Thursday, July 29, 2021
Jeffrey Lindenblatt's Paper Trends: The 300 for 1985 -- Overall Results
For the year 1985 we did not lose any papers but 5 papers did not have the information available for the January 1985 survey so for this survey we have 281 papers available out of the 300.
In the Top 30 we have one strip returning to the Top 10 and one classic strip entering the Top 30. Doonesbury returns after its 22 month hiatus and with 17 more papers than in the 1982 survey it is now number 6. Because of Doonesbury’s reappearance, many strips that appeared in the top 30 fell one position.
Eek and Meek entering the Top 30, and falling out of the Top 30 are Berry’s World and Nancy. Readers are not liking the direction the strip has been going since Ernie Bushmiller’s passing.
Gasoline Alley was the biggest mover, moving up 2 spots. Several moved up one position. One of these was Garfield, moving up to number 3, knocking Beetle Bailey down to 4. Garfield gained 15 papers this year and now has 187 papers. Since we began The 300 with 1978 the top three has been the same: Peanuts, Blondie and Beetle Bailey. This is the first change in the Top 3. Will Garfield pass Blondie or even knock Peanuts off the top spot? We will have to find out as time goes on. With Doonesbury returning we now have 11 strips over the 100 paper mark.
|
Title |
Place |
Movement |
+/- Papers |
Total Papers |
|
Peanuts |
1 |
Same |
5 |
213 |
|
Blondie |
2 |
Same |
5 |
205 |
|
Garfield |
3 |
Up 1 |
15 |
187 |
|
Beetle Bailey |
4 |
Down 1 |
0 |
186 |
|
Hagar the Horrible |
5 |
Same |
5 |
142 |
|
Doonesbury |
6 |
Returning |
17 |
140 |
|
Family Circus |
7 |
Down 1 |
3 |
124 |
|
Wizard of Id |
8 |
Down 1 |
3 |
113 |
|
Frank and Ernest |
9 |
Up 1 |
7 |
104 |
|
B.C. |
10 |
Down 2 |
3 |
103 |
|
Hi and Lois |
11 |
Down 3 |
1 |
101 |
|
Shoe |
12 |
Down 1 |
5 |
98 |
|
Andy Capp |
13 |
Down 1 |
6 |
97 |
|
Born Loser |
14 |
Down 1 |
2 |
87 |
|
Dennis the Menace |
15 |
Down 1 |
6 |
86 |
|
For Better or For Worse |
16 |
Down 1 |
4 |
79 |
|
Bloom County |
17 |
Up 1 |
11 |
77 |
|
Mary Worth |
18 |
Down 2 |
-1 |
72 |
|
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith |
19 |
Down 2 |
-1 |
69 |
|
Cathy |
20 |
Same |
9 |
66 |
|
Marmaduke |
21 |
Down 2 |
3 |
61 |
|
Herman |
22 |
Down 1 |
3 |
58 |
|
Rex Morgan |
23 |
Down 1 |
1 |
55 |
|
Ziggy |
24 |
Down 1 |
4 |
54 |
|
Marvin |
25 |
Same |
5 |
53 |
|
Tank McNamara |
26 |
Down 2 |
2 |
51 |
|
Gasoline Alley |
27 |
Up 2 |
1 |
45 |
|
Winthrop |
28 |
Down 1 |
0 |
45 |
|
Heathcliff |
29 |
Down 2 |
-2 |
43 |
|
Eek and Meek |
30 |
Entering |
1 |
42 |
Like we did with the last year survey we will see if the universal comic section continues to grow.
Top 2 strips – 170 (Up 8)
Top 3 strips - 138 (Down 3)
Top 4 strips – 116 (Up 10)
Top 5 strips – 72 (Up 9)
Top 6 strips – 47 (Up 18)
Top 7 strips – 26 (Up 8)
Top 8 strips – 15 (Up 5)
Top 9 strips – 6 (Down 2)
Top 10 strips – 2 (Down 1)
Top 11 strips – 2 (Down 1)
Top 12 strips – 2 (Up 1)
Top 13 strips – 1 (Same)
Top 14 strips – 1 (Same)
Top 15 strips – 1 (Up 1)
Again, the Austin American Statesman had the most universal section running the Top 15 strips. The Tampa Tribune now has the Top 12 strips. The Top 8 had the greatest increase. We will see what will happen next year.
