Los Angeles Times Cancels 'Non Sequitur' Comic Over Obscenity

As the LA Times' comic section has been condensed over the years, the paper has been left with just a handful of strips — most of them legacy, and rather unexciting. One of the few comics with any sort of edge, "Non Sequitur," has now been axed as well — over an subtly obscured obscenity that made it into print.

See above: In the one frame, scribbles appear to read, "We fondly say go f**k yourself to Trump.” Alas, that was too much for many newspapers — including the L.A. Times, which wrote in an editor's note:

In the Feb. 10 comics section, the “Non Sequitur” cartoon by Wiley Miller contained a vulgar message that was hidden in an illustration.

Andrews McMeel Syndication, which distributes the cartoon, apologized Monday for missing the offensive wording in its editing process. “If we had discovered it, we would not have distributed the cartoon without it being removed,” the statement said. “We apologize to Non Sequitur’s clients and readers for our oversight.”

Miller, in a statement, said he had prepared the cartoon with the vulgar message several weeks ago, intended to remove the message before the cartoon was distributed but neglected to do so. However, in a Twitter post Sunday, the cartoonist wrote: “Some of my sharp-eyed readers have spotted a little Easter egg from Leonardo Bear-Vinci. Can you find it?”

The Los Angeles Times considers this a breach of trust with our readers and will halt publication of the “Non Sequitur” cartoon. The Times' comic pages are prepared in advance, so readers may see “Non Sequitur” cartoons for several more Sundays.

Other newspapers that have dropped the strip include the Chicago Tribune, which wrote an identical editor's note, with just the newspaper's name changed (and signed by Tribune editor Bruce Dold). Strangely, the Trib's statement even ran on the LAT's site — a legacy, I assume of the papers' former co-ownership.

Other papers dropping the strip include the San Diego Union-Tribune, and reaction from readers was very mixed.

Retro Friday: CBS Gets "Strange" in 1978

CBS is getting back into the comic book business this year with "Supergirl." But the Eye network has dabbled in plenty of comics in the past, including "Wonder Woman" (which aired first on ABC) and "The Flash." Remember in the late 1970s when CBS when a bit comic book crazy? The network had "The Incredible Hulk" and, briefly, "The Amazing Spider-Man." And then, in 1978, was this TV movie (a.k.a. failed pilot) version of "Doctor Strange." Check out a young Jessica Walter! This looks hysterically bad.

Here's the first part of the movie here; follow the links on YouTube if you want to watch it all.

L.A. Times' TV Grid Is Back (Sorta) -- Here's Why

Well, that didn't last long. Just days after eliminating its TV grid from the Calendar section of the newspaper, the Los Angeles Times suddenly brought it back. It's a smaller grid -- fewer channels, less hours and a fraction the size of the old one -- but there it is, back in the pages just days after it had been scrapped for space reasons.

I suppose you could see it coming. As a subscriber, we even received a questionnaire asking if we'd like to see a smaller grid reinstated. I just didn't realize how fast they'd bring it back. Those angry phone calls must have been intense.

I asked the paper to comment; here's what they said: "In recognition that our print readers rely on The Times to provide a daily TV grid, we have brought the feature back to the Calendar section," spokesperson Nancy Sullivan emailed. "TV highlights also appear daily and for those who want a stand-alone guide we offer TV Weekly, which is delivered in the Sunday Times. Searchable and printable online listings are also available at http://latimes.com/tvlistings."

I also asked about the addition of color to the daily comics -- and why, in the space that could be utilized for one more comic (Sally Forth, perhaps), they're instead using it for text. "We are continuously improving all areas of the paper and are pleased to be able to offer the daily comics in color. The text you refer to at the bottom of the page is dedicated to encouraging submissions to our long-standing Kids’ Reading Room feature and providing information about how the community can order The Times’ free Reading by 9 Parent Reading Guide."

I suppose, but remember when the Kids' Reading Room was a daily *full-page* feature? And then downsized to a still major presence in the Sunday comics? Now it's barely anything. But I do approve of trying to reach out to young readers, and wish newspapers could make more of an impact with kids.

Still Fewer Laughs for the Sunday Funnies

I've been chronicling the shrinking Los Angeles Times comics pages for years (see a whole host of posts dating to 2003 here, and it always saddens me when the paper shrinks the already downsized section.

