IN OR OUT? READERS WILL DETERMINE IF NEW COMIC STRIP WILL REPLACE PEANUTS

After nearly 50 years, Charles Schulz has called it quits. He no longer draws his beloved "Peanuts" comic strip.

In response, United Feature Syndicate is providing classic Peanuts to the 2,600 newspapers that carry the strip. The comics reruns will start with those from 1974.

But what do you think? Would you like to see the Southeast Missourian continue to run classic Peanuts, or would you like to see the newspaper replace it with another popular daily strip?

Comics readers are very loyal. That's why most newspapers shy away from fiddling with daily comics. Changing comics can spur more emotional calls than any other part of the paper.

Perhaps it's because many comic strips speak to the vulnerable side of life as a way to make us laugh. People could relate to the long-suffering little round-headed kid. Perhaps there's a bit of Charlie Brown in all of us.

And don't forget about tradition. Many long-time comic strips are as endearing as an old friend.

The Southeast Missourian contacted the five main syndicates that provide comic strips and ask them to recommend their two most popular strips that the newspaper doesn't carry on its daily comic page. Of course, United Feature Syndicate is confident that readers will remain with Peanuts, even in reruns.

What do you think?

As part of this preview of possible new comics, the Southeast Missourian wants your opinion on our dozen daily strips. What's your favorite? What's your least favorite? Are there other new strips you'd like to see the Southeast Missourian carry?

On this occasion, your vote does matter. The fate of Peanuts classic will be determined by reader response.

Comic strip suggestions:

Lola

Tribune Media Services suggests Lola, a witty sharpshooter who's too busy living life to the fullest to worry about proper diet, exercise and political correctness. This independent woman in her late 70s will surprise readers with her kindness one minute and whack them with her cane the next.

At the request of her son, Ray, the recently widowed Lola gives up her condo and moves in with him and his family. The potential disasters of Lola living with her adult children provide the backdrop for a hilarious story about life. Her fierce independence is only matched by her wicked sense of humor.

Super Zeros

After drinking a radioactive mixture, Manly Man and Bluebird transform into misfit super heroes. Often mistaken for professional wrestlers, the SuperZeros are not your typical caped crusaders. These two lovable losers spring from the irrepressible imagination of Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Manly Man can see through stained glass, lift large objects and crash into skyscrapers in a single bound. His brother and partner Bluebird is short, dark, cynical and grumpy. He feels cursed by his mission to rid the world of evil. He's rather be something normal, like a shoe salesman. Together they face villains like pushy telemarketers, rude waiters and the ultimate archenemy, a10-year-old neighborhood boy named Dylan.

Non Sequitur

Universal Press Syndicate suggests Non Sequitur, a wry look at the absurdities of everyday life by Wiley Miller. The strip is syndicated in more than 400 newspapers and has won four Ruebens, the most prestigious award in cartooning.

This strip steers away from politics in favor of satire that touches on real-life situations. Its subjects range from the mundane (domestic life) to the menacing (crime). Many of Wiley's more pointed barbs are directed toward doctors, lawyers (a Non Sequitur compilation book is titled Dead Lawyers and Other Pleasant Thoughts), politicians and the media, particularly newspapers. Miller said: "The most consistent e-mail I get is from readers thanking me for not dumbing down my work. I just assume anyone left holding a newspaper today is literate."

FoxTrot

FoxTrot debuted in 1988 and appears in more than 1,000 newspapers worldwide. The story focuses on the Fox family. Roger is father, husband and corporate cog. He's still trying to master the technologies of the '70s. Andy is mother, housewife, writer and grievance mediator. She always wanted to have lots of children; now she knows better.

Meet their three children: Peter, a high school junior with a senior-sized ego; Paige, a high school freshman who's queen of the mall; and Jason, who's 10 years old and too smart for his own or his family's good. Their pet iguana, Quincy, rounds out this not-so-perfect family.

Zits

King Features suggests Zits, a strip about being 15 and living with someone who is 15. Jeremy is the star of Zits. He's a freshman, a B student, a budding musician and a typical teen-ager. He's a likable, introspective kid, a medium-deep thinker whose main pastimes are playing the guitar, hanging out and being amazed at his parents' spectacular ignorance about practically everything that's cool or important to him. Caring, funny, ambivalent, impatient, self-absorbed, emotional and bored silly, Jeremy is the essence of adolescence.

