TO OUR READERS

In the Feb. 10 comics section, the “Non Sequitur” cartoon by Wiley Miller contained a vulgar message hidden in an illustration.

Andrews McMeel Syndication, which distributes the cartoon, apologized on Feb. 11 for missing the offensive wording in its editing process.

“If we had discovered it, we would not have distributed the cartoon without it being removed,” the statement said. “We apologize to Non Sequitur’s clients and readers for our oversight.”

Miller, in a statement, said he had prepared the cartoon with the vulgar message several weeks ago, intended to remove the message before the cartoon was distributed, but neglected to do so. However, in a Twitter post on Feb. 10, the cartoonist wrote: “Some of my sharp-eyed readers have spotted a little Easter egg from Leonardo Bear-Vinci. Can you find it?”

The Los Angeles Times considers this a breach of trust with our readers and will halt publication of the “Non Sequitur” cartoon. The Times’ Sunday comic pages are prepared in advance, so readers may see “Non Sequitur” cartoons for several more Sundays.