Doones-Day

In its continuing effort to make its editorial page even less relevant, the Times have moved Doonesbury to the comics pages.

I report that with a wry grin, since the reason Doonesbury was usually be found on the editorial page in the first place was that the editors were concerned that such a "political" strip might be found by impressionable young minds and people whose morning mental exercise was the Word Jumble. It always seemed like a cheap way to avoid the usual controversy by given the strip its own "Free-Speech Area".

But now half the strips are talking about the economy, and Candorville has spent the past two weeks looking for John McCain's honor, and the conservative base is given its reassuring dose of Prickly City> (typical joke - Boy, that Michael Moore is FAT!). And Mike and the gang don't look all that edgy anymore. Sadly, they remain about three grade levels above the Wizard of Id and Garfield so explanations may be needed to those encountering the strip for the first time (Yahsee, Zonker's nephew Zippy is using Sarah Palin's style of interview answers with his college prof - it's satire!).

Of course, when such a move is mandated, someone must die, and the loser is .... Cathy (who has spent the past week talking with her accountant - high comedy, indeed). I have to admit that I pulled out the Thursday paper (Friday and Saturday putting the comics in its bizzaro magazine format) to find out who went MIA, and I was surprised that it was Cathy who taken out behind the bunker and given two shots to the dome. There are comics that are a LOT less funny still taking up valuable space (not a whole lot, but still ...)

Now I warned them - mess with the Doones at your own peril. And I am not alone in this judgment. I see nothing but tears coming out of this.

More later,