“Doonesbury” continues to be an editorial call for newspapers. Most keep it with the comics. It remains the wrong call. The two local dailies are a microcosm. Both keep “Doonesbury” in the comics section.
This was particularly relevant on Memorial Day weekend when “Doonesbury” creator Gary Trudeau once again dedicated his Sunday strip to U.S. soldiers killed in “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” It was an admirable “In Memoriam” salute.
The Tampa Tribune ran it on the back comics page – below a similarly themed “Opus” cartoon and above a house ad.
The St. Petersburg Times , however, kept it in its usual context. Arguably, such a solemn dedication to America’s fallen deserves better than being juxtaposed under “Marmaduke” and adjacent to “Mother Goose and Grimm,” “Jeff MacNelly’s Shoe,” “The Family Circus” and “Hi & Lois.” It just does.