A comic strip syndicate functions as an agent for cartoonists and comic strip creators, placing the cartoons and strips in as many newspapers as possible on behalf of the artist. A syndicate can annually receive thousands of submissions, from which only two or three might be selected for representation. In some cases, the work will be owned by the syndicate as opposed to the creator. The Guinness World Record for the world's most syndicated strip belongs to Jim Davis' Garfield, which at that point (2002) appeared in 2,570 newspapers, with 263 million readers worldwide.
As of 2017, the leading strip syndicates are Andrews McMeel Syndication, King Features Syndicate, and Creators Syndicate, with the Tribune Content Agency and The Washington Post Writers Group also in the running. Andrews McMeel syndicates more than 150 comic strips and news features. Andrews McMeel also owns and operates GoComics, a website featuring comic strips currently syndicated by Andrews McMeel, as well as discontinued titles such as Calvin and Hobbes, The Boondocks, and Bloom County; webcomics such as Pibgorn and Kliban; plus a selection of syndicated comic strips from Creators Syndicate and Tribune Content Agency. King Features syndicates 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5,000 newspapers worldwide. Creators syndicates close to 60 strips and 20 editorial cartoonists.
Strip submissions In Syd Hoff's The Art of Cartooning, King Features Syndicate comics editor Sylvan Byck, who served in that position for more than 25 years, observed that King Features received more than a thousand strip proposals annually, but chose only one each year. Byck offered some tips regarding strip submissions, including the creation of central characters with warmth and charm and the avoidance of "themes that are too confining," as he explained:
Of the strips that successfully reach syndication, only about one-quarter survive longer than a year or two.Ted Rall quoted in MacDonald, Heidi. "Universal Uclick to syndicate United's comic strips," The Beat (February 24, 2011).
Contracts and creator ownership Historically, syndicates owned the creators' work — the name, characters, and likenesses — enabling them to continue publishing the strip after the original creator retired, left the strip, or died. An early example of this practice was Rudolph Dirks' hugely successful comic strip, The Katzenjammer Kids, which first appeared in print in 1897. In 1912, Dirks challenged publisher William Randolph Hearst for ownership rights to his comic strip, and ultimately Hearst prevailed.Dirks profile, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed Jan. 3, 2018. This practice led to "legacy strips" (or more pejoratively "zombie strips") — strips taken over by other creators — which are often criticized as lacking the "spark" that originally made the strip successful. Most syndicates signed creators to ten- or even twenty-year contracts. (There have been exceptions, however, such as Bud Fisher's Mutt and Jeff being an early — if not the earliest — case in which the creator retained ownership of his work from the outset.)
Milton Caniff was another of several important cartoonists who had tried unsuccessfully to secure rights to their creations. In 1946, he walked away from the enormously popular Terry and the Pirates comic strip because his syndicate insisted that they own his creation. In 1947 Caniff created Steve Canyon because Marshall Field III, who owned Field Newspaper Syndicate, allowed him to own the rights to his comic strip.Holtz, Allan. "Obscurity of the Day: Hit or Miss", April 13, 2010. Also in 1947, according to publisher Denis Kitchen, Al Capp, creator of the hugely popular Li'l Abner, "sued United Feature Syndicate for $14 million, publicly embarrassed UFS in Li'l Abner, and wrested ownership and control of his creation the following year."
Changing syndicates Most strips stay with the same syndicate over the course of their run (not counting instances where syndicates merge with each other, are acquired, or change names). Over the years, however, for various reasons, a few notable strips changed syndicates. AP Newsfeatures closed down in 1961 and McNaught Syndicate closed down in 1989, prompting a number of strips to end their runs or move to other syndicates. Sometimes — as in the case of strips like The World's Greatest Superheroes or Poor Arnold's Almanac — a strip took a long hiatus and when it returned to syndication it was with a new company.
A watershed moment came in early 1987, when Creators Syndicate was born in response to King Features' acquisition of News America Syndicate and the resulting consolidation of strip syndication. After Creators was founded, Milton Caniff sent Creators founder Richard S. Newcombe a postcard saying, "To put it on the record: Hooray!!!" Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Peters told Editor & Publisher magazine, "It's long overdue that syndicates realize a new day is here. Indentured servitude went out in the 1500s." Johnny Hart, creator of B.C. and The Wizard of Id, called Creators "a history-making venture in syndication." Bil Keane, creator of The Family Circus, described Creators Syndicate as "the first breath of fresh air the syndicates have had in 100 years of existence." A number of prominent strips moved from King Features (and News America) to the independent company Creators.
