PEOPLE

Cartoonist Jim Unger is taking a two-month leave of absence from his popular comic strip “Herman” for health reasons. During Unger’s hiatus, the Universal Press Syndicate will distribute “classic releases of the panel in both its daily and Sunday formats,” starting Monday. A one-panel strip with no recurring characters that depicts a skewed world of dumpy people, whiny little kids and obnoxious pets, “Herman” has twice been named “Best Panel Comic Strip” by the National Cartoonists’ Society. “Herman” debuted in 1974 and currently appears in 400 newspapers in 24 countries, including the Los Angeles Times.