Artist Transition in 2000

Between two issues: February 2000 and March 2000

Written by Adam

Most Ranger Rick fans will likely be more familiar with this transition than the previous one, namely because of the radical stylistic change of Ranger Rick's adventures from the short story format to the comic book format. Reading into the February issue, there was no preemptive warning that there would be a change to the adventure story the following month--not that I suspect one would have made all the difference to the target audience of seven-year-olds. However, in the March issue, there was a special note to the readers:

Later in the year, in the November 2000 issue, the responses of Ranger Rick readers were published, sharing their thoughts. Here was the sampling from the November issue on reader's opinions of the changes:

* The idea for a comic strip was creative, but I think I like the other way better. I've had the magazine for three years, and I think I've grown used to it. Garrett O., Utah

* The comic might encourage kids to read more because a lot of kids like comics. Annie S., Rhode Island

* I really like the way you made the story into a comic book, because it's nice to have all the different pictures to look at, and it helps tell the story in an interesting way. Bill D., New York

* Ranger Rick, I love it as a comic. It is COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kyra B., Florida

* I used to have to read the adventure story to my little brother every time I got a new magazine in the mail. To make matters worse, he would make me read each story seven times before he got tired of it. But now that the adventure is a comic, he can read it to himself. I'm really glad! Jaime D., e-mail

* I don't really like the comic. It's harder for me to read, and it doesn't have as much text. Charity C., e-mail

* It is much better as a comic because it is very fun to read comics. Angela L., New Jersey

* I think your comics are very educational. Haley B., New Mexico

* The comic can get kind of confusing. Chris W., e-mail

* I want you to keep writing "Ranger Rick's Adventures" like a comic because it is easier to read. Conner M., Maryland

As you can see, some were interested in the change, and actually found it a good thing. I admit, kids do like comics, so the change definitely appealed to the target audience. However, not everyone agreed that the comic was a great idea, and that will happen of course. The one who mentioned that the comic was confusing to read was kind of how I felt when I first saw the creative change, having been so used to the short story format.

So the question begs, again, why change the style? Unlike the previous transition in 1982, this time the entire format was changed. According to former editor-in-chief, Gerry Bishop, NWF's research into the matter indicated that both younger and older readers would enjoy the comic, and that a comic strip of Ranger Rick would increase readership of the magazine. Alton Langford's art was more appealing to the younger age bracket of readers. Donna Miller, design director of Ranger Rick added that the change to a comic format would not work for Langford, because his work was so detailed, and it would not be possible to put this into a comic format as he would be required to draw many more scenes. Thus, Langford was shifted to work on artwork for Your Big Backyard where it was felt the artwork was more in tune with the younger readers. The editors found artist Roby Gilbert to do the comic strip for the magazine, where he continued to draw for them up until 2009 when the comic changed from hand-drawn to computer designed artwork.

Much again, like in 1982, creative changes were made to keep the magazine up-to-date with other children's publications. Miller mentioned that indeed, some parents were frustrated with the change because they would often use Ranger Rick's adventures to read to their children, and the change to comics, with fewer words, allowed the children to read it for themselves, albeit in an abridged storyboard format.

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Visually, here is what the initial change to a comic strip looked like in March of 2000:

At least initially, Roby Gilbert kept to the visual style Alton Langford had used for the characters for the past eighteen years. This made for a smoother transition into the new format for readers. Going from February to March, Ranger Rick, Scarlett, Boomer, and Ollie at least still liked their former selves from the previous artist. However, this design of characters eventually morphed into Gilbert's own design for the characters and in due time, the characters had Gilbert's own unique view of them:

That's basically it. The story of why the artistic change occurred, and what Ranger Rick later became.

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