Creators Syndicate (also known as Creators) is an American independent distributor of
comic strips
A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...
and
syndicated columns to daily newspapers, websites, and other digital outlets. When founded in 1987, Creators Syndicate became one of the few successful independent syndicates founded since the 1930s and was the first syndicate to allow cartoonists ownership rights to their work.
Creators Syndicate is based in
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach (''Hermosa'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census. The c ...
.
History
Creators Syndicate originated on February 13, 1987, after the December 24, 1986-announced sale of the
Irvine, California
Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...
-based
News America Syndicate
The Field Newspaper Syndicate was a syndication service based in Chicago that operated independently from 1941 to 1984, for a good time under the name the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate. The service was founded by Marshall Field III and was part of F ...
to
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editoria ...
, a
print syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, political cartoons, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. The syndicates offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content o ...
company owned by
The Hearst Corporation
Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, televis ...
.
The pending sale of News America Syndicate, which was first reported by
Advertising Age
''Ad Age'' (known as ''Advertising Age'' until 2017) is a global media brand that publishes news, analysis, and data on marketing and media. Its namesake magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930. ''Ad Age'' appears in mul ...
in October 1986, prompted 36-year-old News America Syndicate president
Richard S. Newcombe to leave NAS in January 1987 and use financial backing from
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
-based publisher
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, member of parliament (MP), suspected spy, and fraudster.
Early in his life, Maxwell escaped from N ...
to form Creators Syndicate before the
close
Close may refer to:
Music
* ''Close'' (Kim Wilde album), 1988
* ''Close'' (Marvin Sapp album), 2017
* ''Close'' (Sean Bonniwell album), 1969
* "Close" (Sub Focus song), 2014
* "Close" (Nick Jonas song), 2016
* "Close" (Rae Sremmurd song), 201 ...
of the NAS sale.
Ann Landers
Ann Landers was a pen name created by ''Chicago Sun-Times'' advice columnist Ruth Crowley in 1943 and taken over by Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer (July 4, 1918 – June 22, 2002) in 1955. For 56 years, the Ask Ann Landers syndicated ad ...
, then the world's most widely syndicated newspaper columnist, also announced that she was leaving NAS to join the newly formed Creators Syndicate.
Within a month, Creators Syndicate acquired the syndication rights to the enormously popular
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
''
B.C.'', and a few months after that acquired the syndication rights to the cartoon works of
Herblock
Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock (October13, 1909October7, 2001), was an American editorial cartoonist and author best known for his commentaries on national domestic and foreign policy.
During the course of a career stretch ...
,
an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
editorial cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or curren ...
and author known for his commentary on domestic and foreign policy.
Milton Caniff
Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an People of the United States, American cartoonist famous for the ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips.
Biography
...
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
''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, ...
'' comic strip because his syndicate insisted that they own his creation. After Creators Syndicate was founded, Caniff sent Newcombe a postcard saying, “To put it on the record: Hooray!!!"
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning cartoonist
Mike Peters told ''
Editor & Publisher
''Editor & Publisher'' (''E&P'') is an American monthly trade news magazine covering the newspaper industry. Published since 1901, ''Editor & Publisher'' is the self-described "bible of the newspaper industry."
Originally based in New York City, ...
'' magazine, "It's long overdue that syndicates realize a new day is here. Indentured servitude went out in the 1500s."
Johnny Hart
John Lewis Hart (February 18, 1931 – April 7, 2007) was an American cartoonist noted as the creator of the comic strips '' B.C.'' and ''The Wizard of Id''. Brant Parker co-produced and illustrated ''The Wizard of Id''. Hart was recognized ...
, creator of ''
B.C.'' and ''
The Wizard of Id
''The Wizard of Id'' is a daily newspaper comic strip created by American cartoonists Brant Parker and Johnny Hart. Beginning November 16, 1964, the strip follows the antics of a large cast of characters in a shabby medieval kingdom called "Id" ...
'', called Creators “a history-making venture in syndication."
Bil Keane
William Aloysius "Bil" Keane (October 5, 1922 – November 8, 2011) was an American cartoonist most notable for his work on the newspaper comic '' The Family Circus''. It began in 1960 and continues in syndication, drawn by his son Jeff Kea ...
