A huge strip takes on its own life and becomes more than just the creation of one human. It becomes an institution a financial institution. Let's face it, we're all in this to make money. Yes, we love the art form and we want to create and produce something wonderful and lasting and important. But we also wouldn't mind hitting the jackpot and getting filthy rich.
Syndicates are businesses.
They want that jackpot, too. And the big strips are big because readers worldwide love them. And if the plug should be pulled when the creator dies, then the same should be said for Star Trek and James Bond and the Muppets and Mickey Mouse. No, the difficulty in breaking in has nothing to do with the staying power of Blondie. It has to do with the quality of the new work being produced.