What "Dilbert" is the office, King Syndicate says "Zits" is the family room. In 1999, it was named "Best Comic Strip of the Year" by the National Cartoonists Society.

Baby Blues

Baby Blues follows the trials and tribulations of the MacPherson family and their two young children, Zoe and Hamish (Hammie for short). In 1995, it was honored as Best Comic Strip of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society.

Born cranky and loud, Zoe dominated the MacPherson household for the first three years of her life. After having every burp, bubble and babble photographed or taped, Zoe has come face-to-face with the cold reality of being the older sibling. Zoe is now five and in kindergarten; Hammie is a year and a half. Baby Blues is the fodder for a new animated TV series under development by Warner Brothers.

Rose is Rose

United Feature Syndicate suggests Rose is Rose. With a warm mix of fantasy and reality, this strip presents the Gumbo family and the magic of everyday life.

Rose is a seemingly composed and staid homemaker. But sometimes we see her transform into and out of her alter ego, Vicki the Biker, who has a hunger for adventure and the open road. Little son Pasquale's imaginary escapades rival his mom's, but his adventures occur in his Dreamship. Rose's husband, Jimbo looks like your average blue-collar dad. But he's actually an incurable romantic and unabashed admirer of larger women.

Get Fuzzy

There's nothing soft and fluffy about the four-legged friends at the heart of the bitingly hilarious comic strip, "Get Fuzzy."

At the center of this fuzzy romp is Rob Wilco, a single, mild-mannered ad executive and guardian of Bucky and Satchel. Bucky is a temperamental cat (is there any other kind?) who clearly wears the pants in this eccentric household. Satchel is a gentle pooch with a sensitive soul who tries to remain neutral, but frequently ends up on the receiving end of Bucky's mischief. Together this unlikely trio endures all the trials and tribulations of a typical family ... more or less.

One Big Happy

Creators Syndicate suggests: One Big Happy, which looks to capture childhood and the extended family so realistically that you might just laugh out loud. The humor strip is driven by its characters: 6-and-a-half-year old Ruthie; her 8-year-old brother Joe; her parents, Ellen and Frank; and her grandparents, Rose and Nick, who live next door to Ruthie's family.

The strip focuses on dark-haired Ruthie, a bright and opinionated first grader. It often focuses on the warm relationship between Ruthie and her grandfather.

Agnes

Agnes provides a funny, poignant look at the life of a younger girl who dreams of a world much bigger than her own. The strip appeals to both adults and kids with the witty, wise-beyond-her-years views of a little girl.

Agnes lives in a non-traditional family it's just Agnes and her grandmother. They live at "The People's Court" in a small trailer. Her Granma will never be rich and can never retire. She struggles to raise her granddaughter with love and bits of wisdom that sometimes fall way short of bridging the generational gap. The strip also features Trout, Agnes best friend, who is an undeniable realist.

Peanuts

Of course, readers can stick with classic Peanuts strips. United Feature Syndicate will offer published strips, starting with those in 1974. For some people, the classic Peanuts will bring back old memories. For others, they will seem brand new. Who can actually remember 26 years ago? Peanuts made its debut Oct. 2, 1950. The travails of the little round-headed kid Charlie Brown and his pals eventually ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries.

The strip follows the exploits of long-suffering Charlie Brown as he faces misfortune with a mild "Good Grief." Tart-tongued Lucy hands out advice for a nickel at her stand. And Snoopy can be found taking an occasional flight of fancy to the skies of World War I as he fights imaginary dogfights with the Red Baron.

CAST YOUR VOTE

Select the comic strip you would like to see published in the Southeast Missourian following the retirement of Charles Schulz:

Ziggy

Herman

Family Circus

Dilbert

The Born Loser

For Better or For Worse

Garfield

Cathy

Hi and Lois

Blondie

Beetle Bailey

Are there other comic strips not mentioned above that you'd like to see? If so, what?