This is a list of comic strip syndicates. Over the years, many syndicates have been acquired and otherwise absorbed by competitors; this list attempts to illustrate that.

Comic strip syndicates

Andrews McMeel Syndication Andrews McMeel Syndication (formerly Universal Uclick) is an American content syndicate which provides syndication in print, online and on mobile devices for a number of lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and cartoons and various other c ...

(est. 2009) — formed by merger of

Universal Press Syndicate Universal Press Syndicate (UPS), a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, was an independent press syndicate. It distributed lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Eb ...

and

Uclick Uclick LLC was an American corporation (a division of Andrews McMeel Universal) selling "digital entertainment content" for the desktop, the web and mobile phones. Uclick operated several consumer websites, including the comic strip and editoria ...

;"Universal Press Syndicate and Uclick Merge". Gardner, Alan. The Daily Cartoonist, July 8, 2009.
/ref> formerly called Universal Uclick; includes

GoComics GoComics is a website launched in 2005 by the digital entertainment provider Uclick. It was originally created as a distribution portal for comic strips on mobile phones, but in 2006, the site was redesigned and expanded to include online strips ...

(1996–2009; merged with

to form

Universal Uclick Andrews McMeel Syndication (formerly Universal Uclick) is an American content syndicate which provides syndication in print, online and on mobile devices for a number of lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and cartoons and various other c ...

) — formerly named Universal New Media"About,"
Andres McMeel website. Accessed Nov. 16, 2017. **

(1970–2009; merged with

to form

) — former names include Universal New Media ***

Washington Star Syndicate ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the Washington ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday Sta ...

(1965–1979)"Washington Star Syndicate Sold To Kansas City's Universal Press,"
''New York Times'' (May 20, 1979), p. 37. **** George Matthew Adams Service (c. 1916–1965; acquired by The Washington Star Syndicate) — formerly known as the Adams Newspaper Service ***

Chronicle Features Chronicle Features was the syndication arm of the ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Syndicating comic strips, newspaper columns, and editorial features, it operated from 1962 to c. 1998. The syndicate was known for the offbeat comic strips it championed ...

(1962–1998; acquired by

in 1997) ***

Editors Press Service Editors Press Service (EPS) (later known as Atlantic Syndication) was a print syndication service of columns and comic strips that was in operation from 1933 to 2010. It was notable for being the first U.S. company to actively syndicate material ...

(1933–2010; acquired by

in 2004 and renamed Atlantic Syndication) **

United Media United Media was a large Column (periodical), editorial column and comic strip newspaper print syndication, syndication service based in the United States, owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, that operated from 1978 to 2011. It syndicated 150 comi ...

(1978–2011; formed from the consolidation of

United Feature 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 ...

and

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...

; eventually acquired by

) ***

(c. 1909–1978; merged into United Media Enterprises) ***

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 ...

(1919–1978; merged into United Media Enterprises) ****

Metropolitan Newspaper Service Metropolitan Newspaper Service (MNS) was a syndication service based in New York City that operated from 1919 to 1932. At first the syndication service of '' Metropolitan Magazine'', it soon became affiliated with the Bell Syndicate, and then was a ...

(1919–1932; owned by the

Bell Syndicate The Bell Syndicate, launched in 1916 by editor-publisher John Neville Wheeler, was an American syndicate that distributed columns, fiction, feature articles and comic strips to newspapers for decades. It was located in New York City at 247 West 4 ...

from 1920–1930;"Feature Services Merged: Bell Syndicate Takes Over Metropolitan Newspaper Service,"
''Editor & Publisher'' (April 3, 1920). acquired an eventually absorbed by United Features)"United Feature Syndicate Buys Metropolitan Service From Elser: Both Firms Will Retain Separate Identities, With Elser Remaining as Vice-President — Monte Bourjaily to Direct Both Organizations," ''Editor & Publisher'' (March 15, 1930). Archived a

''Stripper's Guide'' (May 4, 2010). **** Press Publishing Co. (c.1910–1931; acquired by

E. W. Scripps Company The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...

)Hudson, Frederic, Alfred McClung Lee, and Frank Luther Mott. ''American Journalism 1690-1940'', Volume 4 (Psychology Press, 2000), p. 591. ****

World Feature Service The ''New York World'' was one of the first newspapers to publish comic strips, starting around 1890, and contributed greatly to the development of the American comic strip. Notable strips that originated with the ''World'' included Richard F. Out ...

(c. 1905–1931; acquired by E. W. Scripps Company) ****

(1916–1972; acquired 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 wit ...

) — known as the Bell-McClure Syndicate from 1930 to 1972 *****

Associated Newspapers DMG Media (stylised in lowercase) is an intermediate holding company for Associated Newspapers, Northcliffe Media, Harmsworth Printing, Harmsworth Media and other subsidiaries of Daily Mail and General Trust. It is based at Northcliffe House in ...