Remember when the daily paper boasted more than four pages of comics? And 12 pages of color comics on Sundays? Those days are long gone. And now, the L.A. Times announced that it will further shrink its 6-page Sunday Comics lineup to an even smaller 4-page feature. And in the process, two more strips will be excised: "Stone Soup" and "Home and Away."

Here's the announcement.

In an age when kids don't read the newspaper, I've always thought that unique features like the comics at least stood them apart from anything else. But hey, I was a weird kid, so what do I know.

And yes, I'm still bitter that the paper dropped "Sally Forth."

Comic Strip Predicts Today's Charlie Sheen Mess

I'm guessing cartoonist Scott Hilburn can't believe his luck. Today's edition of his Argyle Sweater comic -- as seen in the L.A. Times -- makes a joke about Charlie Sheen's morning, um, habits.

TMZ, of course, broke the news this morning that Sheen was sent to the hospital this morning after a night of partying.

L.A. Times Publisher Downsizes Comics Yet Again

The L.A. Times has added a second ad strip to its comics page -- which means dumping two more strips.

And once again, the Times has opted to drop two newish, contemporary strips ("Brewster Rockit" and "Home and Away") while keeping moldy, legacy strips like "Dennis the Menace," "Blondie" and "Family Circus."

Seriously. On the one hand, the paper knows its aging audience -- 60+ readers that grew up with "Blondie." But at the same time, it's once again sending a message to younger readers: Don't bother.

Here's the interesting part: The decision on which strips to drop came directly from L.A. Times publisher Eddy Hartenstein, who helped make the final call on which strips to dump.

The L.A. Times' Readers Representative explained that "Brewster Rockit" and the recently dropped "Rex Morgan M.D." (the paper's still hearing about that move) are now available on the L.A. Times website:

Because of a reorganization of the section, which included the addition of a second advertisement, two more strips have been removed: “Home and Away” and “Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!” Earlier this month, “Cathy” retired and “Rex Morgan, M.D.” was cut to make room for the addition of the KenKen puzzle.

However, there also has been an addition this week on the comics front. For the first time, a selection of comics is available on latimes.com. “Rex Morgan” and “Brewster Rockit” are among them. So are others that readers ask about, such as “Mary Worth” and “Sally Forth.” (But readers have been disappointed to discover that “Home and Away” is not included in the prebundled package to which The Times subscribes. However, the strip is available on the website of its syndicate.)

As of Tuesday morning, about 15 people, most of them “Brewster Rockit” fans, had e-mailed The Times to protest the cuts.

Hartenstein is now part of a four-member panel now running Tribune in the wake of Randy Michaels' departure -- but still had time to deem "Brewster Rockit" unworthy of print!

Most Horrifying eBay Auction In History?

I'm sure there's someone out there excited about this eBay listing -- actually there are at least four, given the number of bids.

But seriously. A collection of yellowing "Love Is" cartoons, cut out from the L.A. Times in 1971 and pasted into a scrapbook.

This is why Meg Whitman must be stopped. OK, not really (there are other reasons), but this is the most horrifying thing I've ever seen on eBay.

L.A. Times Cuts 'Rex Morgan,' Angers More Comics Fans

The L.A. Times took advantage of the end of the "Cathy" comic strip to also ax a second strip, "Rex Morgan, M.D.," and turn the space over to the puzzle "Kenken."

You'd think the LAT would know better by now. The paper has already dramatically reduced its comics count in recent years -- even dropping a page from the daily and two pages from the Sunday edition. And everytime the paper dumps another strip (such as "Sally Forth" last year), it hears an outcry from readers.

This time was no different. Yeah, I had no idea people actually still read the serialized comic strips -- and apparently neither did the LAT, which had cut all of its serialized strips up until "Rex Morgan" -- and now has none. Read some of the reaction here.

Here's reader Kirk McDonald's reaction:

I'm sure I am not the only faithful reader of the LA Times' Comics pages who is disappointed to learn of the sacrifice of two more slots for daily strips to yet another inane puzzle game that appeals to only a handful of readers. Unless I’m grossly mistaken, I find it hard to believe that there was a large segment of the Times’ readership clamoring for the addition of Kenken to the comics pages.

