Fairfax Cuts Australian Comic Icon

Apart from this blog, I have another interest that takes up a lot of my time during winter. I'm a Sydney Swans AFL supporter who also runs an AFL tipping comp.

The comic strip above is one that I use to promote the comp on my tipping blog. It was cut out of the Sydney Morning Herald in the early 90s, and has lived on our fridge for over 12 years.

Anyone who has followed the Swans since their inception in Sydney knows that the early 90s were a bad time for the club. They lost over 20 games in a row, and the club nearly folded. The financial and on field success the club enjoys today was a result of measures put in place by the AFL during that time.

The strip is displayed with the kind permission of its creator, James Kemsley. Ginger Meggs is an iconic Australian comic strip that's been around in one form or another for decades. However, if you look in today's SMH, you won't find it.

James informed me by email that he's been told by the Herald that Meggs will only be published on the weekend. It was the only indigenous strip displayed in weekday paper. The four that remain are all foreign.

If you, like myself, think this is a poor decision by the Fairfax press, I urge you to voice your disapproval by emailing the Herald, or phoning them on 02 9282 1569.