I spend a lot of time on the subway heading to school, work, and downtown in general, and, like many a commuter, I've always used that time to read. Though I've never been a fan of the free dailies, I still snatch both free weeklies to make sure I have something to read by the pulsing tunnel lights.

This week the pages of eye weekly will be a little lighter as a part of the magazine's content disappears into free-weekly heaven.

The m@b comic strip, a staple in the magazine for four years, made its final appearance last week. Inked by Matt Blackett, also the Publisher and Creative Director of Spacing magazine, the comic became as much a part of the eye experience as Sasha's Love Bites and the Eyedentical Twins.

On his website, Matt writes, "Part of the rush I got from publishing m@b was the control I had over the entire process. That excitement still happens, but the inspiration instead comes from Spacing. [...] Thanks for your support and encouragement over the years. I've had a lot of fun."

I'm sure a lot of people would want to thank Matt for adding a little twist to their morning commute every day, too. With Welshmerz also making an exit from eye's pages, it looks like Ernie Pook's Comeek will have to shoulder the morning-comic-strip burden from now on.

Image from (and by) m@b.