Here are the remaining strips that were running in the Top 300 this year.
41 – Alley Oop (-2), Far Side (12), Nancy (-3)
40 – Berry’s World (-7), Funky Winkerbean (1)
37 – Bugs Bunny (-1)
36 – Dick Tracy (-1)
35 – Amazing Spider-Man (-6)
34 – Tiger (-2)
32 - Judge Parker (0), Lockhorns (+6)
29 - Mother Goose and Grimm (R), Tumbleweeds (-3)
28 – Archie (-2)
27 – Sally Forth (+1)
26 - Buz Sawyer (-2), Snake Tales (0)
25 - Kit N Carlyle (+2)
23 - Apartment 3-G (0), Phantom (+1)
22 - Broom Hilda (-2), Levy’s Law (+3), Steve Canyon (-4)
21 – Geech (+1)
20 - Mark Trail (-2)
19 – Captain Easy (-3)
18 - Dunagin’s People (-1), Great John L/Babyman (0), On The Fastrack (R), Redeye (-1), They’ll Do It Every Time (+1)
17 – Crock (-2)
16 – Hazel (0)
15 - Fred Basset (0), Steve Roper and Mike Nomad (-1)
14 - Can You Solve this Mystery? (R)
13 – Adam (R), Momma (-3), Small Society (-5)
12 - Donald Duck (-1), Mr. Men and Little Miss (-6), Motley's Crew (0), Mr. Tweedy (+1)
11 – Duffy (-4), Gil Thorp (0), Kuduz (0), Little Orphan Annie (-2), Rip Kirby (+1)
10 – Benchley (R), Brenda Starr (-1), Drabble (+1), Guindon (+1), Ryatts (0), John Darling (0)
9 - Animal Crackers (+1), Grin and Bear It (-5)
8 - Agatha Crumm (-1), Dondi (-1), Girls (0), Heart of Juliet Jones (-1), Miss Peach (-1), Neighborhood (0), Willy N Ethel (+1)
7 - Better Half (-2), Catfish (0), Conrad (-10), Elwood (-1), Graffiti (0), Muppets (-4), Rock Channel (R)
6 - Captain Vincible (-4), Fenton (-6), Flintstones (+1), Henry (-1), Love Is (-1), Moose Miller (0), Ripley’s Believe It Or Not (-1), Rose is Rose (R), There Oughta Be A Law (+1)
5 – Arnold (0), Gordo (+1), Hocus-Focus (0), Pavlov (-1), Winnie the Pooh (-2)
4 - A Little Leary, Boner’s Ark, Bringing Up Father, Ferd’Nand, Flash Gordon, Johnny Wonder, Laff-A-Day, Middle Ages, Our Fascinating Earth, Ponytail, Quigmans, Scamp, Smith Family, Winnie Winkle, Wright Angels
3 - Ask Shagg, Belvedere, Ben Wicks, Betty Boop & Felix, Bumgardner, Charlie, Clout St, Downstown, Good News Bad News, It’s Just A Game, McGonigle of the Chronicle, Nubbin, Rivets, Sam and Silo, Travels With Farley, Trudy
2 - According to Guinness, Amy, Bears In Love, Ben Swift, Big George, Dick And Jane, Dr. Smock, Eb & Flo, Health Capsules, Kidspot, Laugh Time, Mandrake the Magician, Mickey Mouse, Moon Mullins, Mr. Abernathy, Outcasts, Play Better Golf With Jack Nicklaus, Popeye, Sporting Life, Ug!, Vidiots, Word-A-Day
1 - Bottom's, Brick Bradford, Brother Juniper, Charlie Buggs, Ching Chow, Eyebeam, Full House, Furtree High, Gumdrop, Kaleb, Laffbreak, Mark Trail Outdoor Tips, Marvin and Melvin, Modesty Blaise, Murphy’s Law, Peter Principle, Pot-Shots, Quincy, Ribbons, Rudy, Salt Chuck, Secret Agent Corrigan, Sidelines, Stan Smith’s Tennis Class, Sylvia, That’s Jake, This Funny World, Wordplay
Labels: Paper Trends
