Size of comics in Chronicle has increased

When "Calvin & Hobbes" creator Bill Watterson wrote a letter announcing his retirement to newspaper editors, he said one reason for his decision was the shrinking size of panels.

Well, Mr. Watterson – and, more importantly, our readers who were unhappy with the size of our comic panels since our redesign – we're listening.

In today's paper and moving forward, the comic panels will be larger than before. You can now put your magnifying glasses away and enjoy our comics the way I'm sure the artists meant for them to be enjoyed.

But that's not all.

We also increased the size of Celebrity Cipher and the bridge column is back – find both on the puzzles page.

"The Born Loser" also has returned, on a second page of comics. While it's not a favorite of mine, it was one of the more popular comics when I asked for reader feedback in the fall, and we're glad to have it back in our comics section.

"The Family Circus" has not disappeared. We couldn't fit it on the second comics page with the other square strips, but we did find a place for it in our classifieds. You'll be able to find it there every day.

And, finally, the horoscope has moved to the Dish page.

Certainly, we were not able to address every call. Triple sudoku will not be returning to our pages at this time, nor are a few of the syndicated columns. Space is limited and tough decisions sometimes have to be made.

But I think we were able to address most of our readers' concerns regarding the puzzles and comics pages with today's changes.

It's interesting to note that one of Watterson's few forays into public life since his retirement was to write the forward for a collection of "Cul de Sac," which is becoming one of my favorites. Here is some of what he wrote:

"With a mix of rambling looseness, blotchy crudeness, and sheer cartoony grace, Thompson’s expressive pen line is the equal of any of cartooning’s Old Masters. Thompson has a very sharp eye and a command of technique we almost never see anymore. He reminds us that comics can be more than illustrated gag writing, and that good drawings can bring a comic strip’s world to life in countless ways that words cannot. The artwork in 'Cul de Sac' bowls me over. It’s a pleasure to study long after the strips are read."