I have been a loyal subscriber to the Los Angeles times for nearly 30 years, and the number one reason I continue to subscribe is for the Comics page. It’s the first thing I read every morning (since the “news” is already stale by the time the paper is delivered, thanks to television and the Internet). But seeing as how the daily strips have been reduced from 43 in 2002 (including Dilbert, in Business, and In the Bleachers, in Sports) down to just 30, and the Sunday format taken from 28 down to 23 (and divided into an ad-infested, ridiculous 2-part travesty), I am seriously reconsidering my continued loyalty.

I gotta admit, I had never heard of the "Kenken" puzzle until the L.A. Times installed it.

"Cathy" Comic Strip Ending; Will the L.A. Times Now Bring Back "Sally Forth"?

Now that cartoonist Cathy Guisewite is pulling the plug on her nationally syndicated comic strip "Cathy," what might replace it at the L.A. Times?



We recommend the return of "Sally Forth" -- the slightly edgy strip written by Francesco Marciuliano. You may remember that fans of the strip bombarded the paper last year after L.A. Times' features editor dumped "Sally Forth" for no apparent reason.

Now's a chance to correct that wrong -- and replace "Cathy" with a humorous strip with a professional female lead (one who's not trying on too-tight swimsuits on a regular basis).

As for Guisewite, she explained her departure to the AP:

Guisewite, 59, said she chose to end the largely autobiographical comic strip because she wanted more time with her 18-year-old daughter and her parents and because "other personal deadlines started becoming more pressing for me than the newspaper ones."

The strip, which launched in 1976, publishes for a last time on Sunday, Oct. 3.

Last Week's Weird Comic Strip Crossover

This is strange... after years of knocking the treacle that is "Family Circus" (and enjoying the parodies, such as the The Nietzsche Family Circus, I've got some newfound respect for the comic.

In particular, it looks like cartoonist Jeff Keane, who's now handling the strip for father Bil, has a sense of humor about it all. That's because he recently played along with "Pearls without Swine" cartoonist Stephan Pastis, who has made a habit of breaking the fourth wall in his strip. Pastis regularly coordinates non-sequitur gags with other comics to run the same day -- making for a unique gag in papers where both strips run.

But "Family Circus" would seem to be an unlikely partner in crime for Pastis, whose strip is everything "Family Circus" isn't: Edgy, rude... and, well, funny.

Above, here's how the two strips looked last week -- at least L.A. Times comics readers saw both, even if they were left scratching their heads.

Whoa, What's Going On Over on "Blondie"?

From the May 17 "Blondie": Looks like the relationship between Mr. Dithers and Dagwood has taken a strange turn.

Honey, the LAT Shrunk the Comics, Part II: The Cartoonists Respond

Cartoonists are taking the Los Angeles Times' shrinking comic strips in stride, noting that it's better than the alternative -- losing carriage of their strip all together.

It kind of reminds me of what I tell people these days when they ask me about my job. I usually answer something to the effect of, "Hey, it's just nice to be working."

It's true -- I toil in the print media, which is not exactly a growth industry. I'm sure many of you answer that question in the same exact way.

That's why I wasn't too surprised to find that cartoonists are resigned to shrinking reality of newspaper comic strips. Cartoonists have been complaining about the trend for years, as their work gets harder and harder to read -- but these days, as newspapers as a whole continue to get smaller, they're just happy to still get published anywhere.

I asked "Candorville" creator Darrin Bell and "La Cucaracha" creator Lalo Alcaraz -- both based in Los Angeles -- to weigh in on the changes.

"Tonight I was laughing at myself about this very thing," Alcaraz wrote me. "Sure, the comics pages are shrunk, and damn, the Sundays look almost the size of dailies, but... the whole paper is shrinking. It's comforting that we notice the comics first, God bless us everyone! But now the LA Times is the size of the Long Beach Press Telegram.

"I did turn in a daily gag about the comics shrinking, it's pretty much mandatory for cartoonists to note this long running development. It should run next week.

"On the bright side, I haven't been shrunk out of the paper."

Bell, meanwhile, said he was being realistic:

"I'd love it if they could run my work 8" across, but the reality is papers are struggling to survive, newsprint costs a fortune, and if it's a choice between dropping more content (which'll alienate readers) and shrinking the content they have, they've made the right choice. I'm hoping the iPad takes off, every newspaper eventually moves to that kind of platform and then this won't be an issue anymore. But for now, I have no problem with them choosing to shrink content to save it. On the bright side, this should be a boon to the magnifying glass industry."

