The Lockhorns comic panel joins Andrews McMeel Syndication
Kansas City, MO (November 16, 2023) – Andrews McMeel Syndication (AMS) will assume sales and distribution of The Lockhorns panel by Bunny Hoest and John Reiner, announced Brent Bartram, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager of AMS. The effective date is January 1, 2024.
The witty banter and sometimes-prickly exchanges of Loretta and Leroy Lockhorn have charmed readers for more than 50 years, as Hoest and Reiner caricature relationships between people living together and feature the inherent foibles of both partners that resonates with millions of readers. Fans enjoy the daily glimpse of “living in harmony” with one’s partner in the panel, which appears in more than 400 newspapers worldwide.
“Couples of all ages and in all kinds of relationships delight in The Lockhorns,” said Bartram. “The gentle barbs between the couple may at times seem strikingly familiar – but also remind readers that finding intrinsic humor is a great asset in a relationship.”
“The Lockhorns is my plea for people to be kind to one another when they see how silly they look picking on their partner, their best friend”, says Bunny Hoest. “I get a thrill when people say to me, ‘You must be hiding in my closet or peering in my window! We just said those very same words!’”
The wrangling couple’s daily bouts began in 1968 with the comic collaboration of prolific cartoonist Bill Hoest and his wife, Bunny. The Hoests also together produced Laugh Parade and Howard Huge for Parade magazine, Bumper Snickers for The National Enquirer and the newspaper comics Agatha Crumm and What a Guy!, among others over the years.
Since the death of her husband in 1988, Bunny Hoest has been making sure the laughter of The Lockhorns lives on with the help of artist John Reiner.
About Bunny Hoest:
Bunny Hoest is one of the most widely read cartoonists today, reaching nearly 200 million diverse readers every week. She produces The Lockhorns, daily and Sunday, and has produced Laugh Parade and Howard Huge for Parade magazine and the long-running Bumper Snickers for The National Enquirer and the newspaper features Agatha Crumm and What a Guy!.
Known as “The Cartoon Lady,” the dynamic and versatile talent has 25 bestselling anthologies and a host of exciting new projects in the works.
About John Reiner
John Reiner, who started as an assistant to the late Bill Hoest, now works with Bunny on The Lockhorns and has co-produced Laugh Parade and Howard Huge for Parade, Bumper Snickers for The National Enquirer, Agatha Crumm and What a Guy!.
Born in 1956 in New York City, Reiner was raised on Long Island and attended the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1978 as a psychology major. In 1974, he met MAD Magazine artist Mort Drucker, who encouraged him to pursue cartooning as a career. The next year, Reiner was hired by Captain America creator Joe Simon to work on his humor magazines.
In 1986, Hoest hired Reiner to assist on his three leading features, The Lockhorns, Agatha Crumm and What a Guy!. By 1988, Reiner was assisting with all the Hoest features, and he has continued working on them since Hoest’s death in 1988.
He won the National Cartoonists Society award for Best Gag Cartoons in 1994.
The Lockhorns will also appear online on GoComics, and the feature is available for print and digital syndication internationally. For sales inquiries, please contact Jan Flemington, jflemington@amuniversal.com.
About Andrews McMeel Syndication:
Andrews McMeel Syndication (AMS), now in its 52nd year, is the world’s largest independent newspaper feature syndicate. AMS is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal (AMU), an integrated media company based in Kansas City, Missouri, and home of iconic comics such as Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, Peanuts, The Far Side® and Garfield, and contemporary favorites Sarah’s Scribbles, Breaking Cat News and Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Other divisions include global publishing house Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Andrews McMeel Entertainment, the film and television division. No matter the medium, AMU aims to bring joy and inspiration to people’s lives through the work of our talented creators (andrewsmcmeel.com).