Squared Away: A Doonesbury Book

Doonesbury Annuals #54

by G.B. Trudeau

"In a class by itself."
--Jules Feiffer on "Doonesbury"
This all-color volume celebrates the marriage of Alex and Toggle, an event which optimistically confirms that life, like "Doonesbury," rolls on. Indeed, how remarkable that the strip has so embraced and occupied its era that three generations of one family have married within its panels. Gathering their kith and kin around them at Walden, the wise but wounded soldier-artist and the brilliant but insecure techhead make a promising team for the years ahead, well-rounded yet squared away.
"
Doonesbury"'s fifth decade finds the largest rep company in the history of comic strips fully and widely engaged. Like so many flesh-and-blood fellow citizens, key characters now struggle with dramatic career change and job stress. And the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to reverberate through the lives of others, as the strip illuminates their experiences with an attentiveness unparalleled in popular culture. Amid the relentless unfolding of unexpected storylines, the strip's second and third generation characters increasingly take center stage, and the youngest regular, Sam, comes of age--literally in the blink of an eye--as the newlyweds prepare to welcome twins.
It never ends, and how lucky for readers. "Most comic strips run out of creative energy after their initial inspiration," notes Garry Wills. "Trudeau has just kept improving, year after year."

Genres: Humor, Comics, Fiction, Cartoon, Politics

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2013

About the author

Garretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip. In 1970, Trudeau's creation of Doonesbury was syndicated by the newly formed Universal Press Syndicate. Today Doonesbury is syndicated to almost 1,400 newspapers worldwide and is accessible online in association with Slate Magazine at doonesbury.com. In 1975, he became the first comic strip artist to win a Pulitzer, traditionally awarded to editorial-page cartoonists. He was also a Pulitzer finalist in 1990. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1977 in the category of Animated Short Film, for A Doonesbury Special, in collaboration with John Hubley and Faith Hubley. A Doonesbury Special eventually won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Special Prize in 1978. Other awards include the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) Newspaper Comic Strip Award in 1994, and the Reuben Award in 1995. He was made a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1993. Wiley Miller, fellow comic-strip artist responsible for Non Sequitur, called Trudeau "far and away the most influential editorial cartoonist in the last 25 years." In addition to his work on Doonesbury, Trudeau has teamed with Elizabeth Swados and written plays, such as Rap Master Ronnie and Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy. In 1988, Trudeau joined forces with director Robert Altman for the HBO miniseries Tanner '88 and the Sundance Channel miniseries sequel Tanner on Tanner in 2004. In 1996, Newsweek and The Washington Post speculated that Trudeau wrote the novel Primary Colors, which was later revealed to have been written by Joe Klein. Trudeau wrote the political sitcom Alpha House, starring John Goodman and Bill Murray. The pilot was produced by Amazon Studios and aired in early 2013. Due to positive response Amazon has picked up Alpha House to develop into a full series.

Reviews

[David]

The later Doonesbury... still sharp ... so many things which seemed serious targets less than ten years ago, now faded in light of everything post-2016!

[Tristan Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the best of my knowledge, this is book #54 of collected Doonesbury cartoons, not counting abridged and special collections publications. I've got every one, and you may envy me as you wish. This collection, published in 2013, contains an admirable skewering of just about everything from political jabs to a long-awaited marriage that reveals the fragile and often hilarious underpinnings of family life. I took a good long time to read through this book, just to savor it. The rise of "myFacts," "supporting your worldview since 2003." Quotes by the unlamented Newt Gingrich. Random road trips to nowhere in the besieged Obama administration. Walden College admins wondering if they should make it a "for-profit" school. The rise of Elizabeth Warren. The perils of the Red Rascal and the agonies of writing for HuffPo, unpaid. Ah, the memories! Trudeau has kept them all for us, with his usual razor wit. I love this guy. Just sayin'.

[Daniel Mala · Rating 5 out of 5]

So caught up to 2013 with Doonesbury. Though there was plenty of political happenings around the world it is was a rather calm period before the storm. The next book takes me to 2015 so there’s still time before the fall of Western Civilization as we know it! I have the next two books lined up including the latest release. Cheers!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems like a long time since I have sat down and read a Doonesbury collection. Lucked out when my library had this copy and I snagged it. Fun to catch up with the old gang and touch base with the newer characters.

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex and Leo get married! Sweet, but I wanted even more coverage of it. 2012 Presidential election. Elizabeth Warren campaign. Occupy Wall Street. Withdrawal of troops. Walden considers becoming a for profit college. Voter suppression.

[David Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally got around to reading this, and the stuff about Trump (this collects strips from 2011-2012) is eerie.

[Weldon Diseker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great commentary on recent events

Yet again, Trudeau has done it. An accurate and honest comic report of what is happening in America. Great insights and very entertaining!!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent as ever, but I forced myself to only read 50 pages a day as there is only one more book at the moment. It is interesting / depressing that one of the themes covered is voter supression.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 bk 119. Glad to have some blanks filled in - and to see the development of the relationship between Leo and Alex develop. Very enjoyable.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy Doonesbury, pick up this latest compilation of the daily and Sunday strips. This book presents the older characters and yes, Trudeau is aging everyone, along with the adventures of the next generation. As the cover shows, one main topic is Alex's wedding as Mike Doonesbury realizes his daughter grew up. Other recent events in the news are also covered in true Doonesbury style. Great fun to read.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riot, as always. These cover the time around the 2012 Presidential election, and some hit it perfectly.

[Nadine]

Not that it's not good. But I haven't read this author for so long, I am a bit lost. I'll come back to it later.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems prescient in some ways, since at the time Trudeau was still skewering Trump, but mostly about Alex & Toggle.