Garry Trudeau: Doonesbury and the Aesthetics of Satire

Great Comics Artists Series

by Kerry D. Soper

Since 1968, Garry Trudeau (b. 1948) has brought his brand of political satire to bear on public figures, movie stars, heads of state, and even on himself. Trudeau has also advocated for artists' rights and challenged industry norms while keeping a decidedly low profile. In Garry "Doonesbury" and the Aesthetics of Satire , Kerry D. Soper traces the contribution of this groundbreaking artist.

Trudeau is arguably the premier American political and social satirist of the last forty years. Amazingly, he achieved this on the comics page, rather than the editorial page. By defying convention, Trudeau has established a hybrid form of popular satire that capitalizes on the narrative continuity and broad reach of the comic strip form, while operating according to the rules of combative political commentary.

Garry "Doonesbury" and the Aesthetics of Satire is divided into chapters that offer a history of Doonesbury ; an analysis of Trudeau's effective satiric methods; a discussion of the methods whereby he challenged the business practices of the comic strip industry; an examination of the aesthetics of Doonesbury ; and a consideration of Trudeau's significance as a social chronicler through an analysis of his character construction, narrative practices, and documentation of the American zeitgeist. Garry Trudeau is a thorough assessment of one of America's most popular and controversial cartoonists.

Genres: Comics, Literature

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up reading the comics and I donʻt think current or future generations will ever know the ubiquity of comics at one time. Because of the decline of print journalism, reading this book felt somewhat like an anachronism to me. But Kerry Soper does an excellent job in his analysis of Trudeau and his comics. The writing is excellent and his theorizing about the auteur and the satirist in particular was enlightening. Soperʻs argument is strong and supported in depth throughout the book. And if youʻre a fan of Trudeauʻs iconic comic strip, you will really enjoy this book, particularly the last chapter.

[Sher · Rating 2 out of 5]

How many times can you say the same thing? This is one of the most boring books I have ever encountered.

[Scott Butki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book esp if you're a fan of Doonesbury and/or satire
I interviewed the author here:
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2010...