Both "Candorville" and "La Cucaracha" were briefly dropped, and then reinstated, by the LAT during an earlier comic strip switcheroo. (BTW, yes, the strips above have been extremely shrunk down for dramatic effect. It's actually not as bad as what you see above. Or, at least, not quite.)

As for that massive house ad that has now been slapped in the middle of the LAT comics page, it finally dawned on me why it's there (as opposed to, say, new comics): It's gotta be a placeholder for an ad -- they're gonna try to sell a strip ad in the middle of the comics!

RELATED: Honey, the LAT Shrunk the Comics -- I Mean, REALLY Shrunk the Comics

Honey, the LAT Shrunk the Comics -- I Mean, REALLY Shrunk the Comics

Turns out "Cathy" is even more annoying when shrunk down another 15%.

The Los Angeles Times is trying the patience of comics readers, some of whom are still smarting over the paper's last strip switcheroo (which led to the loss of the popular "Sally Forth"). Now, the paper's new size has made it even tougher to read the comics -- which have been dramatically shrunk down -- all together.

The Los Angeles Times' comments blog noted that the shrunken comics have elicited more complaints than just about anything else (although the paper has yet to address the issue). A few samplings:

Maureen wrote: Regarding your shrunken comics: Presumably you want to retain your subscribers, and I would guess that a lot of them are getting a little older and having a little more trouble focusing on the small print. Perhaps you should provide us with magnifying glasses?

C.J. wrote: I applaud your reducing the physical dimensions of the paper: the smaller page makes it easier to read at the breakfast table. But the commensurate reduction in the dimensions of the comic-strip panels -- already reduced more than they are meant to be in reproduction -- is verging on the absurd. Any smaller and I'll be forced to use the magnifying glass that came with my 2-volume OED.

People are particularly peeved that with the shrunken comics, the paper has plenty of room to run that huge house ad smack in the middle of the strips.

What's up with that house ad? It never changes -- promoting the "Hero Complex" blog every day last week. Plus, it's strangely just dropped right in the middle of the comics, as opposed to the bottom. AND, most puzzling, it's a missed opportunity to either enlarge some comics, or even add a few that were dropped during the last comics downsize.

I wonder if "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau has seen what his strip now looks like in the Times. Trudeau used to ask that his strip appear larger that most in newspapers -- and most, including the LAT, once upon a time obliged. But the LAT shrunk "Doonesbury" down during its last comics revamp -- and now that it has been made even smaller, the strip is nearly impossible to read.

The paper has addressed the other reader complaints about the crossword puzzle -- which was relocated to the center of a page, preventing readers from folding the paper in half in order to do the puzzle. Oh, they heard about that one! (The crossword puzzle complaint earned a post on the LAT's Readers Representative blog.)

News about the Los Angeles Times' recent production changes had been focused on the paper's early press time (thanks to its new deal to publish the Wall Street Journal on LAT presses) and the new "LATExtra" section created to cobble together late breaking stories. (So far, LATExtra has read more like the return of the California/Local section.)

But as part of the decision to also shave an inch from the paper's width (moving from 12 inches to 11 inches wide), the LAT has also trimmed down some of its features -- hence the tough-to-read comics.

The Los Angeles Times' "Sally Forth" Problem

The L.A. Times discovers once again: Don't mess with the comics section. And, more importantly, don't blindside your readers.

The paper had been testing out comic strips for months in an attempt to replace "For Better or For Worse," the strip that Lynn Johnston is now re-writing from the beginning. The choices -- "Home and Away," "Luann," "Between Friends" and "Stone Soup" -- were uninspired, and not all that much better than "For Better or For Worse."

Today, the paper revealed that it had decided to replace "For Better or For Worse" with "Stone Soup." Fine, I suppose; "Stone Soup," as I wrote last year, is harmless, but nothing special.

But fine -- "For Better or For Worse" has been absent for months, and readers haven't made much of a stink. The decision to replace it with "Stone Soup" won't make much noise.

Here's where the L.A. Times overstepped, however: It also decided, without warning, to replace reader fave "Sally Forth" with "Home and Away."

