The 10 Artists Who Influenced Garry Trudeau
Skip to comments
Garry Trudeau didn’t plan on being a cartoonist. But he quickly became one of the most influential cartoonists in modern cartooning with his comic Doonesbury. Launched in 1970, Doonesbury quickly became a must-read for fans, politicians, and journalists. In the new Trudeau biography, Joshua Kendall writes, “at the annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association, President Gerald Ford declared, ‘As we all know, there are only three major vehicles to keep us informed of what is going on in Washington: the electronic media, the print media, and Doonesbury—not necessarily in that order.'” He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for editorial cartooning.
He’s had success off the comic-page as well. And this is more meaningful as you read his list of influences.
- Collaborated with John and Faith Hubley for an animated short film called A Doonesbury Special that was nominated for an Oscar in 1977
- Co-wrote the book and lyrics to the Broadway musical Doonesbury—the cast album received a Grammy nomination
- Wrote and co-produced a political mockumentary miniseries Tanner ’88 with director Robert Altman earning an Emmy Award and multiple awards internationally
- Wrote and co-produced a TV series called Alpha House that ran two season
- Trudeau has received 37 honorary degrees
I list that last one, because if you don’t respect Garry for his art, you should respect him for having to sit through 37 graduation ceremonies—not counting the ones for his own children.
Without further delay, here are…
The 10 artists who influenced Garry Trudeau
Charles Schulz
“The fountainhead, for all of us.”
Jules Feiffer
“Flew a pirate flag for those of us who couldn’t really draw but had a few things on our minds. Only later did I appreciate just how good an artist he really was.”
Lerner & Lowe
“Gorgeous melodies, ingenious lyrics. It didn’t hurt that both were pouring out of Julie Andrews. Tee’d me up for later show-biz side hustles.”
Robert Altman
“Dialogue as jazz. Watching MASH, at a sneak preview, I thought, hold on, everyone’s talking over each other, the way they do in real life. You can do that in movies? Bonus insight: You don’t need punchlines — character humor is more natural and just as funny.”
E.L Doctorow
“Similarly, while reading Ragtime: You mean, you can put words into the mouths of historical characters and have them interact with fictional characters? Wonder if that might work in real time…”
Randy Newman
“Our finest satirist, musical storyteller without peer. When he came to see the cabaret show I wrote with Liz Swados, my head exploded.”
Beatles
“Need to explain this one? The most extraordinary streak of sustained creative excellence in the history of any of the arts. They’d be revered if they’d only written ‘Eleanor Rigby.'”
Push Pin Studios
“Another eye-opener: Design can be thrilling. Seymour Chwast, Milton Glaser and Edward Sorel moved the graphic arts into the center of pop culture.”
Saul Steinberg
“Fine art from a genius, who just happened to use the vocabulary of cartooning.”
Garry’s list of 3 contemporary cartoonists whose work he admires
Stephan Pastis, Pearls Before Swine, “Smart.”
Dave Blazek, Loose Parts, “High-percentage funny.”
Dave Coverly, Speed Bump, “Ditto. First-rate fridge art.”
Editor’s Note: read Dave’s “Cartoonists Cartoonists“
Thank you, Garry, for sharing with us your list of your influences and those you admire. You can read Doonesbury at The Washington Post or on X/Twitter (@DoonesburyComic or @RealRBHJr).
Comments