The New York Herald Tribune Syndicate was the syndication service of the New York Herald Tribune. Syndicating comic strips and newspaper columns, it operated from c. 1914 to 1966. The syndicate's most notable strips were Mr. and Mrs., Our Bill, Penny, Miss Peach, and B.C. Syndicated columns included Walter Lippmann's Today and Tomorrow (c. 1933–1967), Weare Holbrook's Soundings, George Fielding Eliot's military affairs column, and John Crosby's radio and television column. Irita Bradford Van Doren was book review editor for a time.

History The syndicate dates back to at least 1914, when it was part of the New York Tribune."Briggs Succumbs: Clare Briggs, Cartoon Genius, Dies at 54," Editor & Publisher (Jan. 11, 1930). Archived at "News of Yore 1930," Stripper's Guide. Accessed Dec. 1, 2017. (The Tribune acquired the New York Herald in 1924 to form the New York Herald Tribune.)Kluger, Richard (1986). The Paper: The Life and Death of the New York Herald Tribune. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. . OCLC 13643103, p. 214.

The syndicate's first comic strip of note was Clare Briggs' Mr. and Mrs., which debuted in 1919. Harry Staton became the editor and manager of the syndicate in 1920; other notable strips which launched in the 1920s included Harrison Cady's Peter Rabbit, Charles A. Voight's Betty (which had originated with the McClure Syndicate),Markstein, Don. "Betty," Toonopedia. Accessed Dec. 6, 2017. Crawford Young's Clarence,Crawford Young bio, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed Dec. 23, 2017. and H. T. Webster's The Timid Soul (which had originated with the New York World).Knoll, Edwin. "H. T. Webster Dies; 7 Months' Panels Done," Editor & Publisher (Sept. 27, 1952). Archived at Stripper's Guide. Accessed Nov. 26, 2018. All of those strips had long syndication runs of at least 25 years.

Strips launched by the Herald Tribune Syndicate in the 1930s included Dow Walling's Skeets"Dow Walling and the Comic World Of Skeets," Whatnot Museum. Accessed Dec. 23, 2017. and Harry Haenigsen's Our Bill,Guide to the Harry Haenigsen Papers 1920-1970, Northwest Digital Archives both of which had long runs. H. T. Webster's arrival in 1931 led to a rotating roster of cartoon features: The Timid Soul was seen on both Sunday and Monday. Youth's glories (The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime) and the downside (Life's Darkest Moment) appeared on Saturdays and Tuesdays. On Wednesday, The Unseen Audience offered satirical jabs at radio. How to Torture Your Husband (or Wife) was published each Thursday, and the week ended with Bridge on Fridays."Average Man," Time, Monday, November 26, 1945.

Strips begun in the 1940s included Haenigsen's PennyReynolds, Moira Davison. Comic Strip Artists in American Newspapers, 1945-1980. McFarland, 2003. and Leslie Charteris & Mike Roy's The Saint. Buell Weare stepped in as the syndicate business manager in 1946"Syndicate Executives Profiled: Who's Who Among Leading U.S. Syndicate Executives," Editor & Publisher (Sept. 7, 1946). Archived at "News of Yore 1946," Stripper's Guide. and Harold Straubing was comics editor c. 1946-1954.Harold Elk Straubing papers, 1935-1993, Rocky Mountain Online Archive. Accessed Dec. 6, 2017. In the period 1947–1948, the syndicate tried out a number of weekly filler strips, none of which were particularly successful.

Mell Lazarus' Miss Peach and Johnny Hart's B.C. debuted in 1957Roberts, Sam. "Mell Lazarus, Cartoonist of 'Miss Peach' and 'Momma,' Dies at 89," New York Times (MAY 25, 2016). and 1958 respectively, and both went on to long runs (though ultimately with other syndicates).

In 1963, New York Herald Tribune publisher John Hay Whitney (who also owned the Chicago-based Field Enterprises) acquired the Chicago-based Publishers Syndicate,Stetson, Damon. "Herald Tribune Is Closing Its News Service: But Meyer Says Columns That Appeared in Paper Will Be in Merged Publication," New York Times (June 24, 1966). merging Publishers' existing syndication operations with the New York Herald Tribune Syndicate, Field's Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate, and the syndicate of the Chicago Daily NewsToni Mendez Collection (a newspaper that had been acquired by Field Enterprises in 1959). When the New York Herald Tribune folded in 1966, Publishers inherited the Tribune Syndicate's strips, including B.C., Miss Peach, and Penny.