(1912–c. 1966; acquired by

in 1930)Saunders, David
"SAMUEL S. McCLURE (1857-1949),"
Field Guide to Wild American Pulp Artists. Accessed Nov. 1, 2018. *****

McClure Newspaper Syndicate McClure Newspaper Syndicate, the first American newspaper syndicate, introduced many American and British writers to the masses. Launched in 1884 by publisher Samuel S. McClure, it was the first successful company of its kind. It turned the marke ...

(1884–1952; absorbed into

Bell-McClure Syndicate The Bell Syndicate, launched in 1916 by editor-publisher John Neville Wheeler, was an American syndicate that distributed columns, fiction, feature articles and comic strips to newspapers for decades. It was located in New York City at 247 West 43 ...

)Knoll, Erwin
"McClure Syndicate Sold to Bell-NANA"
''Editor & Publisher'' (September 6, 1952). — began syndicating comic strips c. 1903 ******

Wheeler Syndicate John Neville Wheeler (April 11, 1886 – October 13, 1973) was an American newspaperman, publishing executive, magazine editor, and writer. He was born in Yonkers, New York, graduated Columbia University (which holds a collection of his paper ...

(1913–1916; acquired by

McClure Syndicate McClure Newspaper Syndicate, the first American newspaper syndicate, introduced many American and British writers to the masses. Launched in 1884 by publisher Samuel S. McClure, it was the first successful company of its kind. It turned the marke ...

) — syndicated the work of

Bud Fisher Harry Conway "Bud" Fisher (April 3, 1885 – September 7, 1954) was an American cartoonist who created ''Mutt and Jeff'', the first successful daily comic strip in the United States. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a merchant, ...

and

Fontaine Fox Fontaine Talbot Fox, Jr. (June 4, 1884 – August 9, 1964) was an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for writing and illustrating his ''Toonerville Folks'' comic panel, which ran from 1913 to 1955 in 250 to 300 newspapers across North ...

ArcaMax Publishing ArcaMax Publishing is a privately-owned American Web syndication, web/email syndication news publisher that provides editorial content, columns & features, comic strips, and editorial cartoons via email.Eckerle, Courtne"CASE STUDY: Email Delivera ...

(est. 1996Note: Second page of articl
appears on page C8
or 1999)Eckerle, Courtne
"CASE STUDY: Email Deliverability: Publisher moves beyond double opt-in to avoid 1,000 hard bounces per day,"
''Marketing Sherpa'' (May 21, 2013). — web distribution through email *

Creators Syndicate Creators Syndicate (also known as Creators) is an American independent distributor of comic strips and syndicated columns to daily newspapers, websites, and other digital outlets. When founded in 1987, Creators Syndicate became one of the few suc ...

(est. 1987) — formed in reaction to

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 ...

' acquisition of the

Register and Tribune Syndicate The Register and Tribune Syndicate was a Print syndication, syndication service based in Des Moines, Iowa, that operated from 1922 to 1986, when it was acquired by King Features to become the Cowles Syndicate affiliate. At its peak, the Register a ...

and

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 ...

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 ...

(est. 1914) **

Central Press Association The Central Press Association was American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. Originally independent, it was a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate from 1930 onwards. At its peak, the ...

(1910–1971; acquired and eventually absorbed by

)

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

, "The 30s – Boomtime for SF Heroes". ''

Starlog ''Starlog'' was a monthly science fiction magazine that was created in 1976 and focused primarily on '' Star Trek'' at its inception. Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs were its creators and it was published by Starlog Group, Inc. in August 1976. ...

'' magazine, January 1981 (pp. 31–35). until ceasing operations in 1971) *** North American Press Syndicate (?–1912; acquired by and absorbed into

) *** Editors Feature Service (?–1927; acquired by and absorbed into

)Watson, Elmo Scott. "CHAPTER VIII: Recent Developments in Syndicate History 1921-1935," ''A History Of Newspaper Syndicates In The United States, 1865-1935'' (Western Newspaper Union, 1936)
Archived at ''Stripper's Guide''
**

(1922–1986; acquired by Hearst /

), **

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 F ...

(1941–1984; acquired by

News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...

and then

) — former names include the Chicago Sun Syndicate, the Field Enterprises Syndicate, and the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate; later renamed News America Syndicate and then North America Syndicate ***

Chicago Times Syndicate The ''Chicago Daily Times'' was a daily newspaper in Chicago from 1929 to 1948, and the city's first tabloid newspaper. It is best known as one of two newspapers which merged to form ''Chicago Sun-Times'' in 1948. For much of its existence, the ...

(c. 1935-1948; acquired by Field Enterprises with the merger of the ''Chicago Sun'' and the ''Chicago Daily Times'') ***

Publishers Syndicate Publishers Newspaper Syndicate was a syndication service based in Chicago that operated from 1925 to 1967, when it merged with the Hall Syndicate. Publishers syndicated such long-lived comic strips as '' Big Chief Wahoo/Steve Roper'', ''Mary Wort ...

