I remember when Doonesbury first hit newsprint, 35 years ago today. A friend of mine — an aspiring cartoonist — reacted in utter horror. "G.B. Trudeau," whoever he or she was, had to be the offspring of some powerful syndication exec who had decided to put his kid's inept doodles into print. And that exec must have had powerful blackmail evidence against the editor of the Los Angeles Times because that paper could not possibly have bought the thing on its merits. In later years, I would hear other cartoonists rail against the injustice of a coveted slot going to someone who, any fool could plainly see, was not a "real" cartoonist.
It turned out, of course, that Doonesbury became a smashing success — in my view, the most important strip of its era. It took a while for Trudeau's drawing to come close to catching up with his writing, but it was always worth reading. I even liked it when its politics stood in stark contrast to my own. (Those who think Trudeau only skewers the right haven't read him very closely.) As I wrote in this article, it always struck me as not only a funny strip but also a very courageous one.
Here's a link to a speech by Mr. Trudeau and one to a press release by his syndicate. Here's a little interview, as well. I hope it's around for 35 more.