In 1967, Field Enterprises acquired Robert M. Hall's New York-based Hall Syndicate, merging it with Publishers to form the Publishers-Hall Syndicate.

N.Y. Herald Tribune Syndicate strips and panels B.C. by Johnny Hart (1958–1966)Harvey, R.C. "Hare Tonic: Johnny Hart to Appear B.C.," The Comics Journal (March 22, 2012). — still running; now syndicated by Creators Syndicate Betty by Charles Voight (April 4, 1920–1943) — Sunday-only strip; acquired from the McClure SyndicateHoltz, Allan. "Ink-Slinger Profiles: C.A. Voight," Stripper's Guide (October 22, 2013). Bodyguard / Ben Friday / Bantam Prince by Lawrence Lariar and John Spranger and Carl Pfeufer (May 2, 1948–February 28, 1954)Lawrence Larier entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 6, 2017. Clarence (1921–1948) originally by Crawford Young (1921–1929), then Weare Holbrook and Frank Fogarty (1929–1948) Coogy by Irving Spector (1951–1954) Dudley D. by Dave Gantz (1961–1963; continued until 1964 by Publishers Syndicate)Gantz entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Accessed Nov. 3, 2018. The Duke and The Duchess by Kin Platt (April 20, 1952–April 18, 1954) — weekly filler strip G. Whizz Jr. by Bill Holman (c. 1924-c. 1931) — also known as Gee Whiz Junior and simply Junior Jeanie by Selma Diamond and Gill Fox,Knoll, Erwin. "HT Syndicate Offers Jeanie, New D&S Strip," Editor & Publisher (April 12, 1952). Archived at "News of Yore: Jeanie Strip to Debut - 1952," Stripper's Guide (February 13, 2008) Gill Fox entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 7, 2017. and later art by Leon WinikLeon Winik entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 7, 2017. (August 26, 1951–September 27, 1953) Jeff Crockett by Mel Casson (March 8th, 1948-March 5th, 1949) Miss Peach by Mell Lazarus (1957–1966; continued by the Field Syndicate and later Creators) Mr. and Mrs. (1919–1963) originally by Clare Briggs (1919–1930); then by Arthur Folwell, Frank Fogarty & Ellison Hoover (1930–1947); then by Kin PlattKin Platt entry, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed Dec. 7, 2017. (1947–1963)Markstein, Don. "Mr. and Mrs.," Toonpedia. Accessed Dec. 23, 2017. Our Bill by Harry Haenigsen (March 6, 1939–1966) Penny by Harry Haenigsen (1943–1966; continued until 1970 by Publishers Syndicate and Publishers-Hall) Peter Rabbit by Harrison Cady and later Vincent Fago (August 15, 1920–1957)Markstein, Don. "Peter Rabbit," Don Markstein's Toonpedia. Accessed Dec. 6, 2017. Peter Piltdown / Pookie by Mal Eaton (December 22, 1947–February 29, 1948) — weekly filler stripMal Eaton entry, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed Dec. 7, 2017. Poor Arnold's Almanac by Arnold Roth (1959–1961) The Saint by Leslie Charteris and Mike Roy, and later John Spranger, Bob Lubbers, and Doug Wildey (September 27, 1948–September 16, 1961) Shaggy by "Gould" (October 7, 1945–July 11, 1948) — weekly filler strip Silver Linings by Harvey Kurtzman (March 7, 1948–June 20, 1948)Schelly, Bill. Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America, (Fantagraphics Books, 2015), p. 108. Skeets by Dow Walling (1932–1951) Specs by R. Gustafson (May 12, 1946–May 25, 1947) — weekly filler strip The Timid Soul / Caspar Milquetoast by H. T. Webster (1931–1953) — originated with the New York World in c. 1924 Tizzy by Mal Eaton (1947–1948)

See also Comic strip syndication

References