The following is a list of notable comic strips that, for various reasons, changed syndicates: Andy Capp — Publishers-Hall Syndicate (1957–1975), Field Newspaper Syndicate/News America Syndicate (1975–c. 1987), Creators Syndicate (c. 1987–present) B.C. — New York Herald Tribune Syndicate (1958–1966),Harvey, R.C. "Hare Tonic: Johnny Hart to Appear B.C.," The Comics Journal (March 22, 2012). Publishers Syndicate / Publishers-Hall Syndicate / Field Newspaper Syndicate / News America Syndicate / North America SyndicateStorch, Charles. "Hearst To Buy Murdoch Syndicate," Chicago Tribune (December 25, 1986). (1967–1987), Creators Syndicate (1987–present) Bizarro — Chronicle Features (1985–1995), Universal Press Syndicate (1995–2003), King Features Syndicate (2003–present)Press release. "BIZARRO WINS GENESIS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CARTOON," King Features website (March 25, 2004). The Bungle Family — McClure Newspaper Syndicate (1919–1924), McNaught Syndicate (1924–1942), Self-syndicated (1943–1945) For Better or For Worse — Universal Press Syndicate (1979–1997,"News Watch: For Better Or For Worse, Johnston Changes Syndicates," The Comics Journal #199 (Oct. 1997), p. 36. 2004–present), United Feature Syndicate (1997–2004) The Dinette Set — King Features (1997–c. 2006), Creators Syndicate (c. 2006 – Jan. 2010), United Feature Syndicate (May 2010–Nov. 29, 2015) Foxy Grandpa — New York Herald, W.R. Hearst, American-Journal-Examiner, Publishers Press (C.J. Mar), Associated Newspapers, New York Press, New York Herald (again), Philadelphia Bulletin Fred Basset — Hall Syndicate / Publishers-Hall Syndicate (1960s–1975), Field Newspaper Syndicate (1975–1984), King Features Syndicate, Tribune Media Services, Universal Press Syndicate (2001–2009), Andrews McMeel Syndication (2009–present) Garfield — United Feature Syndicate (1978–1993), Universal Press Syndicate (1994–present) Grin and Bear It — Chicago Times Syndicate, United Feature Syndicate, Field Enterprises, Publishers-Hall Syndicate, News America Syndicate, North America SyndicateHoltz, Allan. "Which Newspaper Strip Was Distributed by the Most Syndicates?", Stripper's Guide (July 15, 2019). Heathcliff — McNaught Syndicate (1973–1988), Creators Syndicate (1988–present) Li'l Abner — United Feature Syndicate (1933–1964), Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate (1964–1977)Harvey, R.C. "REVIEWS: Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary," The Comics Journal (Mar. 14, 2013). Loose Parts — Los Angeles Times Syndicate (1998–2000), Tribune Media Services (2000–2014), The Washington Post Writers Group, (2014–2022) Andrews McMeel Syndication (2022–present) Mark Trail — New York Post Syndicate, Post-Hall Syndicate, Hall Syndicate, Publishers-Hall Syndicate, Field Enterprises, News America Syndicate, North America Syndicate Miss Peach — New York Herald Tribune (1957–1966), Publisher Syndicate / Field Newspaper Syndicate / News America Syndicate (1966–1986), Creators Syndicate (1987–2002) Momma — Publishers-Hall (1970–1987), Creators Syndicate (1987–2016) Mother Goose and Grimm — Tribune Media Services (1984–2002), King Features (2003–present)Astor, Dave. "Mike Peters Moves To King," Editor & Publisher (November 27, 2002). Mutt and Jeff — King Features Syndicate (1907–1915), Wheeler Syndicate (1915–1916), Bell Syndicate (1916–c. 1944), Field Newspaper Syndicate (c. 1944–1983) Napoleon and Uncle Elby — LaFave Newspaper Features (1932–1952), Mirror Enterprises Syndicate (1952–1961) Reg'lar Fellers — Bell Syndicate (1917–1924), George Matthew Adams Service (1924–1929),Tack Knight entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Accessed Nov. 1, 2018. King Features (1929–1942), Associated Newspapers (1942–1949)George Carlson entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Accessed Nov. 1, 2018. Sherman's Lagoon — Creators Syndicate (1991–1997), King Features Syndicate (1997–present) Shoe — Tribune Media Services (1977–2008), King Features Syndicate (2008–present)Press release. "King Features to Syndicate Shoe Comic Strip: Distribution of Popular Feature Begins September 1, 2008," Business Wire (August 2008). Steve Canyon — Field Enterprises, Sun and Times Company, Publishers Syndicate, Publishers-Hall Syndicate, Field Enterprises, News America Syndicate, North America Syndicate Tumbleweeds — Lew Little Enterprises (1965–1967), Register & Tribune Syndicate (1967–1972), King Features Syndicate (1972–1977), United Feature Syndicate (1977–1980), Field Enterprises (1980–1984), News America Syndicate (1984–1986), North America Syndicate (1986–2007) Wee Pals — Lew Little Enterprises (1965), Register and Tribune Syndicate (1965-1970s), King Features, United Feature Syndicate, Field Enterprises / News America Syndicate / North America Syndicate, Creators Syndicate (1980s–present) The Wizard of Id — Publishers Newspaper Syndicate / North America Syndicate (1964–1989), Creators Syndicate (1989–present)
History Origins (1900s–1910s) Comic strip syndication services began operating in the opening years of the 20th century. The first syndicate to distribute comic strips was the McClure Newspaper Syndicate (founded in 1884), which began syndicating comic strips circa 1901. (McClure's more notable strips included Billy Bounce, by W. W. Denslow and later by C. W. Kahles, [1901–1906];Billy Bounce at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. from the original on June 11, 2015. Superman, which it syndicated beginning in 1939; and Batman and Robin, debuting in 1943.)
Beginning about 1905, Joseph Pulitzer's New York World began syndicating strips to other newspapers under the name World Feature Service; in circa 1910 it added the syndication division New York World Press Publishing (also known as Press Publishing Co.).Hudson, Frederic, Alfred McClung Lee, and Frank Luther Mott. American Journalism 1690-1940, Volume 4 (Psychology Press, 2000), p. 591. The Newspaper Enterprise Association, (NEA), founded by E. W. Scripps in 1902, began syndicating comic strips by 1909.
The Associated Newspapers syndicate, run by S. S. McClure's cousin H. H. McClure, was launched in 1912, it was a cooperative of four newspapers: The New York Globe, the Chicago Daily News, The Boston Globe, and the Philadelphia Bulletin.