The reaction has been fast -- and brutal. The L.A. Times' Readers' Representative blog has received 80 comments and counting (in comparison, there are ZERO comments on the post about the paper's most recent layoffs), all blasting the move. Readers felt especially hosed because there was no warning -- and because the paper's excuse rings hollow:

The decision to replace "Sally Forth" with "Home and Away" wasn't planned as part of the testing, but was a result to the positive response to "Home and Away" and to keep our comics pages fresh. "Home and Away" is a new comic that has the promise to be a clever and relevant take on working families and should speak to the "Sally Forth" crowd. "Stone Soup" is aimed at those who liked "For Better or for Worse."

That's the note from Features deputy editor Sherry Stern. Here's why no one's buying it: The paper continues to run aging heritage strips like "Blondie," "Family Circus" and "Marmaduke," several of which aren't even written by their original creators and all of which haven't been "fresh" or "relevant" in years.

"Sally Forth," on the other hand, is written by a hip young comedian, Francesco Marciuliano, who has made it timely and relevant (the strip these days deals with the strained relationship between its primary couple, as well as office politics in these tough economic times), as well as given it a slightly edgy, slightly subversive tone. (His other strip, "Medium Large," is even more off-the-wall.)

"Home and Away" is not nearly as clever or relevant as "Sally Forth." That's why I started to suspect that more is at play. The L.A. Times had previously tried to cancel "Sally Forth" a year or two ago, but brought it back due to reader reaction. So the paper knows that there's a big fanbase for the strip, but decided to drop it, unannounced, anyway. Who on the L.A. Times staff has it in for "Sally Forth"? I can guarantee that the reaction wouldn't be as harsh if they canceled "Blondie."

Hmm, could this all be a publicity ploy? Stir up some passion among readers, then bring it back -- and in the process, hopefully remind L.A. Times subscribers how important the paper is to their lives?

There's a danger of it back firing, however. I've been advocating sticking with the paper, even as it sheds sections (including, coming soon, the demise of the California section). But this P.R. bungle is really trying my patience. To yank this strip, unannounced, shows disdain for the comics section's loyal readers.

It's a dangerous precedent. As a commenter on Francesco's website writes:

While it definitely sucks that the LA Times has dropped the strip, it is worth noting that Los Angeles has more or less dropped the LA Times.

The L.A. Times' Comics Tryout Goes Into Overtime

The L.A. Times today will introduce another contender to fill its comic strip void, as it struggles to figure out whether to replace "For Better or For Worse." "For Better or For Worse" -- better known to its detractors as "FOOB" -- has been reconfigured into an odd hybrid of old strips from the early 1980s and new strips drawn to fit into that style and era, leading some papers to drop it.

Most recently, the Times tried out the new strip "Home and Away."

Created by Steve Sicula, the recently launched strip revolves around Sam, a stay-at-home dad who attempts to juggle his home office with his family duties. "Home and Away" is one of several strips the Times is giving a tryout to, which has also included Luann and Between Friends.

"Home and Away" is harmless enough, but it doesn't exactly break any new ground or offer up much in the way of laughs. It would be the ultimate safe choice for the paper.

Perhaps the paper hasn't been too impressed with its candidates so far: According to the Times' readers' representative, the paper originally planned to test three new strips there. But with "Home and Away" finishing up, the paper has decided to test a fourth -- which will begin on Monday.

Apparently L.A. Times readers agree: The choices have been terrible so far. A few comments from the paper's readers' representative site:

I agree with others that all of the strips presented so far are inferior to "For Better or For Worse." If this is the best that's out there, either keep "For Better or For Worse," or donate the money for this space to the California section so they can keep Al Martinez. (Posted by: Anabel Adams | January 16, 2009 at 01:33 PM)

None of the comics that have been sampled are any good. Keep For Better or For Worse. So many comics keep replaying the same year of it's characters lives, over and over and over again. At least For Better or For Worse is original and the characters grow, are interesting and are funny and sometimes inspirational! (Posted by: Karen Rapelje | January 15, 2009 at 11:11 PM)

Why are you putting us through this? Between Friends and Home and Away are (were) torture! Not funny and stupid. I used to read LuAnn in other papers and thought it was dumb but occasionally OK. It's easily the best so far, which isn't saying much. How long can this take? Back in the day, people like you got paid to make decisions. So make a decision! Hagar the Horrible, Beetle Bailey, anything. (Posted by: Jim Ruggirello | January 15, 2009 at 02:55 PM)

Oh, dear God, not "Beetle Bailey" or "Hagar." There are plenty of newish, great strips out there. Get to it, Times!

