Doonesbury at 50

It was October 1970 and a few newspapers were willing to take a chance
on a new comic strip about college life from a recent college graduate.

       

Doonesbury and all supporting characters © G. B. Trudeau

On October 26, 1970 college students Mike and BD made their national debut in the Doonesbury comic strip. It would prove to be very popular, though politics would soon overwhelm collegiate activities as the raison d’etre for the strip. But make no mistake, cartoonist Garry Trudeau‘s ever-growing cast of characters would remain front and center.

The popularity of the strip would carry over to books. A long running, and best selling, series ran from 1972 until the daily strip ended in 2014 – the Sunday page continues to this very day. The last panel of the first strip would start a long, but not everlasting, tradition of titling the books after a quote from the comic. The covers of the books tell a quasi-history of the strip, and America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Grand Comics Database for most covers and to My Comics Shop for a few others.

 

As a Golden Anniversary present G. B. Trudeau and company have offered the entire 50 years to us.