Butler Eagle readers are not shy about letting us know what they like — and what they don't.

If you are holding this newspaper in your hands, you have a vested interest in what appears on its pages.

Through my soon-to-be 38 years with the Eagle, newspaper readers have shared with me their stories, told me what needed to be covered and turned to the newsroom for answers to their various questions.

Everyone has their favorite part of the paper: the Page 1 breaking news, good news Community features, sports action, letters to the editor, local advertisements or the amusements.

While we can't control some of the hot topics that can sometimes rile readers — politics or performance of your favorite professional sports team — the Eagle can address one area that has many of our readers on edge lately.

Your voice has been heard. The “Mark Trail” comic strip was retired from the Eagle's Monday through Friday offerings.

The strip was created by Ed Dodd in 1946. Dodd was a naturalist as well as an artist, and the theme of the award-winning strip was focused on conservation even before it was a common cause.

Dodd retired in 1978 and Jack Elrod took over the strip, making his own changes. Mark dropped his trademark pipe, and he and Cherry married. Elrod retired as the strip's primary artist in 2014, and James Allen, who worked with Elrod for a number of years, took over but left the strip in 2020.

The strips' new artist, Jules Rivera, has morphed Mark, Cherry, Rusty, their faithful dog, Andy, and the rest of the cast of characters into 2021. According to King Features, Rivera is an illustrator, sci-fi graphic novelist, and colorist with a background in electrical engineering and a passion for nature.

But the change was abrupt.

On Oct. 9, 2020, there was the clean-shaven, well-dressed Mark Trial that Eagle readers followed for decades.

By Oct. 11, he had lost some weight, forgot to shave and seemed flustered holding a scarlet kingsnake. And Cherry, with her updated hairdo and leggings, didn't seem real supportive of our leading man.

The shock was so great that a number of readers actually canceled their subscription. They gave up the coverage of county government, reading obituaries of their friends and neighbors, and keeping up with what the children and grandchildren in their lives were doing.

Well, welcome back.

Replacing “Mark Trail” will be “Tiger.”

The classic strip has heartwarming characters such as Tiger, Punkinhead, Hugo, Bonnie, Suzy, Julian and Tiger's mutt, Stripe, drawn in a charming style. It was created in 1965 by Bud Blake and he was 85 when he finished the collection.

Maybe looking at the world through the eyes of a child, learning right from wrong and the value of friendships, is just what we need right now.

In Tiger's world there is no global pandemic, no economic strife, no divisive politics. Just some kids, being kids.

Enjoy.

Donna Sybert is the managing editor of the Butler Eagle.