Newspapers Make No Money On The Comics Page. Why Do They Do It?
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Ever wonder why newspapers devote an entire non-revenue producing page, every day to a “silly group of pictures” called “cartoons”?
It may not be direct money, but savvy publishers have a better reason for running comics than for money alone.
Newspaper comics create loyalty, and usually while the reader is very young and reads nothing but the comics. Newspaper publishers are not ignorant, and they know loyalty sells papers and circulation sells advertising.
Though journalists are highly trained professionals, cartoonists are the backbone of any paper. They can tell a full page story in a box. They can focus on current events or remain generic, but they are still telling a story.
The publisher spoon feeds us comics at a young age for a reason. And it is not just to make us laugh, it is to make us used to reading that paper.
A reader also knows, whether subconsciously or not that if laughter happens early in the day, it can affect the whole mood of the day. And if it is a really good cartoon, it is one that others may have seen and can be talked about at the water cooler or Starbuck’s before work.
A savvy newspaper wants a majority of cartoons to be “family-friendly” but also wants a mix of “somewhat controversial” or “different”, though certainly reader-friendly to offset and appeal to college and post-grad level readers who may only have time to skim the paper, but will always go straight to their favorite cartoon, often before reading the news.
Cartoons also can be very influential. Charles “Sparky” Schulz knew that when creating “Peanuts”.
Charlie Brown was the “proverbial loser” who, no matter how successful an adult becomes, still generally always works with that issue of “younger days” when even the dog knew answers more than him/or her.
Gary Larson’s Far Side capitalized on the niche that though there were many cartoons available in newspapers, not many, if any, were reaching the more intellectual public. Larson was keenly aware that newspapers would try anything to lure intellect, which often reflected more education, hence more income, hence more advertising.
Many cartoonists have tried to reach the level of another Peanuts or Far Side. It is not an easy task. Schulz had an inventory of tens of thousands of strips over the years and Larson had over 5000 before retiring. Both capitalized on licensing their products onto calendars, greeting cards, mugs, and other products.
Cartooning is not just an art but a science and a shrewd business, following trends and knowing what newspaper readers want. It is all and well that the cartoon may be funny and/or well drawn, but to the savvy newspaper editor or publisher, is it attracting the loyalty of an influential audience? If it is, it is worth its weight in thousands of full-page ads, simply because eventually it will be attracting them, not to mention more readership.
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