Just stick me on the iceflow when you're done,kids

Further signs of the Decline of Western Civilization; well, at least the decline of reading among kids, which is the same thing.

Disney comics are not being published in the U.S. This is about the third or fourth time this has happened. Meanwhile, in Europe, Disney has never stopped publishing. Don Rosa and Carl Barks are household names, but here in the U.S. no one knows who they are. The biggest card game in Italy is Wizard of Mickey. Not sure I'll even bother to order it. Mickey? Who's he? Isn't he that clown in a mouse suit who gets in your kids way as they stampede to the rides at Disney World?

Nickelodeon Magazine, one of the few magazines with comic content that actually reached the general public, has ceased publishing as well. To quote from the comic site, ICV2:

"...the L.A . Times Blog said Nickelodeon Magazine "had lost value as a marketing tool in the age of Internet." Wikipedia mentioned "the declining influence of magazines for children and teenagers." And Nickelodeon television president Cyma Zarghami said in a company memo the company has "decided to exit the magazine business" at a time when print publications are "severely challenged."

Meanwhile, to quote from the Inkwell Bookstore blog, "Over 1000 teachers have signed a petition asking Scholastic to tone down the number of toys offered in its Book Club catalogs in favor of...um, well, books. The teachers say that one third of the items sold in Scholastic's 2008 elementary and middle-school catalogs were either "not books or books packaged with other non-book items."

Pretty much what I see every day in the store. No interest in the books, but lots of begging for toys.

Before anyone tells me, "MY KID'S LOVE TO READ!!!" I believe you. It's everyone else's kids who don't read.