Savage Pen

Doonesbury targets the G.O.P.

When Cartoonist Garry Trudeau suspended his comic strip Doonesbury in January 1983, he said that his 1960s-inspired characters needed time to mature.

Critics speculated that on its return the strip might therefore mute its often caustic political commentary. But since it reappeared Sept. 30, Trudeau has shown that he has lost none of his gift for provoking controversy.

In early October, the strip's eponymous character, Mike Doonesbury, now an advertising executive, was instructed to sell President Reagan to blacks. His reaction: "This is a test, right? To see if I have any shame?" The character then called Reagan "the worst thing to happen to civil rights in 35 years." Asked during a meeting with newspaper editors whether he agreed with some readers that the gibes were unfair, the President replied, "I read every comic strip in the paper. I have to tell you that I think some of your readers are absolutely right."

Last week Vice President Bush took offense at a strip that accused him of selling out his beliefs and suggestively belittled his political "manhood," which was described as being placed in a "blind trust." The cartoon Bush, queried whether the manhood would be "earning interest," responded, "Very little. There's not that much capital." The real Bush accused Trudeau of "coming out of deep leftfield" and described him as "another voice out there hoping we are defeated."

Doonesbury has a history of acerbity. But some clients find Trudeau more combative than ever. Newspapers, including the generally liberal St. Petersburg Times (circ. 300,000) and Anniston (Ala.) Star (circ. 31,000), have bumped panels on grounds of fairness or taste; at least four others have canceled outright. Said Bob Peterson, editorial-page editor of California's Chico Enterprise-Record (circ. 27,000), which dropped Doonesbury after touting its return: "It got progressively more biased. Trudeau is using a comic strip for a personal political soapbox." Still, the strip appears in 823 papers, its alltime high. Says Executive Editor Heath Meriwether of the Miami Herald: "Trudeau spares no one. That's what you get when you buy Doonesbury." sb