"Doonesbury and the Art of G.B. Trudeau" by Brian Walker

Doonesbury and the Art of G.B. Trudeau Brian Walker

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Format:: Hardback
Publication date:: 02 Nov 2010
ISBN:: 9780300154276
Imprint:: Yale University Press
Dimensions:: 272 pages: 248 x 292mm
Illustrations:: 130 b-w + 360 color illus.

Categories:

Fiction »

Best known for his wry and incisive takes on American life and politics, Garry Trudeau is among the world’s most widely read cartoonists. Trudeau began shaping Doonesbury as an undergraduate contributor to the Yale Daily News in 1968. Today, the strip is syndicated to a daily readership of nearly 100 million.

Trudeau’s work has been anthologized before, but this is the first book to assess the art of the comic strip and the ways that Trudeau’s iconic style has evolved over the past four decades. Brian Walker, an expert on the history of comics, sheds light on Trudeau’s early influences as well as on his creative process, from research to pencil layouts to finished artwork. In addition to revealing how Doonesbury is crafted each week, the book also examines Trudeau’s magazine illustrations, animation drawings, posters, and product designs, as well as rare and previously unpublished works. Walker’s historical text is complemented by insightful commentary by Trudeau and his collaborators, Don Carleton, George Corsillo, and David Stanford, making this book appealing not only to Doonesbury’s many fans but also to those looking for an approach to the work of a master comic strip artist.

Brian Walker organized the first major exhibition of Garry Trudeau’s work, The Doonesbury Retrospective, at the Museum of Cartoon Art in 1983. He has served as curator for more than sixty-five cartoon exhibitions and has written numerous books on comics including The Comics: The Complete Collection, The Best of Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy, and Barney Google and Snuffy Smith: 75 Years of an American Legend.

"Lavish . . . an eclectic romp by a scion of a great cartoonist family ("Beetle Bailey," "Hi and Lois") and one of America's foremost comic-strip historians."—Cullen Murphy, Vanity Fair

"There are few books that I unequivocally state should be on every cartoonist's book shelf, but this is one of them. Anyone wanting to better understand cartooning at the level of an American master should own this book."—Alan Gardner, The Daily Cartoonist

"Doonesbury and the Art of G.B. Trudeau provides a rare glimpse of the artist's original drawings and sketches."—Chip Kidd, Rolling Stone

"A must-have for every Doonesbury devotee."—Connecticut Magazine

"Handsomely produced and eminently readable . . . a sheer joy."—Tom Tomorrow, Yale Alumni Magazine

"[A] rare book . . . presents the artwork in an elegant, high-quality format and adds considerably to what we know about the artist. Brian Walker is an ideal chronicler."—Christopher Arnott, New Haven Advocate

"This is the mother of all Doonesbury books . . . beautifully assembled . . . easily the gift book of the year for folks who've been sentient over the past 40 years."—William Kowinski, North Coast Journal

". . . elegantly chronicles how the strip's graphic aesthetic evolved."—Michael Cavna, Washington Post

"An elegant collection."—John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle (Holiday Books selection, Comics/Graphic Novels category)

"Eloquent, well-researched and honest. . . . Walker is a masterful storyteller."--Catherine Ramsdell, PopMatters

"If you're a fan of Doonesbury, without question you need to own this book."—Mike Rhode, Washington City Paper

"This is a fine introduction to Trudeau and a delight for those who are already familiar with and appreciate him."—K. Marantz, CHOICE

"The first book to assess the art of the Doonesbury strip, its impact, and the way Trudeau's style has evolved over four decades."—Book Passage

"A handsome, heavyweight volume. . . . Walker chronicles it all with care."—Jonathan Richards, Pasatiempo

“‘Walker’s book offers an in-depth view of the Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip…Trudeau’s work in 1983, also examines the creative process and Trudeau’s evolution as an artist.’” —The New Haven Register

"To call it satire is only half right. 'Doonesbury' has taken on all the topics you'd expect- from vietnam to Iraq, from drug use to gay marriage. But satire has a short shelf life.'Doonesbury''s big heart and moral compass are what give it staying power."

—Cullen Murphy, Vanity Fair

"This comprehensive book is a beautiful addition to any Doonesbury fan's collection."—Jessica Harrison, Desert News

Finalist for the 2010 Connecticut Book Awards in the non-fiction category