From The Editor: The decision to drop 'Dilbert' and start fresh with 'Grand Avenue'

I had hoped to retire before I had to make changes to the comics page again, but Scott Adams forced my hand.

On Sunday evening, news reached me that Adams - the creator of the "Dilbert" comic strip - had launched into a racist rant on his YouTube channel the day before.

Once a small group of us checked it out, we decided "Dilbert" had to go, immediately.

I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on that decision. But some have said I've taken away Scott Adams' right to free speech.

I simply didn't want to continue to pay him for a product he sells if he is going to spew that type of garbage. It doesn't fit with the kind of respectful, inclusive dialogue I expect around this place.

Adams is still free to exercise his lungs on YouTube for as long as YouTube permits it.

But changing course on the Comics page is like turning an aircraft carrier. The Sunday comics section had already been printed on Thursday, so there was nothing we could do several hours before press deadline but tell you about it on Page 1 and grit our teeth as the last "Dilbert" was included in the Sunday edition.

On Monday, we ran an abridged version of that story in place of "Dilbert" in the top panel on the weekday Comics page for those who hadn't been following the controversy.

I spent the next few days trying to get through to Andrews McMeel, the Kansas City-based comics syndicate that has sold us "Dilbert" for longer than I can remember.

But they were inundated with calls from hundreds of other newspapers (if not more) as well all severing ties with Adams themselves on Monday.

We asked readers on our Facebook channels what you would like to see in place of "Dilbert." I lost track at about 40 suggestions.

Stalwarts "Calvin & Hobbes" and "Garfield" were top vote-getters, but neither was available to us.

In the end, I fell in love with "Grand Avenue," by four-time Pulitzer finalist Mike Thompson. It stars Gabby and Michael Macfarlane as energetic twins being raised by their grandmother. Grandma Kate is learning how to be a mom a second time around - a concept that I'm sure will resonate with many of our readers.

I hope you like it, too.

Thank you for your patience and recommendations while we sorted this out.