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Homeless again: ‘Little Orphan Annie’ loses syndication deal after 85 years

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A sad surprise today with news that ‘Annie’ will lose her comics strip on June 13. It’s sad because the strip dates back to 1924 and it’s surprising because, well, who knew someone was still publishing ‘Annie’? Here’s the toon obit from the Associated Press with links added by me.

The iconic redheaded orphan Annie is ending her time on newspaper comics pages after 85 years. Tribune Media Services announced Thursday that it will cease syndication of the “Annie” strip on June 13. The company said in a news release it is taking Annie into the Internet age by pursuing new audiences for her in digital media. The comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” made its newspaper debut on Aug. 5, 1924, first written and illustrated by creator Harold Gray. The strip later was renamed simply “Annie.” The spunky orphan was adopted by Daddy Warbucks and later joined by her lovable dog Sandy. Annie is known for wearing a red dress with white collar and cuffs. Over decades she has become the center of a radio program, Broadway musical and movies.

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Here’s the very first strip featuring the blank-eyed waif who became a sensation during the Coolidge administration:

And here’s one of the recent strips, which is produced by Jay Maeder and Ted Slampyak:

And here’s a musical moment from the 1982 movie:

And the hip-hop classic that echoed it:

-- Geoff Boucher

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