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Chronicle Features was the
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, ...
arm of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...
''. Syndicating
comic strips 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 c ...
, newspaper
columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression membe ...
, and editorial features, it operated from 1962 to c. 1998. The syndicate was known for the offbeat comic strips it championed, such as
Gary Larson Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist, environmentalist, and former musician. He is the creator of ''The Far Side'', a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fif ...
's ''
The Far Side ''The Far Side'' is a single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Chronicle Features and then Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its surrealist ...
'', Dan Piraro's ''
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain/anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy'' #68 (1958 ...
'', and the editorial cartoons of
Ted Rall Frederick Theodore Rall III (born August 26, 1963) is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cart ...
. The service was acquired by
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 ...
in 1997 and went defunct soon after. Long-time Chronicle employee Stanleigh Arnold was the syndicate's first general manager, holding that job until his 1982 retirement. He brought on
Phil Frank Phil Frank (March 27, 1943 – September 13, 2007) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the San Francisco-based comic strip '' Farley'' and the artist on nationally syndicated comic strip ''The Elderberries''. Works In additi ...
's ''
Farley Farley may refer to: People * Farley (name), a list of people with the given name or surname Places Antarctica * Mount Farley * Farley Massif Australia * Farley, New South Wales * Farley railway station England * Farley, Derbyshire * Farle ...
'' and Larson's ''
Far Side ''The Far Side'' is a single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Chronicle Features and then Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its surrealist ...
''. Stuart Dodds, an original employee of the syndicate, rose to sales manager and then editor/general manager, expanding the company's focus from columns to features and comic strips.


History

The Chronicle Features Syndicate was formed in 1962 to syndicate the ''San Francisco Chronicle'''s star columnists. Chronicle Features' first comic strips were
Dan O'Neill Dan O'Neill (born April 21, 1942) is an American underground cartoonist, creator of the syndicated comic strip ''Odd Bodkins'' and founder of the underground comics collective the Air Pirates. Education O'Neill attended the University of ...
's '' Odd Bodkins'' and Bill Weber's ''Doctor Funshine'', both launched in 1963. ''Doctor Funshine'' lasted four years, but O'Neill's more successful ''Odd Bodkins'' had a tumultuous end in 1970 that coincided with O'Neill's activities with the
underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority ...
group the
Air Pirates The Air Pirates were a group of cartoonists who created two issues of an underground comic called ''Air Pirates Funnies'' in 1971, leading to a famous lawsuit by Walt Disney Productions. Founded by Dan O'Neill, the group also included Bobby Lond ...
.
Phil Frank Phil Frank (March 27, 1943 – September 13, 2007) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the San Francisco-based comic strip '' Farley'' and the artist on nationally syndicated comic strip ''The Elderberries''. Works In additi ...
's ''
Farley Farley may refer to: People * Farley (name), a list of people with the given name or surname Places Antarctica * Mount Farley * Farley Massif Australia * Farley, New South Wales * Farley railway station England * Farley, Derbyshire * Farle ...
'' began in 1975 as ''Travels With Farley'' (a play on
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
's ''
Travels with Charley ''Travels with Charley: In Search of America'' is a 1962 travelogue written by American author John Steinbeck. It depicts a 1960 road trip around the United States made by Steinbeck, in the company of his standard poodle Charley. Steinbeck wrot ...
''). ''Farley'' began as a nationally syndicated strip with Chronicle Features, but Frank missed the "timeliness and joy of doing local politics" and, dissatisfied with the four-to-six week lead time required of syndication, in 1985 switched to working exclusively for the ''Chronicle'', which enabled him to quickly mine local events — usually overnight — for his satire. In 1985,
Gary Larson Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist, environmentalist, and former musician. He is the creator of ''The Far Side'', a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fif ...
left Chronicle Features for the much larger rival
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 ...
(UPS). ''The Far Side'' was replaced with Dan Piraro's ''
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain/anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy'' #68 (1958 ...
'', but in 1995 Piraro also left Chronicle Features for UPS. In 1995,
Ted Rall Frederick Theodore Rall III (born August 26, 1963) is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cart ...
's syndicated cartoons won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. A year later, however, Rall also left for UPS, prompting general manager Dodd to say, "There's sort of a path between us and Universal, and I'd like the grass to grow for a while.""Rall switches and Siporin is signed,"] ''Editor & Publisher'' (July 20, 1996)
Archived at The Free Library
That same year, Chronicle Features turned down the chance to syndicate
Aaron McGruder Aaron Vincent McGruder (born May 29, 1974) is an American writer, cartoonist, and producer best known for creating ''The Boondocks'', a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip and its animated TV series adaptation. Early life and education Aaron ...
's ''
The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...
'', which went on to great success with UPS. In 1996 Chronicle Features outsourced their sales to UPS rival
United Media United Media was a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, that operated from 1978 to 2011. It syndicated 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. It ...
; Dodd claimed, "We now offer the editorial intimacy of a small syndicate and the marketing power of a large one." Nonetheless, a year later Chronicle Features was acquired by the Universal Press Syndicate, and absorbed by UPS circa 1998. (In 2011, UPS's parent company
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 oth ...
took over the syndication of United Media's 150 comic strips and features).


