Comics, costs, and Guess the Spot

Some of our readers are a bit disappointed because they did not receive the comics in their Saturday paper. I must admit, a good assortment of humor is almost essential in today’s world. We really don’t get enough of it. I think we need to be entertained by something that makes us smile, and also takes our minds off, into a world of wit and absurdity.

I remember when I was a child, getting the Sunday newspaper with the color comics inside. We didn’t call them comics then. We called them “funnies.” During the week, we didn’t read the funnies, when they were printed only in black, but every Sunday morning before we went to Sunday School, we would spread out on the floor, and open up the funnies. I remember Beetle Bailey, Nancy, Dennis the Menace, Blondie, Brenda Starr, Dick Tracy, and Henry (who had no mouth). There were others, but we didn’t have comics like Dilbert or Doonesbury or political type funnies in our paper. And it wasn’t until much later that I realized that some of our comics, even in the 1950’s, had some hidden meanings.

At any rate, our comics in the Tribune have disappeared (temporarily, I hope) for much the same reason people are trying not to use their vehicles nowadays. The costs have skyrocketed on everything. Our comics supplier has been sending me emails for the past few months about their increases in paper and shipping costs. They have been trying to prepare me for the big gouge without being explicit. Then, suddenly, on Jan. 1, 2022, they doubled their price for the comics, and they added almost double freight charges. The comics are shipped to us from Pennsylvania. The cost on one invoice just about took my breath away. I thanked them for many years of supplying us with comics, and let them know we would have to make other arrangements.

I am now scoping out options to continue to give our readers a proper dose of humor. We love the feedback we get from our readers about what they like and don’t like in the Tribune. I’d love to make everyone happy with what we do, and I hope that really does happen. I so appreciate the support from all of you who love us and want this paper to thrive.

In the near future, I will start up “Guess the Spot” again. We had this game for a short time in 2017, in which we took a picture of something around town, and the first one to let us know the identity of the location would win a prize. If you would like to sponsor this game with a prize, email me at nancys@maderatribune.net. Meanwhile, stay tuned. Guess the Spot is right around the corner.

I’m not sure if this will make up for the absence of the comics, but perhaps it will ease the pain somewhat until we make those other arrangements.

This is your community newspaper. Without you, the Tribune would not exist. Thank you for your love and support.

My Love to all,

— Nancy

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“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

— 1 John 4:7