Let's help D. Simpson with syndication

[Foxchild]

O.K. I was planning on doing this in my hometown to get a local newspaper to look into printing O&M in the daily comic section. If we all hit variouse cities with this across the globe, somewhere O&M should get syndicated.<br>What I was planning to do is very simple, have several printouts of O&M comics, the less controversial ones (while I love them all, I'm certain the series that has Llewellyn picketing against the gay right protesters would tick someone off) and bring a petition to sign. If I collect enough signatures, and then provide sample strips to the newspaper, then perhaps something will come of it. If nothing else, it will spread knoledge of the online site, and then increase the visits by simple word of mouth.<br>I obviousely can't say this is a shoe-in, actually it will be far from it, but if we can show it would be profitable to run O&M, even in the slightest degree, the newspapers should run it.<br><br>Is everyone with me, or do I stand alone? It's worth a shot, anyway.

[Sigurd Volsung]

I have said it before and I'll say it again (though never hear I'll admit) "don't syndicate!"<br><br>The reasoning is simple syndication limits what your allowed to get away with. Syndicated comics can't be too controverstial and if they are the papers don't publish them. Of all the syndicated comics out there there are only a couple even worth reading the rest repeat themselves to the point of irritation (how many times can Garfield smash a spider), or are so nauseatinly sweet that the can cause diabettes (yes I'm bashing Family Circus). Online comics gives a much needed alternative to the junk that comes out of syndication.<br><br>And while D. Simpson could probably make more money if he were syndicated, we should look on that as an incentive to purchase more of his products.

[simon]

I agree with Sigurd here. Syndication isn't what it used to be. Comics have to be simple, single jokes now. O&M is better without limits.

[tree193]

I agree that syndication isn't everything. There are some really great web comics out there that will never see syndication, and O&M might be one of those. Syndication has obviously been a longtime goal for Simpson, so I support that, but I'm sure he isn't basing the success of the strip on whether or not he gets there. It'd be like being a really good football player and saying, "If I don't make it to the NFL, I'm a failure." That being said, if anyone gets a petition going to send to the papers, I would gladly sign it to support the effort.<br>

[Sabre]

5hfifty and I are on the same page for this one...

[Muninn]

I agree with what's been said about syndication so far but if D.C. gets a deal i'll support him. If however an online cartoonists who's been doing material considered risky becomes syndicated and does the same strip but softened, then there's something wrong and s/he'd have been better online.

[Random Drama Man]

Ozy & Millie has an interesting position in the universe of comics. On the one hand, it does have the light-heartedness of the typical syndicate yet at the same time it has the sharp satarical wit of many online comics. It would be great if Ozy & Millie could be syndicated without the material being compromised. I don't believe it's an unrealistic goal at all. There's bound to be some newspaper, magazine, etc. with enough liberal sentiments to embrace Ozy & Millie.

[norsenerd]

If <i>Calvin and Hobbes</i> were to be syndicated then <i>Ozy and Millie</i> can too. If Bill Watterson came out of retirement and started drawling again I'm sure papers would pike him up in a hart beat. <i>Ozy and Millie</i> is not too far out there for syndication. Even with the politics involved. Take a look at <i>The Boondocks</i> for example. That comic has compared Bush to Osama Bin Laden on Thanksgiving of 2001 and it's syndicated. David Craig Simpson just has to be willing not to compromise and he will have whatever freedom he wants. He just has to keep up with the pace. Thats my only worry.

[Blackfaer]

