| Field Newspaper Syndicate | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Industry: | Print syndication |
| Founder: | Marshall Field III |
| Fate: | merged into King Features (1988) |
| Hq Location City: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Hq Location Country: | U.S. |
| Area Served: | United States |
| Key People: | Russ Stewart Henry Baker |
| Products: | Comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons |
The Field Newspaper Syndicate was a syndication service based in Chicago that operated independently from 1941 to 1984, for a good time under the name the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate. The service was founded by Marshall Field III and was part of Field Enterprises. The syndicate was most well known for Steve Canyon, but also launched such popular, long-running strips as The Berrys, From 9 To 5, Rivets, and Rick O'Shay. Other features included the editorial cartoons of Bill Mauldin and Jacob Burck, and the "Ask Ann Landers" advice column.
The Chicago Sun Syndicate was founded in December 1941, concurrent with the founding of Marshall Field III's Chicago Sun newspaper. Long-time syndication veteran Henry Baker was installed as manager.[1] Comic-strip historian Allan Holtz has written regarding the origins of the Field Syndicate and its relationship to the rest of the company:
Field formed Field Enterprises in August 1944,[2] and the syndicate became known as Field Enterprises Syndicate. One of the first major strips syndicated by Field was the hugely popular Mutt and Jeff (first launched in 1907), which moved over from the Bell Syndicate-North American Newspaper Alliance. With the Chicago Sun and Chicago Daily Times merger in January 1948, the syndicate absorbed the Chicago Times Syndicate,[3] and installed its general manager, Russ Stewart, as head of Field Enterprises.[4]
At some point circa 1950, the Field Syndicate changed its name to the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate.[5]
In 1963 Field Enterprises and New York Herald Tribune publisher John Hay Whitney acquired the Chicago-based Publishers Newspaper Syndicate,[6] merging syndication operations with the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate, the New York Herald Tribune Syndicate, and the syndicate of the Chicago Daily News[7] (a newspaper that had been acquired by Field Enterprises in 1959).
In 1967, Field Enterprises acquired Robert M. Hall's Hall Syndicate, merging it with Publishers to form the Publishers-Hall Syndicate, and thus taking on distribution of such popular, long-running strips as Mary Worth, Steve Roper, Penny, Kerry Drake, Rex Morgan, M.D., Judge Parker, Miss Peach, B.C., and The Wizard of Id.
In 1975, syndication operations absorbed Publishers-Hall, and were renamed the Field Newspaper Syndicate,[8] taking on such strips as Dennis the Menace, Funky Winkerbean, Mark Trail, and Momma.
The operation was renamed News America Syndicate (NAS) in 1984, after the company was purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.[9] Richard S. Newcombe (coming over from the Los Angeles Times Syndicate) was named President of NAS, which at that point was considered the third-most powerful syndicate, after King Features and United Media.[10] Hearst bought the syndicate in 1987 and renamed it North America Syndicate. The pending sale of NAS (which was first reported in October 1986),[11] prompted Newcombe to leave the company in January 1987 and, using financial backing from London-based publisher Robert Maxwell, form Creators Syndicate before the close of the NAS sale.[12] [13] Creators Syndicate originated on February 13, 1987.[14] Within a month, Creators acquired the syndication rights to B.C. and Ask Ann Landers.[15]
North America Syndicate is now part of Hearst's syndication division, King Features Syndicate.[16] [10]
Strips that originated with Chicago Daily Times / Chicago Sun Syndicate / Field Enterprises / Field Newspaper Syndicate / Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate: