How do I start a career as a cartoonist for newspapers, without a syndicate?

I have a year's worth of comic strips, but I don't know if I have to start my strip at the same place with each newspaper. Or should I show only original strips to each paper? And I don't know anything about contracts.How do I start a career as a cartoonist for newspapers, without a syndicate?
How old are you? If you attend college, start out by getting your comic in the student newspaper - it's usually a trivial task, you just have to ask them and send a few samples along to the appropriate editor.



As for big name papers, I wouldn't know, but again I would start out small. Find some local papers with a comics section, and write to the A%26amp;E editor, or Opinions editor (those would be my best suggestions as to who to contact, unless you see a title that makes more sense.) Tell them that you are interested in trying to get published, tell them how long you've been working, and what sort of appeal you think your comic has. Talk about why you think your comic would be a good addition to the paper. Send some of your best samples, and refer them to a link to a website displaying your full/partial collection. Put yourself out there as much as possible, and a few are bound to write you back. Just pester them every week or two, if they don't respond the first time around.