October 5th, 1984 THE OTHER PRESS‘ - - page 13... - Doonesbu When people look back at 1984, the most important event in their minds will not be the Canadian or American general elections. It will not be the by JOEL HAGEN Emmy awards (get serious; John Ritter?). It will not be the reincar- nation of George Orwell. It will not even be the invention of edible soap-on-a-rope. In terms of international ramifi- cations, 1984 will be remembered for one thing; ‘the ressurection of DOONESBURY!! Garry Trudeau’s Pulitzer prize win- ning comic strip réturned to hundreds of newspapers last weekend, and fans rejoiced the world over. No longer do we have to suffer through the some- times inconsequential ravings of Berke Breathed’s Bloom County (sorry Opus fans). Now we’ve got the real ing Some people laugh at the reverence we display to our favorite comic culture superhero, but Trudeau’s in- fluence should not be underestimated. Former U.S. president Gerald Ford once said that ‘‘there are three major vehicles to keep us informed as to what is going on in Washington: the electronic media, the print media, and Doonesbury, not necessarily in that order.’’ Journalist Art Buchwald, renowned for his acerbic wit, paid Doonesbury the ultimate compliment when he said ‘‘it is not only the best comic strip, but the best satire that’s come along in a long time.’’ Trudeau took a 22 month leave at the end of 1982, and since then, his oddball cast of characters has been in hibernation. There have been some big changes of course, and I’m sure you want to know what everybody has been up to. Here’s the rundown: -Zonker Harris, who once said that, ‘being a freshman was the best ten years of my life,’’ has now graduated from college. He’s thinking of med- school, but nothing is set in stone. -Michael Doonesbury, a father figure for nerds everywhere, has married J.J., who, if you recall, is Joan Caucus’ daughter. Mike, who always . was a bit of a wishy-washy liberal, is looking decidedly Yuppie as he pur- sues a career at a big New York ad agency. -Mark | Slackmeyer, revolutionary of the bunch, has grad- uated from WBBY, the college radio station, to spread his radical message to the masses on National Public Radio. -Uncle Duke, modelled on the wild and crazy ex-Rolling Stone writer Hunter y's back the fomenting S. Thompson, is up to his old tricks again, this time in Haiti. Running the ‘‘Baby Doc College of Physicians’’ for rich Americans who can’t get good grades, Duke proves once again that he can walk the fine line between immorality and legality. Trudeau will bring everyone else back into the picture too, as he rarely lets his characters fall by the wayside. Don’t despair if B.D., Zeke; Honey, Joanie, Rick, Boopsie, Roland and all the rest of the gang aren’t around yet; they will be soon. In the words of brother Zonker, Hee-wackity-Doo-Doo! "YEAH, I SUPPOSE THEY df. Cor Nair MEET THE YUP SEEM ARE. A BIT TOO CIVILIZE 0M - REST OF LIKE PRETTY FOR ME THOUGH. IM BAD CRAZINESS ! THE STAFF G00D | |_A VIOLENCE FREAK : SEE THOSE BEER, WNCLE YET? FOLKS. || | MYSELE WANNA SEE UM..| = CANS IN THE ~ pure \ ee | | MY REvaLVERe —/ we PY ROOM? TY / / i Zonker and his Uncle Duke, two of G.B.Trudeau’s best loved and most eccentric characters, are back in action this week in more than 700 news- papers around the world. This strip, of mid seventies vintage, is from the days when Duke was on the staff of Rolling Stone, and Zonker was on the competi- tive tanning circuit. Both have since moved onto bigger and better things, but Trudeau will no doubt be back to alot of his old tricks, especially with respect to the big man in the White- house. With the U.S: elections less than two months away, expect some - biting comment from one of today’s sarcastic masters in the coming weeks. Steve and Lily: “together” at last Remember when Steve Martin used to eat ‘pizza in a cup’’? Remember when he said things like ‘‘Well excuuuuuse me’’, and ‘‘the new phone by JOEL HAGEN ‘books are here!’’2 Well those days are gone, and Steve _ is back on the big screen in a movie that should once and for all put him in the big leagues. It’s called All of Me, and it’s terrific, Martin plays Roger Cobb, a struggling “L.A. lawyer who talks to his dog. His law firm has been giving him the runaround for eleven years, he’s just turned 38, and he moonlights in a jazz band. To put it bluntly, Roger is having a mid-life crisis. To make matters worse, Edwina Cutwater (Lily Tomlin), a filthy rich spinster, is dying, and Cobb is sent by his firm to put her estate in order. Edwina, however, has been sickly all her life, and she feels that since she has been treated so unfairly, she deserves a second chance. Convinced that an Indian guru can ‘‘trans- migrate’’ her soul into a healthy body, Edwina is busily preparing to cheat death when Roger arrives at her mansion, . Edwina soon buys the biscuit, but her soul, destined to enter the body of the stablehand’s lovely daughter (Victoria Tennant), takes a sharp turn, winding up in Roger instead. Their initial moments together are priceless. Edwina moans, ‘‘l can’t even die right,’’ and poor Roger finds that his entire right side is controlled by a dead person. Walking, taken for granted by most, becomes a complex art for the ‘‘pair’’, and their first steps are a hilarious display of splayed limbs and uncoordinated motion. Un- fortunately for Roger, Edwina’s side of him also gets a big kick out of driving a car and going to the bathroom. Once these tribulations are over- come, though, Edwina and Roger begin to -coexist quite well. She communicates to him through a little voice in his head or as a reflection in the mirror, and their little conver- sations show how their feelings to- wards each other change throughout the film. Roger grows to admire and love the “‘new’’ Edwina, and she in turn finds that Roger is the first true friend she’s ever had. They both make sacrifices for each other- and find that their actions reflect a true commitment that both have been seeking for a long time. Of course, Edwina can’t stick around in Roger forever, and they resolve to work out the situation. This leads to a wonderful ending where souls can’t seem to stay still, and audiences can’t stop laughing. All of Me is great chuckle therapy, and should not be missed. Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin, together for the first time, make up for their earlier films, especially The Man With Two Brains and The Incredible Shrinking Woman, in All of Me, now playing in lots of theatres all over the place. t