The L.A. Times Comics Calvacade Continues; Next Up: "Luann"

In its ongoing quest to either keep or replace the revamped comic strip "For Better or For Worse," the L.A. Times is testing out a handful of potential replacement strips. Next up: "Luann."

Greg Evans is behind "Luann," about a suburban 16-year-old high school girl and her family. "Luann" is actually an aging strip, having been started in 1985. I'm actually surprised the Times included this one in their mix; the paper has been pretty good at focusing on mostly new comics for its auditions (granted, that hasn't gone so well... last time the paper tried out a bunch of strips, during a "Doonesbury" hiatus, none were selected).

Before "Luann," the L.A. Times was testing out "Between Friends," a strip that happened to be focusing on a storyline about spousal abuse during its LAT run. Uh, ha-ha?

Newspaper readers take their comics seriously -- and unfortunately the most vocal ones tend to get pissed off when mediocre strips are banished. Take this comment on a recent L.A. Times Readers' Representative blog post about the comics changes:

I have been reading the Times comics for over 30 years. I don't know how you choose a strip but it must not be by reading them first. Between Friends is just awful.

Luann use to be in this paper and it's better that what you tried so far.

And while I'm at it has anyone ever in the history of time actually laughed at Ballard Street? That strip is just not funny.

Bring back Mother Goose. That is one clever cartoon strip. Or Garfield. Why did you cut those?

You may as well get rid of Prickly City, La Cucaracha and Candorville while your at it. They suck.

Posted by: Jerry Shain | November 12, 2008 at 11:00 AM

Wait, is that you, Lee Abrams?

It's Not "Funny, Ha-Ha," It's "Funny, the L.A. Times Is Considering a Comic Strip About Domestic Violence"

The Los Angeles Times is trying out another round of comic strip contenders, as it mulls where to keep or dump "For Better or For Worse." Now that "For Better" artist Lynn Johnston has decided to re-tell her strip back from the beginning, papers like the LAT aren't so sure readers will be interested.

But is this a better replacement? Between Friends, "a contemporary comic strip that celebrates the essence and angst of three forty-something women friends."

A strip that, at least this week, is centering on an abusive husband and his tortured wife, along with the conflicted friend who's in the middle? People, it's called the "funnies."

Separated At Birth: John McCain and Bill the Cat?

Come to think of it, there is a resemblance...

Another L.A. Times Comics Conundrum

Now that comic strip artist Lynn Johnston has ended her creation, "For Better or For Worse," after 29 years, she's taking an unconventional approach: Rather than retire, she's revisiting the strip from the beginning. Starting Monday the strip regressed back to 1979, and will now include a mix of old strips and new ones (drawn to match her style from that era).

The L.A. Times, like other papers across the country, isn't necessarily keen on the idea. The Times plans to run the new "FBOFW" (or "FOOB," as the strip's many detractors call it) for five weeks, then rotate in a new crop of three new comics. The paper will then ask readers to choose between the old vs. the new.

What's the big deal about a hokey comic strip? Turns out people aren't just passionate about which comics appear in their local newspaper, but there's a whole legion of readers who love to hate "FBOFW." (Most of them congregate at the Comics Curmudgeon.) As a Washington Post reporter recently wrote:

These are the many millions who live to despise every last thing about the comic strip and, as such, have never missed a day. For them, "Foob" has never been worse -- worse puns, worse sap, even worse life choices. (Which, in a sick way, means "For Better or for Worse" has never been better!)

I, for one, don't get why, if she's going to expend the effort anyway, Johnston didn't just decide to stick with the comic as is. Otherwise, it is time to move on. I do hope the L.A. Times' next batch of comic contenders are better than the last ones, which ran during a "Doonesbury" hiatus earlier this year (none made the cut).

Final Entry in the L.A. Times Comic Derby: "Stone Soup"

And so we're down to the last of three contenders filling in for the on-hiatus "Doonesbury" in the L.A. Times funny pages. "Stone Soup," by Jan Eliot, revolves around a single mom and her two pre-teen daughters.

Again, like the other two entries ("Doug Eat Dog" and "Cafe Con Leche"), I'm not finding anything all that special about "Stone Soup." But check it out for yourself. "Doonesbury" is back on June 16.