Reader reaction was swift. Humor, satire, and drama are very effective in doing this. Thomas was also criticized by a number of comic creators e-mailing messages to the National Cartoonists Society's bulletin board. He is annoyed by reader letters that don't interest him. With arrogant, unresponsive editors like this, it is no wonder why new media is eating away at newspaper readership.
Newspapers have lots of problems.
Here's something that's working for them. Globe columnist Diane White also defended the funnies in a piece appearing three days after the ombudsman had his say. Most of us go on to read the rest of the newspaper. The Connecticut resident and Texas native inherited the King Features Syndicate adventure strip after its creator, Alex Raymond, died in 1956. It has been running in less than 50 papers.