Metropolitan Newspaper Service (MNS) was a

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web 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 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 ...

, and then was acquired and absorbed into

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 ...

. A couple of notable, long-running

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 ...

originated with MNS: ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

'' and ''

Ella Cinders ''Ella Cinders'' is an American syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed for most of its run by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page foll ...

''. The service syndicated writers like

Margot Asquith Emma Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite, author. She was married to H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1894 ...

Gertrude Atherton Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (October 30, 1857 – June 14, 1948) was an American author. Paterson, Isabel, "Gertrude Atherton: A Personality" The Bookman'', New York, February 1924, (pgs. 632-636) Many of her novels are set in her home sta ...

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in t ...

, and

Booth Tarkington Newton Booth Tarkington (July 29, 1869 – May 19, 1946) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1918) and '' Alice Adams'' (1921). He is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitze ...

.''Cornell Alumni News'', XII (4), 20 October 1909.

History

Founded in 1919 as a division of '' Metropolitan Magazine'', MNS syndicated material from the magazine, including a column called ''Fairchild Fashions'', the writings of

, a comic strip called ''Dickey's Dogs'', and other pieces. MNS was overseen by Maximilian Elser, Jr., with the title of president. George Carlin was chief of the editorial staff. In the spring of 1920 MNS was acquired by the

,Hudson, Frederic, Alfred McClung Lee, and Frank Luther Mott. ''American Journalism 1690-1940'', Volume 4 (Psychology Press, 2000), p. 591."Feature Services Merged: Bell Syndicate Takes Over Metropolitan Newspaper Service,"
''Editor & Publisher'' (April 3, 1920). which moved MNS headquarters to 220 E. 42nd Street but otherwise kept it as a separate division. Under Bell, Metropolitan News Syndicate distributed a couple of

written by

William Conselman William Marien Conselman (July 10, 1896 – May 25, 1940) was an American screenwriter who also wrote newspaper comic strips under his Bill Conselman byline and sometimes under the pseudonym Frank Smiley. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, C ...

: ''

Good Time Guy ''Good Time Guy'' is a humorous syndicated comic strip that was distributed by Metropolitan Newspaper Service from June 27, 1927 to December 6, 1930. It was begun by prolific screenwriter William Conselman under the pen name of Frank Smiley, an ...

'' and ''

''. The long-running ''

'' comic strip originated with MNS in 1929. In March 1930,

acquired MNS. MNS was re-incorporated under the name Metropolitan Newspaper Feature Service, Inc.; although it was intended for the two services to maintain separate identities, that arrangement only lasted two years until MNS was completely 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
"News of Yore 1930: Another Syndicate Gobbled,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (May 4, 2010).Booker, M. Keith. "United Feature Syndicate," in ''Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas'' ( ABC-CLIO, 2014), p. 399.

Metropolitan Newspaper Service strips and panels

* ''Dickey's Dogs'' (also known as ''Buddie and his Friends'' and ''Just Dogs'') by Robert L. Dickey (July 14, 1919 – 1932; acquired by

where it lasted until July 21, 1940) — after being acquired by UFS, known as ''Mr. and Mrs. Beans'' and then ''Buster Beans'' * ''

'' originally by

and Charles Plumb (1925–1930; acquired by United Features where it continued until 1961) * ''

'' (1927–1929) written by " Frank Smiley" (

) with art by

Mel Cummin Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

,Metropolitan Newspaper Service, & Conselman, W. (1927). "''Good Time Guy'', a new sunrise in the comic world" by William M. Conselman, author of ''

'', writing under the ''nom de plume'' of Frank Smiley with drawings by Mel Cummin. New York: Metropolitan Newspaper Service. then

Dick Huemer Richard Huemer (January 2, 1898 – November 30, 1979) was an American animator in the Golden Age of Animation. Career While as an artist-illustrator living in the Bronx, New York City, Huemer first began his career in animation at the Raoul ...

(1928–1929), and then Fred Fox (1929) * ''

Tarzan of the Apes ''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released as a novel in June ...

'' by

Hal Foster Harold Rudolf Foster, FRSA (August 16, 1892 – July 25, 1982) was a Canadian-American comic strip artist and writer best known as the creator of the comic strip ''Prince Valiant''. His drawing style is noted for its high level of draftsmanship a ...

(January 7, 1929–1932; acquired by United Features where it continued until 2001)

References

{{reflist Comic strip syndicates Companies based in New York City Mass media companies established in 1919