(1925–1967; acquired by

Field Enterprises Field Enterprises, Inc. was a private holding company that operated from the 1940s to the 1980s, founded by Marshall Field III and others, whose main assets were the ''Chicago Sun'' and ''Parade'' magazine. For various periods of time, Field Enter ...

) — became Publishers-Hall ***

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 ...

(1944–1975; merged into

) — former names include Hall Syndicate, New York Post Syndicate, Post-Hall Syndicate, Inc., Hall Syndicate ****

New York Herald Tribune Syndicate 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.'', ''Ou ...

(c. 1920–1966) — remaining strips taken over by Publishers-Hall * Royal Comics Syndicate (Finland) (est. 2004) * Torstar Syndication Services (Canada) (est. 1930) — King Features Syndicate's distribution partner in Canada; former names include Toronto Star Syndicate *

Tribune Content Agency Tribune Content Agency (TCA) is a syndication company owned by Tribune Publishing. TCA had previously been known as the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate (CTNYNS), Tribune Company Syndicate, and Tribune Media Se ...

(est. 1918)Watson, Elmo Scott
"The Era of Consolidation, 1890-1920" (Chapter VII)
in ''A History Of Newspaper Syndicates In The United States, 1865-1935'' (Western Newspaper Union, 1936)

/ref> — former names include Tribune-New York (Daily) News Syndicate, Chicago Tribune Syndicate, the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, Tribune Company Syndicate, and Tribune Media Services **

Los Angeles Times Syndicate The ''Los Angeles Times'' Syndicate was a print syndication service that operated from 1949 to 2000. Owned by the Times Mirror Company, it also operated the ''Los Angeles Times'' Syndicate International; together the two divisions sold more than ...

(c. 1949–2000; acquired by

Tribune Media Services Tribune Content Agency (TCA) is a syndication company owned by Tribune Publishing. TCA had previously been known as the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate (CTNYNS), Tribune Company Syndicate, and Tribune Media Se ...

) — former names include Mirror Enterprises Syndicate and Los Angeles Times Mirror Syndicate *** General Features Corp. (1937–1974; acquired by the

in 1967"Times Mirror Company And General Features,"
''New York Times'' (January 4, 1967), p. 84. and absorbed into its operations in 1974) *

The Washington Post Writers Group ''The Washington Post'' Writers Group (WPWG), a division of The Washington Post News Service & Syndicate, is a press syndication service composed of opinion journalists, editorial cartoonists, comic strips and columnists. The service is operated ...

(est. 1973)

Defunct comic strip syndicates

* Al Smith Feature Service (1951–c. 1999) — mainly weekly strips *

AP Newsfeatures AP Newsfeatures, aka AP Features, was the cartoon and comic strip division of Associated Press, which syndicated strips from 1930 to the early 1960s. History Origins In February 1930, I. M. Kendrick, executive assistant to AP president Kent ...

(1930–1961) — owned by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

Holtz, Allan. ''Stripper's Guide''
/ref> *

Columbia Features Columbia Features was a syndication service that operated from 1953 to 1994. Originally located in New York City, The syndicate specialized in comic strips based on licensed characters such as Smokey the Bear, Bat Masterson, and Nero Wolfe. Not ...

(1953–1994) * Comx Box Comics Syndicate (2014–2018) — distributed webcomics *

Frank Jay Markey Syndicate The Frank Jay Markey Syndicate was a small print syndication service that distributed comic strips and columns from the mid-1930s to c. 1950. Although small in size, the syndicate distributed strips by a number of notable cartoonists, including ...

(c. 1936–c. 1950) — Markey was originally an executive at the

McNaught Syndicate The McNaught Syndicate was an American newspaper syndicate founded in 1922. It was established by Virgil Venice McNitt (who gave it his name) and Charles V. McAdam. Its best known contents were the columns by Will Rogers and O. O. McIntyre, the ' ...

* Lafave Newspaper Features (1931–1963) *

Ledger Syndicate The Public Ledger Syndicate (known simply as the Ledger Syndicate) was a syndication company operated by the Philadelphia '' Public Ledger'' that was in business from 1915 to circa 1950 (outlasting the newspaper itself, which ceased publishing in ...

(1915–c. 1950) — outlived its corporate owner, the Philadelphia '' Public Ledger'' *

(1966–c. 1973) — second iteration of the syndicate *

(1922–1989) ** New York City Central Press Association (1920–1922; absorbed into

) *

National Newspaper Syndicate The National Newspaper Syndicate, originally known as the John F. Dille Co., was a syndication service that operated from 1917 to c. 1984. It was founded by Chicago businessman John F. Dille and specialized in comic strips and gag cartoons. It al ...

(1917–c. 1984) — formerly known as the John F. Dille Co. ** Uncle Ray Syndicate (?–1922; acquired by

)"Uncle Ray Syndicate is Absorbed by Chicago Newspaper Service," ''Fourth Estate'' (August 26, 1922).

References

{{reflist Print syndication

Comic strip syndicates

Defunct comic strip syndicates

See also

References