It's finally here. The last big round of changes to come out of The News-Gazette's Stay or Go comics poll. While the story won't be published until Sunday (Entertainment section), blog readers can get the scoop here first. Be sure to let me know what you think afterward.

By AUBRIE WILLIAMS
comics@news-gazette.com
“Cul de Sac,” a comic strip from award-winning creator Richard Thompson, will be joining the Sunday and daily comics pages of The News-Gazette, beginning today.

Thompson’s work tells the tale of Alice Otterloop, a willful preschooler, and her explorations in and interactions with the world around her, including her friends, parents, teacher -- and the occasional guinea pig.

The strip, which originally appeared February 2004 in The Washington Post, is now read in more than 150 newspapers worldwide. Additionally, Thompson was recently named the National Cartoonist Society’s Cartoonist of the Year. Past artists to achieve this high honor have included “Peanuts’” Charles Schulz, “Calvin and Hobbes’” Bill Watterson and “Dilbert’s” Scott Adams.

“Cul de Sac’s” inclusion is one of the latest changes made as the result of the Stay or Go Comics Poll. The purpose of the campaign, which took place in February, was to let readers express their ideas to the editorial staff at The News-Gazette. Readers were asked to vote, either online or by paper ballot, for their top three comics to “Stay” and their top three comics to “Go.”

Readers were also given the opportunity to check out new strips, dubbed “Guest Comics” that appear in other papers and comment on them, with an eye toward
including one or more in the daily or Sunday comics pages. “Cul de Sac” had appeared in the latest round of “Guest Comics.”

In order to open a position for “Cul de Sac” in the Sunday section, editors chose to say farewell to “The Middletons,” created by Ralph Dunagin and Dana
Summer. “The Middletons” finished No. 31 – next to last – in the “Stay” portion of the February poll, and No. 31 in the “Go” poll, leading editors to believe readers did not have strong feelings for the strip.

Fans of “Judge Parker” and “Rex Morgan” will welcome additional changes as a result of the poll. Both strips – which finished No. 9 and No. 15, respectively, and appear in the daily pages – will now appear in the Sunday section as well.

“Judge Parker” and “Rex Morgan,” both creations of Nicholas P. Dallis that have lasted for more than 60 years each, will replace “Rose is Rose,” which finished
toward the bottom of the poll at No. 25.

In the daily pages, a single “Guest Comic” spot will continue to appear, with a new comic approximately every four weeks. Next up in that position will be “Candorville,” written and illustrated by Darrin Bell. “Candorville” uses its main characters, including young, black writer Lemont Brown, to provide social and political commentary on today’s world.

Initial changes to reflect the results of the Stay or Go Comics poll were made in April, including the removal of “Big Nate,” which finished at the bottom of the “Stay” poll, from the daily and Sunday sections. Other changes included moving all comics from the Classified section -- with the exception of the oddly-shaped “The Dinette Set.”

Readers are invited to send their suggestions, thoughts and opinions to The News-Gazette regarding these or any comics by emailing comics@news-gazette.com or calling 351-5213.