Blowback
Blowback
A clean, well-lit place to vent
Please feel free to contribute to this frequently-updated forum, which posts selected commentary on our favorite comic strip. If you'd like your critique to be posted, please note that civility, if not approbation, counts. Click here to submit a comment.
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DUKE WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
I see in the 20-years-ago-today strip on the Flashbacks page that Duke was running for president. I guess he won.
Editor's Note:The Duke2000 "Nothing Left to Lose" presidential campaign was quite an undertaking. E-campaigning from his headquarters at the E-Z Rest Motor Lodge in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Duke set out to prove that an average citizen, with nothing more than a laptop, a few spam speeches, and a sackful of soft money, could make political history.
His campaign in the strip was supported by a stand-alone website, and by dozens of campaign videos which were created using then-state-of-the-art motion capture technology. The former ambassador is voiced (and bodied) by the remarkable Fred Newman, well known from his longtime role as sound effects man / voice actor on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion." Fifteen of the D2K mini-masterpieces are still posted on our site and are available for your viewing pleasure in Duke's Video Vault, here.
As you'll see, Duke made live, unscripted, improvisational appearances on "Larry King Live," "The Today Show," and in other venues. Be sure to check out the epic penultimate episode, "Apocalypse 2000."
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CONSPIRACY
The current Classics series about conspiracy theorists fits really well with the quotes in Say What? today. Coincidence? "I don't think so."
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LOBBYISTS
Re today's strip: All the lobbyists are white men. Subtle. Clever. They make Mark and Mike look old, but not diverse. You are my hero.
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WHO KNEW?
From the 25-years-ago-today Flashback strip (compare the first and last panels) it appears that Rick is ambidextrous. Who knew?
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CHEERS
Re today's strip: Cheers to you! For myself, back to volunteer GOTV (Get Out The Vote) calling to Iowa -- with my hope that your many readers will not only vote, but will do volunteer work also and as much as they can. All the way from now to November, yes!
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FLASHBACK
Yesterday's 15-years-ago Flashback strip (from January 29, 2005) would suggest that American foreign policy is drunk.
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RED RASCAL
Red Rascal couldn't carry 007's PPK.
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30 YEARS
I've been a dedicated fan for well over 30 years (terribly miss new daily strips and detailed development of characters' stories, but no need to be greedy...), and all strips bring a smile, smirk or knowing sigh, but today's Sunday strip featuring the Red Rascal made me laugh out loud. Absolutely brilliant! Mr. Trudeau (and staff), thanks for all that you have given us.
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COLD WARRIOR
I'm struck by the 1-25-80 40-years-ago-today Flashback strip about Republicans criticizing how Democrats like Carter respond to the threat of Russia (Soviet Union). In the '80s, making Democrats look weak on Russia was 'de rigeur.' Where have all the cold warrior Republicans gone? Russia tried to get Trump elected -- Mueller's report proves that -- but the president denies it and they don't care. When I was a kid, old men in my neighborhood spoke very poorly of Russia. I would never have put their talk down to just playing politics. But now it seems they were opportunists. Like Trump.
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HUMAN NATURE
Today's Doonesbury Classic strip is from 1993, but the punchline is just as appropriate today as it was then. I guess that some aspects of human nature never change.
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THANK YOU
As one of Lindsey's many unrepresented constituents, Thank you for today's strip!
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STORY ARCS
I didn't realize how ubiquitous Duke is in Doonesbury World until I noticed that four of the nine story arcs currently running in Flashbacks are about him.
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I WONDER
In today's 40-years-ago Flashback strip, the first three frames have the toaster cocked and toasting, but we never get to see the toast pop up. I wonder if it burned.
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THANK GOODNESS
Re today's SAY WHAT? quote:
"He's already set a standard for presidents that most mortals won't be able to meet."
-- Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on TrumpWell, thank goodness for that!
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WEARINESS
GBT does it again. The world weariness, psychological and emotional exhaustion captured perfectly by B.D.'s reaction in the final panel.
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TRUMP
Like GBT, I've been wondering what in the world a Trump "Library" could possibly contain. Turning it into a "luxury" condo high-rise in Moscow, however, is perfection. Well done!
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CUTTING EDGE
Gotta hand it to Trudeau. Great strip this morning. Really cutting edge stuff in my opinion.
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SWIPE
When I read the line, "What are their little names again?" in today's strip, I thought at first that it was simply J.J. being self-absorbed and forgetful. But on further reflection, J.J. could be taking a swipe at Alex's insistence on a "grandmother name." Nicely done, if so.
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FLASHBACK
Re the 45-years-ago-today Flashback strip: "Lay some hubris on me" -- one of my favorite lines. I am old enough to remember Doonesbury from the beginning and I cannot wait for "Guilty, guilty, guilty!!" to come around again -- not the strip, but in real life!
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PARTIES
Oh boy! We get to revisit two parties this week -- the End of the 70s bash, and Rev. Scot Sloan's "Sixties Revival" publication party. It'll be fun to compare the differences five years make in cultural phenomena. Plus, they'll help to take my mind off the 20-years-ago-today Flashback series, which is giving me the creeps. (I tell you, I'm feeling as old as Mike looks in yesterday's strip.)