, creator of ''
The Family Circus
''The Family Circus'' (originally ''The Family Circle'', also ''Family-Go-Round'') is a syndicated comic strip created by cartoonist Bil Keane and, since Bil's death in 2011, is currently written, inked, and rendered (colored) by his son, Jef ...
'', described Creators Syndicate as "the first breath of fresh air the syndicates have had in 100 years of existence." ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' ran a story about Newcombe with the headline, “A Superhero for Cartoonists?” Today, largely as a result of Creators Syndicate, all syndicates grant cartoonists ownership rights to their work.
In 1991 Creators Syndicate took over Heritage Features Syndicate, which was part of the conservative
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presiden ...
. In 2008 Creators Syndicate acquired the
Copley News Service, a wire service that distributed news, political cartoons, and opinion columns.
In 2011 Jack Newcombe became President of Creators Syndicate, and together with Rick Newcombe started Creators Publishing and Sumner Books, which have published more than 150 titles.
![Creators Syndicate Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Creators_Syndicate_Building.jpg)
In 2012, after 25 years of operating in the city of Los Angeles, Creators Syndicate moved to nearby
Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach (''Hermosa'', Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of th ...
because of a tax dispute with the city.
[Newcombe, Rick]
"Why We'll Leave L.A.: The business climate is worse than the air quality.,"
''The Wall Street Journal'' (July 10, 2009).
Since 2012, Creators has expanded its business to include Creators Publishing, Alpha Comedy, a literary and lifestyle magazine, a political website, a podcast network, and Sumner Books, an e-book and audiobook publishing company.
Creators Syndicate strips and panels
Current (as of 2018)
* ''
Agnes''
* ''
Andy Capp
''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the ''Daily Mirror'' and the ''Sunday Mirror'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels.
The s ...
''
* ''
Archie''
* ''
Ask Shagg
Ask Shagg was a syndicated daily comic strip drawn by cartoonist Peter Guren from 1980 to 2020.Editorial Staff (February 7, 2000). "et cetera...". '' Editor & Publisher''. Pg. 32 It was distributed by Creators Syndicate; it had been distributed b ...
''
* ''
B.C.''
* ''
Ballard Street
''Ballard Street'' was an American comic panel created by Jerry Van Amerongen and distributed by Creators Syndicate that ran between 1991 and 2019.
About the comic
The panel featured numerous characters; some recurring faces are Dottie and Will ...
''
* ''
The Barn''
* ''
Daddy's Home''
* ''
Diamond Lil
Diamond Tooth Lil was an American cultural figure popular in the early 20th century as an icon of wealth and libertine burlesque. Several individuals called themselves "Diamond Lil" or "Diamond Tooth", creating an amalgamated legacy clouded b ...
''
* ''
Dog Eat Doug''
* ''
Dogs of C-Kennel''
* ''
Doodles''
* ''
Flo & Friends''
* ''
For Heaven's Sake''
* ''
Free Range
Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day.
On many farms, the outdoors ranging area is fenced, ...
''
* ''
Heathcliff''
* ''
Herb and Jamaal''
* ''
Liberty Meadows''
* ''
Long Story Short''
* ''
MazeToons''
* ''
The Meaning of Lila
''The Meaning of Lila'' is a comic strip written by John Forgetta, and three co-workers
Syndicator' ...
''
* ''
Momma
''Momma'' is an American comic strip by Mell Lazarus that ran from October 26, 1970, to July 10, 2016.
Publication history
''Momma'' was Lazarus' second strip; he had been publishing the syndicated strip ''Miss Peach'' since 1957. Debuting o ...
'' (1987–2016; in reruns) — inherited from
Field Newspaper Syndicate
The Field Newspaper Syndicate was a syndication service based in Chicago that operated independently from 1941 to 1984, for a good time under the name the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate. The service was founded by Marshall Field III and was part of ...
, who got it from
Publishers-Hall Syndicate
Publishers-Hall Syndicate was a newspaper syndicate founded by Robert M. Hall in 1944. Hall served as the company's president and general manager. Over the course of its operations, the company was known as, sequentially, the Hall Syndicate (1944 ...
