Monday, June 20, 2022

Before Trump was Elected President Doonesbury Took on His Rhetoric and Failed Ventures

Before his presidency and TV show The Apprentice, Donald Trump was a moving target of scorn and vicious satire by cartoonist Gary Trudeau.

His strip regularly mocked Don the Con with three characters who supposedly worked for him. 

There was J.J. who reluctantly painted a mural of Trump based on the Sistine Chapel, on the ceiling of the bathroom of Trump's boat "Trump Princess" because she needed the money.

Then there was the captain of the ship Duke (a caricature of Hunter S. Thompson, the gonzo journalist).

Finally, there was Boopsie who was hired to be in the background of a game show Trump created about himself, years before The Apprentice.

Trudeau's portrayal of Trump really cracked me up when it came out. I instantly became a regular reader of the controversial cartoon strip right up until today. 

By the way, here's a link to a Doonesbury website with current and old strips. I highly recommend reading #SAD!: Doonesbury in the Time of Trump.

One of the things I admire about Trudeau's satire is he's unafraid of making fun of the most powerful man in the US, regardless of political party. I loved his portrayals of Clinton, Bush, and Reagan.

There were other political power players that he mocked. Newt Gingrich was shown as a lite but unexploded bomb, and a floating feather was the stand-in for Vice President Dan Quayle.

If you would like to know more about Gary Trudeau and his Pulitzer Prize winning comic strip go here.

Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow.

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