Comics are no laughing matter to readers

MOSES LAKE - Columbia Basin Herald Publisher Harlan Beagley received nearly 200 phone calls this week about a serious matter: the paper's funnies page.

After publishing some test comics and removing the "Dear Abby" advice column, readers responded.

They either wanted the old comics back, loved some of the new offerings, or a little of both.

Today's paper has more of this week's new comic offerings. Monday's paper shows the final lineup.

"Baby Blues," "Frank and Ernest," and "Pickles" will be left in the paper, but "Mutts" didn't survive the test.

Some readers working at the Grant County Courthouse were worried about the temporary disappearance of their beloved "Baby Blues."

"They need 'Baby Blues' in the newspaper to make their day go a little better," Beagley said. "It's an important part of their day. We had a nice long chat about 'Baby Blues.'"

Other comics, such as "Pardon My Planet," were left in the paper this week and will remain, he said.

Many readers liked seeing "Pickles" and "Garfield," this week.

He said the changes weren't part of cost-cutting measures.

During the past two Decembers, Beagley conducted reader surveys showing other examples. The surveys got readers talking about what they loved, but not much else.

But abruptly removing the old line-up and adding the test comics got instant responses.

Some people disliked the new choices and others had some constructive criticism, he said.

"I wanted to get real comments from real comic readers in our area," Beagley said.

Reader Ronda McPhetridge said she loved "Baby Blues," "Zits" and "Dear Abby."

Sharon, last name not provided, wanted all of the regular comics back.

Miles, last name not provided, loved "Frank and Ernest."

One reader recommended Beagley run "Over the Hedge," which he is looking into.

Another reader thought the test run of advice columnist Carolyn Hax's "Tell Me" column was difficult to read. Hax uses italics in portions of her column.

In a voicemail, a woman asked Beagley where Dear Abby and the old comics page had gone.

The reader also told him to "clean it up and get it back to where it was."

Another change, replacing advice column "Dear Abby" was done because the quality of advice declined over the years, he was told.

Phillips has Alzheimer's disease and her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, now writes the columns, according to published reports.

Gay marriage has been covered in the column by both Phillipses, with Jeanne Phillips publicly stating her support of gay marriage in 2007.

Beagley was told by readers that the current "Dear Abby" column doesn't reflect the Christian values of the Columbia Basin.

"It's not for me to say," he said.

He found Hax's articles and finds her work to be more similar to the original "Dear Abby."

Another reader suggested he consider a column titled "Annie's Mailbox," which runs in the Spokesman-Review, and is penned by editors of the Ann Landers column.

Beagley is considering rotating different advice columns.

"My hope is to continue this open dialogue with our readers and put into the Columbia Basin Herald exactly or close to exactly what they want," Beagley said.

He encourages readers to tickle his funny bone with new comic ideas.

To reach Beagley, call 509-765-4561.