Don’t Mess with the Comics!

About a year or so after I retired from the mighty Mezz, they began printing the Sunday comics in-house.
Prior to that, if I’m right, the Sunday comics were purchased as a package, or part of a package, from an offsite printer.
I’m sure this change was made with great consternation.
As my wife says, “don’t mess with the comics!”
It’s kind of like the daily lottery numbers.
If someone inadvertently forgot to put them on the page, Granny would call head-honcho and ream his ears out.
We noticed the disappearance of “Nancy” — no great loss.
Also the disappearance of “Marmaduke” — a tragedy for dog-lovers like us.
Every time Marm took his master for a walk, hanging on for dear life, we could identify with that.
But they managed to keep “Monty,” and so too “Spider-Man,” which I considered expendable.
About the time of that switch, the Executive Editor at that time, Robert Matson (“MATT-sin”), wrote a column of his various misadventures hiring reporters.
He detailed how one interviewee stalked out in a huff when Matson explained the importance of good spelling and grammar.
I always liked Matson. He had the moxie to look in the eyes of a severely messed up stroke-survivor (me), and say “looks normal to me!”
He also gave me a HUGE raise, so I could get off Social Security Disability.
The Social Security guys in Geneva were dumbfounded. They had never seen such a thing.
Matson and I were on the same page regarding spelling and grammar.
I think good communication requires it.
Both Matson and I are graduates of nearby Houghton College, him in 1980, me 1966.
I think Houghton engendered that — that creativity counts in good writing, but it needs correct spelling and grammar.
I wrote Matson a congratulatory e-mail, telling him to stand his ground.
I also suggested Spider-Man was a waste, that I didn’t read it.
“NO WAY!” he cried. “No way am I dumping Spider-man. That’s the best comic we got.”
Oh well, difference of opinion.
Matson is one person, and I’m another.
I’m glad he likes Spider-Man.
But I wonder why every Spider-Man comic seems to have a scowling villain? (See picture.)
I’d like to think Matson likes Spider-Man because it’s laughable.

• The “mighty Mezz” is the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, from where I retired four years ago. Best job I ever had. (“Canandaigua” [“cannon-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 15 miles away.)
• My wife of 42 years is “Linda.”
• I had a stroke October 26, 1993, and was taken on as an unpaid intern at the mighty Mezz about two years later. Later I was hired. I retired in December of 2005.
• Our current dog is “Scarlett;” a rescue Irish-Setter. She’s four, and is our sixth Irish-Setter. (A “rescue Irish Setter” is an Irish Setter rescued from a bad home; e.g. a puppy-mill. By getting a rescue-dog, we avoid puppydom, but the dog is often messed up.) —When taken for a walk, she pulls, and quite hard.
• “Houghton College,” in western New York, is from where I graduated with a BA. I’ve never regretted it, although I graduated as a Ne’er-do-Well, without their blessing. Houghton is an evangelical liberal-arts college.
• “Geneva” is another city about 15 miles east of Canandaigua. It’s at the northern end of Seneca Lake, a so-called “Finger-Lake.” —The nearest Social Security office is in Geneva.