The ''Los Angeles Times'' Syndicate was a print syndication service that operated from 1949 to 2000. Owned by the Times Mirror Company, it also operated the ''Los Angeles Times'' Syndicate International; together the two divisions sold more than 140 features in more than 100 countries around the world. Syndicated features included Pulitzer Prize-winning commentators and Column (periodical), columnists, full news and feature services, editorial cartoons and comic strips, online products and photo and graphics packages.
History
The syndicate was founded in c. 1949 by the Times Mirror Company as the Mirror Enterprises Syndicate. In the early 1960s the name was changed to the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, and was operated as a department of the ''Los Angeles Times'' newspaper. Rex Barley was manager of the syndicate from 1950 until at least 1968.
The syndicate acquired the New York City-based independent syndicate General Features Corp. in 1967 for approximately $1 million, retaining it as a separate entity.
["Times Mirror Company And General Features,"]
''New York Times'' (January 4, 1967), p. 84. In 1974, the L.A. Times Syndicate absorbed General Features into its own operations.
In mid-1987, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate was the fifth-ranked syndication service, with 85 features.
The Tribune Company acquired the Times Mirror Company in early 2000; upon completion of the merger, the L.A. Times Syndicate became a division of Tribune Media Services. The New York office closed June 1, 2000, while the Salt Lake City office closed on August 31, 2000. International work continues to be done in Los Angeles through the Tribune Content Agency. Several of the employees were offered follow on jobs with Tribune Media Services after the closing. The only strip that appeared to survive the merger was Dave Blazek and John Gilpin's ''Loose Parts''.
Comic strips and panels
Neither iteration of the syndicate ever produced a breakout comic strip; the most successful strips — ''Luther (comic strip), Luther'', ''Napoleon and Uncle Elby'', ''Mr. Tweedy'' — tended to be inherited from other syndicates. Most Mirror Enterprise strips didn't last more than two or three years, and the company appeared to give up on syndicating comic strips after c. 1961.
After a five-year hiatus, the newly named Los Angeles Times Syndicate picked up the distribution of comic strips again in 1965. It had a similar lack of long-term success, with most strips not lasting more than three of four year in syndication. The most popular strips that originated with the L.A. Times Syndicate were Ed Nofziger's ''Animalogic'' (11 years in syndication) and Lee Nordling's ''Sherman on the Mount'' (9 years).
The syndicate also distributed Lou Grant (cartoonist), Lou Grant's editorial cartoons from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Mirror Enterprises Syndicate (c. 1949–c. 1961)
* ''Annie Oakley'' by Bill Ziegler (1950–1952)
["Bill Ziegler,"]
''Who's Who of American Comic Books: 1928–1999''. Accessed Nov. 30, 2017.
* ''Dragnet'' by Mel Keefer and Bill Ziegler (1953–1954)
* ''Hopalong Cassidy'' by Royal King Cole and Dan Spiegle (1949–1951)
* ''The Life of General Ike'' by "staff artist" Bill MacArthur (1952) — "36-installment story strip" on the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower
* ''My Friend Irma (entertainment property), My Friend Irma'' by Stan Lee,
Jack Seidel, and Dan DeCarlo (1951–1952)
* ''Napoleon and Uncle Elby'' by Margot McBride (widow of strip creator Clifford McBride),
Roger Armstrong, and Joe Messerli (1952–1961) — acquired from LaFave Newspaper Features
[Knoll, Erwin. "Napoleon" Strip Moves To Mirror Syndicate," ''Editor & Publisher'' (September 20, 1952). Archived a]
''Stripper's Guide''
Accessed Oct. 31, 2018.
