Metropolitan Newspaper Service

Metropolitan Newspaper Service (MNS) was a syndication service based in New York City that operated from 1919 to 1932. At first the syndication service of Metropolitan Magazine, it soon became affiliated with the Bell Syndicate, and then was acquired and absorbed into United Feature Syndicate.

Metropolitan Newspaper Service

Industry	Print syndication
Founded	1919; 106 years ago (1919)
Founder	Maximilian Elser, Jr.[1]
Defunct	1932; 93 years ago (1932)
Fate	merged into United Feature Syndicate
Headquarters	220 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY , U.S.
Key people	Maximilian Elser, Jr. (President) George Carlin (Editorial Staff Chief)
Products	Columns, Comic strips
Owner	George Brinton McClellan Harvey (1919–1920) John Neville Wheeler (1920–1930) E. W. Scripps Company (1930–1932)
Parent	Metropolitan Magazine (1919–1920) Bell Syndicate (1920–1930) United Feature Syndicate (1930–1932)

A couple of notable, long-running comic strips originated with MNS: Tarzan and Ella Cinders. The service syndicated writers like Margot Asquith, Gertrude Atherton, Joseph Conrad, and Booth Tarkington.^[1]

History

Founded in 1919 as a division of Metropolitan Magazine, MNS syndicated material from the magazine, including a column called Fairchild Fashions, the writings of Margot Asquith, a comic strip called Dickey's Dogs, and other pieces. MNS was overseen by Maximilian Elser, Jr., with the title of president. George Carlin was chief of the editorial staff.^[2]

In the spring of 1920 MNS was acquired by the Bell Syndicate,^[3][4] which moved MNS headquarters to 220 E. 42nd Street ^[2] but otherwise kept it as a separate division.

Under Bell, Metropolitan News Syndicate distributed a couple of comic strips written by William Conselman: Good Time Guy and Ella Cinders. The long-running Tarzan comic strip originated with MNS in 1929.

In March 1930, United Feature Syndicate acquired MNS. MNS was re-incorporated under the name Metropolitan Newspaper Feature Service, Inc.; although it was intended for the two services to maintain separate identities, that arrangement only lasted two years until MNS was completely absorbed by United Features.^[2][5]

Metropolitan Newspaper Service strips and panels

• Dickey's Dogs (also known as Buddie and his Friends and Just Dogs) by Robert L. Dickey (July 14, 1919 – 1932; acquired by United Feature Syndicate where it lasted until July 21, 1940) — after being acquired by UFS, known as Mr. and Mrs. Beans and then Buster Beans^[6]
• Ella Cinders originally by William Conselman and Charles Plumb (1925–1930; acquired by United Features where it continued until 1961)
• Good Time Guy (1927–1929) written by "Frank Smiley" (William Conselman) with art by Mel Cummin,^[7] then Dick Huemer (1928–1929), and then Fred Fox (1929)
• Tarzan of the Apes by Hal Foster (January 7, 1929–1932; acquired by United Features where it continued until 2001)^[8]

References

1. Cornell Alumni News, XII (4), 20 October 1909.
2. "United Feature Syndicate Buys Metropolitan Service From Elser: Both Firms Will Retain Separate Identities, With Elser Remaining as Vice-President — Monte Bourjaily to Direct Both Organizations," Editor & Publisher (March 15, 1930). Archived at "News of Yore 1930: Another Syndicate Gobbled," Stripper's Guide (May 4, 2010).
3. Hudson, Frederic, Alfred McClung Lee, and Frank Luther Mott. American Journalism 1690-1940, Volume 4 (Psychology Press, 2000), p. 591.
4. "Feature Services Merged: Bell Syndicate Takes Over Metropolitan Newspaper Service," Editor & Publisher (April 3, 1920).
5. Booker, M. Keith. "United Feature Syndicate," in Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas (ABC-CLIO, 2014), p. 399.
6. Holtz, Allan. "Robert L. Dickey and his Dogs," Stripper's Guide (November 3, 2005).
7. Metropolitan Newspaper Service, & Conselman, W. (1927). "Good Time Guy, a new sunrise in the comic world" by William M. Conselman, author of Ella Cinders, writing under the nom de plume of Frank Smiley with drawings by Mel Cummin. New York: Metropolitan Newspaper Service.
8. Markstein, Don. "Tarzan of the Apes". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2012.