On Dec. 8, the Chicago-based Tribune Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors. While news reports from around the Internet and TV broadcasts focus on the number of newspapers and TV stations included in the Tribune Company holdings (and the Cubs, which aren't included), I haven't heard anyone mention the syndicated features that are also part of the empire. Even the Tribune's own story doesn't seem to mention Tribune Media Services.

As you'll find, if you visit the TMS website, the firm syndicates comic strips: Animal Crackers, Annie, Bliss, Bottom Liners, Bound & Gagged, Brenda Starr, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!, Broom-Hilda, Dick Tracy, Gasoline Alley, Gil Thorp, Housebroken, Loose Parts, Love Is ..., The Middletons, 9 to 5, Pink Panther, Pluggers, Raising Hector, and Sylvia, along with editorial cartoons by Paul Conrad, Matt Davies, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Dick Locher, Chan Lowe, Jack Ohman, Drew Sheneman, Wayne Stayskal, Dan Wasserman, and Don Wright.

The news stories all say plans are to continue business as usual for the time being. For the long term, could we be looking at sales of the strips to other syndicates eventually? Or folding the strips? Some would depend on the contracts binding the corporation and the creators, of course -- but bankruptcy reorganization can affect those contracts.

If TMS is part of the bankruptcy or somehow separate. And I'm still not finding a news story that gives me the answer.