And then there were two. Andrews McMeel Universal announced an agreement for Universal Uclick to handle sales, editorial, distribution, billing, collections, reporting, and licensing fulfillment/management for E. W. Scripps’ United Feature Syndicate, effectively all of the functions that made United Feature a Syndicate. That leaves only Universal Uclick and King Features as major comic syndicates. The new arrangement kicks off June 1. 

The consolidation reflects the difficult market for newspapers and newspaper comics,

United Feature had Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine Marmaduke, Frank & Ernest, Born Loser, and many more. Universal Uclick handles Doonesbury, Garvield, Non Sequitur, For Bettter or For Worse, Ziggy, and recently added Peanuts and Dilbert. 

 

All of Andrews McMeel Universal’s platforms/channels are included: mobile, print, and online through Universal Uclick; and books and calendars, both print and electronic, through Andrews McMeel Publishing. 

 

Universal Uclick plans to combine the Comics.com and GoComics.com Websites “to create the largest daily comic destination site on the Web.” The combined Website and mobile apps will launch in June. 

 

Scripps sold its licensing unit, which handled Peanuts licensing, to Iconix Brand Group last year (see “Scripps Sells Peanuts Licensing”).