February 19th, 2008

An apology…

by Terri Libenson

Sometimes, even after proof-reading a strip three times, having your husband and possibly a friend or two check it over,  and — short of running it through the airport scanner — hindsight is still 20/20. I owe the Tooth Fairy and many readers an apology for the parents’ false impersonation in today’s strip. I just received this feedback: 

“Where do I submit a comment not related to your blog but to the comic itself? My 9 year old reads the comics and today (Feb 18) he read them before me. Can you imagine how it felt for me to read your unveiling of the tooth fairy in today’s strip? Why, why, why? Do you think only mom’s read your strip? How about a strip about that, about trying to continue to foster the innocence of childhood to have it wiped out in the safest of places in the newspaper, the comics? Do I have to redact the comics?”

I’ll get emails occasionally complaining about a strip. I try to take these letters to heart and remember the scenario for next time. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always agree…but I figure if a person cares enough to write, I care enough to respond and take their letter seriously.   I am apologizing because this simple scenario completely, unfathomably escaped me. Why? No idea. My 7-year-old daughter read this cartoon and never even mentioned it (and she believes in her). All I can say is it was one of those “dohh!” moments. Ironically, last year I was careful to tread lightly around the existence of certain major December holiday character (there’s a sample of it in this blog under “J Factor”).  

So, sorry to the reader and everyone else — I do apologize!,