Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Opinion: Readers like Pickles, but not Macanudo

Comics survey says: Our newspaper readers love Pickles, they really don’t care for Macanudo, Popeye is hard to read and … please bring back the grocery store inserts and the Parade magazine.

We received three dozen responses to the survey that asked readers tell us their favorite comics, their least favorite comics and for suggestions on other comics they’d like to see.

OK, that’s not a huge sampling, but when was the last time you responded to a questionnaire that didn’t offer a chance to win a thousand bucks or a new car?

Those who responded to our survey were serious about their comics, and some other things.

A few samplings:

• “I will never forgive the NM News if you drop the Sunday comics!!”

• “Popeye suks. The print is too small to read … it’s not funny and a slap in the face. … Olive really sucks. Git rid of it. … Tell David Stevens to read the comics and wake up!!”

• “We like them all. Even (Kent) McManigal and (Michael) Reagan provide us a good laugh some weeks.”

Several readers took the time to offer commentary on issues not related to comics that we didn’t ask about, which was also much appreciated.

“I read your entire paper,” wrote one. “My favorites are Betty Williamson and Karl Terry. They write about people and what is local. … Tell Samon’s I read their ad (each) week.”

Several readers took advantage of the survey to mention they want the grocery store inserts back in the Wednesday paper and they want Parade back in the Sunday paper.

(Dear readers: We also want the grocery store specials and Parade back in the paper, but we didn’t get to vote. Parade stopped publishing and the grocery stores decided to focus their advertising online.)

As for the comics, 15 of those who responded to the survey said Pickles is their favorite. Blondie (8 votes) was a distant second followed closely by Zits, Baby Blues, Beetle Bailey and Family Circus.

Eleven readers took the time to say they don’t like Macanudo, and four said they don’t like Popeye.

In the category of comics readers would like to see, Peanuts was mentioned three times and Hagar twice.

To the reader who promised we’d never be forgiven if we drop the Sunday comics: Don’t worry. They’re not going away.

But we may make a few changes as a result of this feedback.

For sure we’ll talk to the syndicate that produces Popeye about the production issues. It is hard to read. And we may look for alternatives (comics or puzzles) to Macanudo and a few others that survey respondents don’t seem to care about.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to participate.

David Stevens is publisher for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

[email protected]

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