Date: MON 04/02/90
Section: A
Page: 13

`Elm Street ' reference in comic objectionable
By Caroline Darville

I strongly object to the Chronicle's running of the Robot Man cartoon which spotlighted Freddy Krueger (Chronicle, March 25). It's a sad fact that many children have been allowed, even encouraged to develop an appetite for blood, senseless death and carnage through the `Elm Street ' films.

Because the brightly colored Sunday comics attract children's attention and because the Chronicle is a family newspaper, it has a responsibility to promote healthy attitudes. Robot Man is featured in the Kid's Corner on weekdays. There have been many tasteless portayals and situations in the comic strip before, but silence from the readers is only unspoken encouragement to continue "as is."

Robotman isn't for kids, but leave it alone
By Michael Hallman

If the Chronicle "has a responsibility to promote healthy attitudes," as stated in an April 2 Viewpoints letter, then it should remove all the comics except such wholesome and wholly insipid strips as Family Circus and perhaps Mary Worth from its comic pages. Actually, some of the characters in Mary Worth show dubious ethical behavior at times.

Leave Robotman alone, please. It is an uneven strip, but I still laugh out loud more while reading it than I do while reading any of your other strips, except Calvin and Hobbes.

It was clear that comic was making fun of film
By R. Eric Goodman

This is in response to the "Elm Street reference in comic objectionable" (Viewpoints, April 2.) I was 18 years old before I could truly understand, enjoy and appreciate the satire that exists in daily comics. It was clear that the Freddy Krueger reference in the Robotman cartoon was making fun of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.

I must agree with the point that Robotman perhaps should not appear in the Kids' Corner. The "many tasteless portrayals and situations in the comic strip" are directed towards adults, and children wouldn't understand them anyway. But comics should never be taken for more than their worth. Maybe that's why there is "silence from the readers."

It is an outrage that comic strip was moved
By Nhat Nguyen

I have been bored to tears by the Duffy comic strip, but I held off saying anything because I thought for sure that the Chronicle would have gotten rid of it by now. Now that I see that you moved Robotman to Yo!, and Duffy is still standing strong at the top of the comics pages. I'm outraged.

How could you move Robotman? It is, in my opinion, one of the funniest comic strips that you have. Please consider moving Robotman back to where it was, or to Duffy's place, and move Duffy smack dab in the middle of classifieds.

Robotman comic strip sparks out-loud laughs
By Cherie Hyatt

I look forward every day to the Robotman cartoon strip in the Features section. The dilemmas of the Star Trek-esque dogs makes me laugh out loud. It's a welcome change from politics, child murderers, teen-age shoot outs, taxes, etc.