* ''Soapy Waters'' by George Stallings & Kay Wright (February 7, 1955 – April 20, 1957)
* ''Times Have Changed?'' by P. S. Clayton & Jack Chick (Nov. 16, 1953 – 1955)
* ''Too Funny for Words'' by Courtney Dunkel (June 12 1950 – 1952) — wordless daily strip
Los Angeles Times Syndicate (1965–2000)
* ''Animalogic'' by Ed Nofziger (1967–1978)
* ''Bonzer U'' by Kearney Egerton (1968)
* ''Bush League'' by John Bianchi and Ken Shaw (1975)
* ''Dallas'' by writer Jim Lawrence and artists Paul Chadwick, Ron Harris, and Deryl Skelton (1981–1984)
* ''The DeBrees'' by Charles Barsotti and Kipp Schuessler (1975)
* ''Drawn Out'' by Bill and Eric Teitelbaum (1980)
* ''Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist'' by Bill Braudis and Dave Blazek, with artwork by Dick Truxaw (March 1997 – January 2000)
* ''Et Tu'' by Dan Harpe (1975-1976)
* ''Gerties Gig'' by Suzanne Farrow (1976)
* ''Gleeb'' by Paul B. Lowney (1981-1985)
* ''Grace and Looie'' by Al Wiseman (1966, 1973)
* ''Guindon'' by Dick Guindon (1978–1981)
* ''Homer's Groaners'' by Ed Stanoszek (1978-1979)
* ''Jeff Cobb (comic strip), Jeff Cobb'' by Pete Hoffman (1974–1978)
[''Jeff Cobb'']
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
from the original on October 8, 2016. — acquired from General Features Corp.
* ''Lady Chatter'' by Nellie Caroll (1965–1966)
* ''Bruce Lee (comics), Legend of Bruce Lee''
by Sharman DiVono, Fran Matera, and Dick Kulpa (1982–1983)
* ''Lord, I Said'' by Hank Hartmann and Martha Merrill (1978)
* ''Loose Parts'' by Dave Blazek & John Gilpin (April 1998–December 2000; moved to Tribune Media Services)
* ''Luther (comic strip), Luther'' by Brumsic Brandon Jr. (1970–1986)
— inherited from Newsday Specials
* ''Mr. Tweedy'' by Ned Riddle (1974–1988) — continued from General Features Corp.
* ''Modesty Blaise'' (1976-1980)
* ''My Stars'' by Ken Bruns (1976)
* ''The Noob'' (1994)
* ''Phoebe's Place'' by Bill Schorr (1990–1991)
* ''Sherman on the Mount'' by Lee Nordling (1980–1989)
* ''Star Trek (comics), Star Trek'' by Thomas Warkentin, Sharman DiVono, Ron Harris (cartoonist), Ron Harris, Larry Niven, Martin Pasko, Padraic Shigetani, Bob Meyers (cartoonist), Bob Meyers, Ernie Colón, Gerry Conway, and Dick Kulpa (Dec. 2, 1979 – Dec. 3, 1983)
* ''Star Wars comics, Star Wars'' by Archie Goodwin (comics), Archie Goodwin, Al Williamson, Russ Manning, Russ Helm, Steve Gerber, and Alfredo Alcala (1979–1984)
* ''The Virtue of Vera Valiant'' by writer Stan Lee
["Stan Lee,"]
''Who's Who of American Comic Books: 1928–1999''. Accessed Nov. 30, 2017. and artists John Buscema and Frank Springer (1976-1977)
* ''Pogo (comic strip), Walt Kelly's Pogo'' by Larry Doyle (writer), Larry Doyle and Neal Sternecky,
"Neal Sternecky,"
''Who's Who of American Comic Books: 1928–1999''. Accessed Nov. 30, 2017. Peter Sternecky, and Carolyn Sternecky (Jan. 1989 – Nov. 1993)
* ''Why We Say'' by Robert Morgan and Pete Hoffman (1974–1978) — continued from General Features Corp.
See also
* Los Angeles Times–Washington Post News Service
References
{{reflist
1949 establishments in the United States
2000 disestablishments in the United States
Comic strip syndicates
Los Angeles Times
Mass media companies of the United States
Organizations established in 1949
Organizations disestablished in 2000
Tribune Publishing