Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury Comic Strip Celebrates 40 Years

Kansas City, Mo. (October 25, 2010) “ October 26, 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Garry Trudeau's daily satirical epic, Doonesbury, which launched in a few dozen newspapers nationwide in 1970 and eventually grew into a syndicated powerhouse carried in more than 2,000 newspapers worldwide.

For most, Doonesbury needs no introduction.  An American icon, Trudeau's creation has consistently and expertly entertained and informed newspaper readers around the world, a reflection of the social, cultural, and political dialogue and landscape of America. Considered outrageous at times when it debuted in 1970 from Universal Uclick, Doonesbury quickly became a phenomenon of undeniable influence.

Doonesbury remains the only comic strip in history to win the Pulitzer Prize for political cartooning, which was awarded to Trudeau in 1975. Trudeau was again a finalist in 1989.

"It's no exaggeration to say there isn't a more steady and sure hand working in satire," said Lee Salem, president and editor of Universal Uclick. "Garry has been broadcasting fact in his fiction for 40 years, and the mastery with which he approaches his subjects today has been fine-tuned since his earliest strips. There is tangible wisdom and wit in every line of dialogue, depth and substance to every character, precision and implication in every drawn line."

Trudeau has guided Doonesbury from its humble beginnings in the Yale University student newspaper, widening the strip's focus and steering his stories and characters through eight presidential administrations, all-too-frequent American wars and conflicts, countless cultural trends, audacious and admirable politicians, and collective national triumphs and crises.  

Through each real-life event that made its way into Doonesbury's panels, longtime fans have found continuity in watching the strip's cast grow and mature along with the world around them.

The 40-year voyage of Doonesbury's diverse cast receives the spotlight treatment in 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $100), an over-sized, hardbound tome whose release coincides with the strip's anniversary on October 26. 40 is a lavishly produced, slip-cased volume that commemorates the 40-year milestone by examining in-depth the characters that have given the strip such vitality and presence, tracing their experiences through the events of the last four decades.

Other anniversary celebration events include a new and improved Doonesbury.com and "Stark Raving Doonesbury Month" on GoComics.com.

After all of the years, filled with accolades and awards, criticism and controversy, will Trudeau ever run out of important things to say?

"As a master of his craft who draws inspiration from the people and events that continue to shape our world," said Salem, "Garry will never lack for compelling material. Forty years of brilliant work within Doonesbury is evidence enough of that."