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who spent much of his editorial cartooning career working for the Chicago Tribune -- a sister entity to TMS.

Susie MacNelly and a TMS executive could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.