Sometime during the summer somebody had the brilliant idea of cutting almost all of the comics — except one — and replacing them with a giant-sized crossword puzzle, an Octo puzzle, a word finder (are we in grade school now?) and a Pathem puzzle.
First off, everybody loves a good puzzle, but introducing three crappy puzzles to replace the comics is just insulting. You found a place for the Sudoku didn’t you? I bet you could find a better place to put your crap puzzles.
Second puzzle gripe: You made the crossword the size of half a page Are you completely ignorant of how the crossword is used in the first place? How are you supposed to hide a crossword puzzle in your lap or folder during class when it is that size?
Not to mention that at that size, it feels like I am doing my grandmother’s crossword.
On to the comics: Why?!?!? Yes, most of them are not funny on a regular basis, but there are those of us who still read them religiously hoping they will be. The only conceivable reason I can imagine for cutting the comics section would be for cost cuts — even though I imagine the new crap puzzles cost a bit, too.
Did you know they recently introduced a comics class — sequential art — into the MSU curriculum? In fact, your editorial cartoonist, Austin Hendry, was a student in the class. So, I am sure he told you how many aspiring cartoonists are on campus waiting for their talent to be recognized.
Why has The State News not reached out to these people? I guarantee 90 percent of them would be willing and ecstatic to do a daily comic strip for free. Why not support the local talent?
Speaking of local talent, did you know we have a nationally syndicated cartoonist living in Okemos? I bet Jef Mallett, creator of “Frazz,” would really appreciate the support of a local newspaper.
There are also plenty of local cartoonists not associated with MSU just waiting for a chance to be seen, Lansing Community College has a dedicated club.
What possible reason would The State News have for not seeking out local talent? It boggles — and please don’t put in some Boggle-themed puzzle just because I used that word — the mind.
Anyway, whoever decided and approved the new format should be fired. Please return the comics and look into using local talent.
Olaf Dietrich,
1998 MSU graduate
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