Chronicle Features strips and panels

* ''
Art's Gallery Art's Gallery is a daily comic strip by Art Finley which lasted from 1962 to 1981. It was featured in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' during its run and was syndicated by Chronicle Features from 1962 to 1977, when it moved to Universal Press Syndi ...
'' by
Art Finley Art Finley (born Arthur Finger; 1926 – August 7, 2015) was an American television and radio personality, mostly in San Francisco and Vancouver, until his retirement in 1995. His broadcasting career began at KXYZ Houston in 1943. He enlisted i ...
(1963–1977; moved to
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 ...
where it lasted until 1981) * ''
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain/anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy'' #68 (1958 ...
'' by Dan Piraro (1985–1995; moved to
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 ...
) * ''Dennis Dull'' by Phil Young (1993) — daily panel"Editor & Publisher Mystery Strips,"
''Stripper's Guide''. Accessed Dec. 15, 2018.
* ''Doctor Funshine'' by Bill Weber (February 10, 1963 – March 27, 1966) — debuted in the ''S.F. Chronicle'' on December 10, 1961Holtz, Allan

''Stripper's Guide'' (October 9, 2017).
* ''Fair Game'' by Stephanie Piro (1996–1998) * ''
Farley Farley may refer to: People * Farley (name), a list of people with the given name or surname Places Antarctica * Mount Farley * Farley Massif Australia * Farley, New South Wales * Farley railway station England * Farley, Derbyshire * Farle ...
'' by
Phil Frank Phil Frank (March 27, 1943 – September 13, 2007) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the San Francisco-based comic strip '' Farley'' and the artist on nationally syndicated comic strip ''The Elderberries''. Works In additi ...
Taylor, Michael
"Stanleigh Arnold -- Prescient Chronicle Editor,"
''San Francisco Chronicle'' (May 30, 1997).
(1975–1985; returned solely to the ''S.F. Chronicle'') * ''
The Far Side ''The Far Side'' is a single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Chronicle Features and then Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its surrealist ...
'' by
Gary Larson Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist, environmentalist, and former musician. He is the creator of ''The Far Side'', a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fif ...
(January 1, 1980 – 1985; moved to Universal Press Syndicate) * ''Free Zone'' by Winthrop Prince (1985–1990) * '' Odd Bodkins'', by
Dan O'Neill Dan O'Neill (born April 21, 1942) is an American underground cartoonist, creator of the syndicated comic strip ''Odd Bodkins'' and founder of the underground comics collective the Air Pirates. Education O'Neill attended the University of ...
(1963–1970) * ''Prince'' by Winthrop Prince (1986) — weekly panel * ''Quality Time'' by Gail Machlis (1991–1997; moved to Universal Press Syndicate, where it lasted until August 1, 1998)


Editorial cartoonists

* ''Faces in the News'' by Kerry Waghorn (1977–1997; moved to Universal Press Syndicate) *
Ted Rall Frederick Theodore Rall III (born August 26, 1963) is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cart ...
(1991–1996; moved to Universal Press Syndicate) * Mickey Siporin (1996–c. 1997)


Columnists

*
Herb Caen Herbert Eugene Caen (; April 3, 1916 February 1, 1997) was a San Francisco humorist and journalist whose daily column of local goings-on and insider gossip, social and political happenings, and offbeat puns and anecdotes—"A continuous love le ...
* Count Marco (Marc H. Spinelli) *
Stanton Delaplane Stanton Hill ("Stan") Delaplane (12 October 1907 – 18 April 1988) was a travel writer, credited with introducing Irish coffee to the United States. Called "last of the old irreplaceables" by fellow-columnist Herb Caen, he worked for the ''San Fra ...
* '' Earthweek'' by Steve Newman (1988–1998; moved to Universal Press Syndicate) *
Art Hoppe Arthur Watterson Hoppe (April 23, 1925 – February 1, 2000) was a popular columnist for the '' San Francisco Chronicle'' for more than 40 years. He was known for satirical and allegorical columns that skewered the self-important. Many columns fe ...
*
Charles McCabe Charles McCabe (1915–1983) was a columnist for the '' San Francisco Chronicle'' from the mid-1950s until his death May 1, 1983 at the age of 68. He was born and raised in New York's " Hells Kitchen" and was educated by the Jesuits. His wri ...
* ''This Wild West'' by
Lucius Beebe Lucius Morris Beebe (December 9, 1902 – February 4, 1966) was an American writer, gourmand, photographer, railroad historian, journalist, and syndicated columnist. Early life and education Beebe was born in Wakefield, Massachusetts, to a prom ...
(1962–1966)''The Provacative Pen of Lucius Beebe, Esq.'', p. vii. *
Cynthia Tucker Cynthia Tucker, born March 13, 1955, is an American journalist whose weekly column is syndicated by Universal Uclick. She received a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2007 for her work at the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', where she served a ...
(1991–1997; moved to Universal Press Syndicate)Carvalho, John
"Cynthia Tucker,"
Encyclopedia of Alabama. Accessed Dec. 15, 2018.
* Merla Zellerbach


See also

*
Chronicle Publishing Company The Chronicle Publishing Company was a print and broadcast media corporation headquartered in San Francisco, California that was in operation from 1865 until 2000. Owned for the whole of its existence by the de Young family, CPC was most notab ...


References

{{reflist Comic strip syndicates Companies based in San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle 1962 establishments in California