Little Orphan Annie Comic Strip Canceled

Even after 86 years, all good things must end and so it goes for the Little Orphan Annie comic strip. An announcement by Tribune Media Services said Little Orphan Annie has been canceled. The last time to catch Annie in the funny papers, according to the NYDailyNews.com, is June 13. In 1924, Little Orphan Annie made her debut in The New York Daily News.

Annie Creator Harold Gray

Some interesting personal background provided by "The Free Library " claims; Harold Gray, Annie's creator, held a great distain for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and made no bones about that in his comic strip throughout the years of 1924-68.

Apparently he shared his personal dislike for FDR with approximately 30 million readers daily, much to the dismay of Liberals, who put Gray down over his political views and for his expression of any serious note in his Little Orphan Annie comic strip.

Many will argue Harold Gray was one of the most controversial cartoonists of his time. Working the readership via Annie's plight as a poor orphan in a economy not unlike the US economy right now, Gray was certainly able to draw and write into existence his personal political views.

Little Orphan Annie - Radio & Movie

Even if you never read the comic strip or heard her in a radio series in the '30s and '40s you probably know Annie, her adoptive father, Daddy Warbucks and her ever faithful dog, Sandy from either the Broadway debut in 1977 or the movie version, which hit the big screen in 1982. Either way, the healthy duration of Little Orphan Annie long after his death would most likely delight Harold Gray.

Gray, who was born in Illinois in 1894, served in WWI after which he returned to his life calling as a cartoonist. Drawing his Little Orphan Annie comic strip was part of Gray's life up until he died in 1968.

It is no secret newspaper readership has been on the decline for some time, due to the instant gratification of 24 hour television and of course the Internet. However, in today's world of characters like Harry Potter and those in Avatar...honestly, did Little Orphan Annie stand a chance anyway?

Sources:

*Thefreelibray.com

* NYDailyNews.com

*MSNBC