Just to clarify a few things...<br><br>Syndication and newspaper publication are two different things. David could well end up being a published, paid comic artist in dozens or hundreds of newspapers around the world without ever being syndicated. The syndicates are individual organizations to which individual newspapers throughout the country subscribe to to get their comics in a big lump, rather than dealing with each artist individually. If we went out and got individual papers worldwide to carry Ozy and Millie for a small fee, more power to us! Great, let's do it! But that doesn't mean syndication. (Unless the we in this formed our own corporation and picked up a few other artists as well...) It might mean, however, that we can keep him drawing and not sacrificing Ozy and Millie for things like school and other careers, and maybe the syndicates would notice and offer him a contract.<br><br>Syndication does not necessarily mean compromising material. Reference "The Boondocks" one of the newer syndicated strips. Nothing David has ever written in Ozy and Millie is anywhere near as controversial as numerous strips Aaron McGruder's come up with and had published via syndication.<br><br>Syndicates don't really dictate to their artists what to write/draw. Naturally, if the newspapers nation-wide object to material in an artist's work on a regular basis, the syndicate will mention that the artist is offending his customers. But for the most part, the syndicates let the artists do their thing. (How much pressure is applied in this manner depends on who you ask.) The greater difficulty is getting into the syndicate in the first place. That's where you really have to be very lucky to get the right guy on the right day to say yes. I'd say lucky or good, but we all know there's plenty of crap in the syndicates, and many great artists like David still pushing their stuff on the web.<br><br>Syndication pays. Put simply, David was not making a living wage, or even really very close to it, by writing Ozy and Millie. Even as one of the most popular online comics with his books being some of Plan Nine Publishing's best selling, the paychecks he gets from that and Cafe Press merchandise aren't pennies, but they don't pay the rent. Syndication would pay for that. <br><br><br>The main reason most web comics don't get syndicated is not their satirical wit. Again, reference the Boondocks, or even occasionally several other strips like Non Sequitur or Fox Trot. The main reason is perceived marketability and core audience.<br><br>Whether correctly or not, any web comic referencing computer-related terms on a regular basis (ie Kevin and Kell or Sluggy Freelance) is closed out of the syndicates because the syndicates believe that their core audiences wouldn't get it. They believe that the majority of newspaper readers would prefer Garfield to Kevin and Kell because Garfield has more universal appeal for the elderly, the young, the babby boomers, etc. (They're numbers-crunchers, nobody said they had artistic taste or smarts.) <br><br>In my opinion, they're missing out on a gold mine with Ozy and Millie, and most people I introduce O&M to would agree. But it's not because of David's satirical wit or left-wing politics that he's not getting published. It's all about money.<br>

[norsenerd]

Word

[Foxchild]

O.K, I had read some of the replies before, but had to get offline before I could reply.<br>As it seems, BlackFaer stole my thunder, and I thank him for that, greatly! Thats the exact point I was going to put out here. Although, I didn't realize the differance between being published and getting syndicated before, I know the differance now(thanks again!), but still say we go for the petition idea. A couple of you mentioned Calvin and Hobbes, some of you the Boondocks, ozy and millie is in that catagory with them. Comics that require some thought, and as you can see, are still published, its just that they sometimes take more time to be noticed. A reason for this is that someone who is just starting out with a more liberal comic has far greater potential to take it too far compared to a very conservative one. More time may be needed to make sure that if a commitment were made, that the paper/syndicate would not look like the fool in a situation. Now, I think D.S. has been around long enough to judge that. Granted, that is all speculation, and since I'm no expert, i can't say. <br><br>It all comes down to this though- syndication does not make limitaions a certanty, and even if in some papers they are, based on what O&M have been so far and what they stand for, do you really think Simpson would change that just to get in the papers? Something tells me flat out "NO". Frankly, I'd like to open up the paper and see those lovable faces in there waiting to be read. Again, please note that if O&M gets printed, it is not going to be lessened in quality, as some of you seem to fear. <br><br>If you would really want, I would contact Simpson about this and ask him, as I need to contact him soon anyway(he's expecting it, unless he's forgotten <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> ). If he wants us too, then I will. Would all of you help in that situation? And if I don't get a reply, would some of you help me anyway? This is one of those situations where 1 really can make a differance.

[Blackfaer]

If you don't get a reply, I can harass him for you... I've got an inside track to getting ahold of him. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... s/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Sigurd Volsung]

While I lead the charge of anti-syndication I'm also forced to concede that several of you have brought up a few good and/or mediocore strips (Bondocks is a little heavy handed for my tastes). If D.S. was to get syndicated with out compromising his artistic integrity than all the more power to him, especially since it would expose more people to the slightly twisted logic of this comic. I just fear that syndication will be more of burden than a boon ( I have no idea how that word is spelled)

[Foxchild]

You know.... I've been thinking and thinking and thinking, but I just don't know quite how to ask that question from D. S. I try, and i just can't get it to sound right. David, if you get to read this, If an incoherent e-mail about this site and petitions come up, it's me. I'm e-mailing tonight wethor the message is completly clear, or only the important parts are clear(which they'd have to be <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->) And if i don't get a reply, blackfaer, I'll send you a message about it.

[Katala]

I stand ready to lend support! O&M is better than most comics in the daily papers...I see no reason to let it hide from the world any longer <!--emo&B)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... s/cool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cool.gif' /><!--endemo--> <br><br>(P.S. to Sigurd Volsung: "boon" is spelled just like that...and I hope I spelled your name right, too)