Some lucky web cartoonists make it into print syndication. In the current publishing economy, which seems to want to hold onto the “old school” a lot longer than the Internet would warrant, it’s still the six major syndicates that allow cartoonists to subsist by doing what they love. The syndicates are staking out space online, but the money remains in print. Will a shift ever occur? I can’t see it happening until the line between newsprint and screen is blurred, or should I say unblurred and made sufficiently portable. Thomas K. Dye of “Newshounds” notes that having cartoon archives accessible online allows strips to be more plot and character oriented since readers can look back on the storyline. Peter Zale of “Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet”, which moved from the web to print, says he concentrates more on the gag now instead of the plot. As with all entertainment, I hope variety survives, not just the mainstream. Maybe the web can help keep variety alive. (article via MediaNews)