Garry Trudeau, War, and the Funny Pages

[Michael P]

Got this in an email from my dad today: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4290818.html

It's a long read, but worthwhile. I've been following the story of B.D.'s recovery from the beginning, and I have to say it's some of the best strip work I've seen done in, well, ever. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't been acknowledged by the comics community at large; why is that, I wonder?

What's everyone else think?

[Sir Tim Drake]

Got this in an email from my dad today: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4290818.html

It's a long read, but worthwhile. I've been following the story of B.D.'s recovery from the beginning, and I have to say it's some of the best strip work I've seen done in, well, ever. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't been acknowledged by the comics community at large; why is that, I wonder?

Because there's an artificial split between the comic book and comic strip communities.

I don't get the daily paper, but I've been following the B.D. storyline when I've been able to. I've been enormously impressed by this story-- it's some of the best work of Garry's career. The panel where we first see B.D. missing both his helmet and his leg is perhaps the greatest single panel in the entire run of the strip.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Doonsbury: The cause of and solution to most of life's problems.

[Ontir]

I don't get the paper, in fact, these days my life is about avoiding any more pieces of paper coming into my apartment at all times! I don't even remember the last time I read Doonesbury, although I think it's a good, and often important strip.

[Michael P]

I don't get the paper, in fact, these days my life is about avoiding any more pieces of paper coming into my apartment at all times! I don't even remember the last time I read Doonesbury, although I think it's a good, and often important strip.
I've read the strip online for the past four years or so.

[Charles RB]

I just started reading it online because of this article.

[Winslow]

I'll have to look this up.

Comics can make powerful statements, this is probably another example.

[Michael P]

I'll have to look this up.

Comics can make powerful statements, this is probably another example.
It's a hell and a half to find everything in the online archives, but the two book collections are great.

[Ray R.]

The Washington Post Magazine just did an excellent interview with Trudeau. It's probably on-line by now at the Post site.

It has been a really excellent storyline.

[Gilda Dent]

I've never followed Doonesbury. Sure, I've seen the strip once in awhile, but it never really struck a chord in me such that I'd want to seek it out. If the storyline gets collected after it's finished, I may look for it.

[phoenixrising]

I've been a big fan of Doonesbury for years, starting mostly because it was banned from my hometown newspaper when I was in high school. I've thought Trudeau has always had compelling characters and great political commmentary, but the BD storyline seems to be pushing the strip beyond its left-leaning fanbase. Rolling Stone (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6298171/doonesbury_goes_to_war/) did a great cover story on Doonesbury and Trudeau around the time this storyline started. It's a pretty fascinating back story.

[Michael P]

I've thought Trudeau has always had compelling characters and great political commmentary, but the BD storyline seems to be pushing the strip beyond its left-leaning fanbase.
I recall when the storyline started, I was talking with someone online about it, and he said "Man, I bet he has B.D. do a completel political 180 and become an anti-war activist."

I replied, "If he does that, I'll stop reading the strip." Trudeau's a smarter artist than that.

[Calybos]

I've got all the book collections to date. But I agree that the BD storyline is exceptionally good.

[Ontir]

I've read the strip online for the past four years or so.


Got a link?

I think we may be in need of a new forum here: the Dailies Board.

It's time to reach out to people like Trudeau, Johnston, and the rest, and bring the two sides of comics together.

[Ryan Day]

Trudeau's often at his best when he's doing strips about B.D., perhaps because the character forces him to rein in some of his natural political tendencies. Some of the earlier strips may use B.D. as a satirical right-wing caricature, but he gradually evolved out of that.

It's interesting, too, that B.D. is often where Trudeau gets to ditch some of the criticisms for being too left-wing - as much as Doonesbury is anti-administration, it seems to collect a fair amount of support from actual soldiers. IIRC, it was once dropped from Stars & Strips, but quickly reinstated after a flood of protests.

There are actually two collections of B.D.'s story out now: The Long Road (http://www.amazon.com/Home-Doonesbury-Books-Andrews-McNeel/dp/0740753851/sr=8-3/qid=1162241727/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-5205910-5503364?ie=UTF8&s=books)Home and The War Within (http://www.amazon.com/War-Within-Doonesbury-Andrews-McNeel/dp/0740762028/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b/102-5205910-5503364) - unlike traditional Doonesbury collections, they only cover the B.D. story, as opposed to simply reprinting everything chronologically.

[Michael P]

Got a link?
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/