, where it originally debuted in 1970
* ''
Nest Heads''
* ''
One Big Happy
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
''
* ''
The Other Coast''
* ''
Rubes
''Rubes'' is a print syndication, syndicated newspaper panel (comic strips), single-panel cartoon created by Leigh Rubin on November 1, 1984.
Publication history
Leigh Rubin began making and distributing his own greeting cards in 1979 through ...
''
* ''
Rugrats
''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...
'' (1998–2003; in reruns)
* ''
Scary Gary
Scary may refer to:
* Scary, West Virginia, U.S.
* Scary, a village in the Shire; a location in the novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' by J. R. R. Tolkien
* "Scary" (song), a 2016 song by Stormzy
* "Scary", a song by Britney Spears from the album '' ...
''
* ''
Spectickles''
* ''
Speed Bump
Speed bumps (also called traffic thresholds, speed breakers or sleeping policemen) are the common name for a class of traffic calming devices that use vertical deflection to slow motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve safety conditions. Varia ...
''
* ''
Strange Brew
''Strange Brew'' (also known as ''The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew'') is a 1983 Canadian comedy film starring the popular '' SCTV'' characters Bob and Doug McKenzie, portrayed by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, who also served ...
''
* ''
Wee Pals
''Wee Pals'' is an American syndicated comic strip about a diverse group of children, created and produced by Morrie Turner. It was the first comic strip syndicated in the United States to have a cast of diverse ethnicity, dubbed the "Rainbow Ga ...
'' (c. 1987–2014; in reruns) — inherited from
United Feature Syndicate
United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along wit ...
, who got it from the
Register and Tribune Syndicate, who got it from Lew Little Enterprises, where it originally debuted in 1965
* ''
The Wizard of Id
''The Wizard of Id'' is a daily newspaper comic strip created by American cartoonists Brant Parker and Johnny Hart. Beginning November 16, 1964, the strip follows the antics of a large cast of characters in a shabby medieval kingdom called "Id" ...
''
* ''
Working it Out
''Working It Out'' is an American sitcom television series starring Jane Curtin and Stephen Collins that aired on NBC from August 22 to December 12, 1990. The series was created and executive produced by Bill Persky.
Synopsis
''Working It Out'' i ...
''
* ''
Zack Hill''
Discontinued strips
* ''
Cafe con Leche
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
''
* ''
Chuckle Bros'' (2006–2017)
* ''
The Dinette Set'' (c. 2006–2010) — inherited from
King Features
King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial c ...
; taken over by
United Features
United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along wi ...
where it concluded in 2015
* ''
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...
'' (reruns syndicated through 2015)
* ''
Flare
A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...
''
* ''
Flight Deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
''
* ''
Girls & Sports
''Girls & Sports'' was an American comic strip written and illustrated by Justin Borus and Andrew Feinstein. It was created in 1997 and published in various college newspapers until 2004 when Borus and Feinstein began self-syndicating the strip. ...
'' (2006–2011)
* ''
Home Office''
* ''
Hope & Death''
* ''
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
'' (reruns syndicated through 2015)
* ''
Natural Selection
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. Charle ...
''
* ''
Off Center
''Off Centre'' is an American sitcom that aired on The WB network from October 14, 2001, to October 31, 2002. Created by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, and Danny Zuker, the series was heavily promoted as "from the guys who brought you '' American Pie' ...
''
* ''
On a Claire Day'' (2006–2014)
* ''
The Quigmans'' by Buddy Hickerson (1986–2011)
* ''
Recess''
* ''
State of the Union
The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current conditio ...
''
* ''
Thatch
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...
''
* ''
Thin Lines''
* ''
Winnie the Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard.
The first collection of stories about the character w ...
'' (reruns syndicated until April 2010) — inherited from
King Features
King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial c ...
References
External links
*
Creators Syndicatein the News
Podcastsof Creators Syndicate articles
{{Creators Syndicate Comics
Comic strip syndicates
Companies based in Los Angeles
Publishing companies established in 1987
Print syndication