Duke & Hunter
So Gary Trudeau had Duke’s head explode upon learning about Hunter S. Thompson’s suicide.
It’s interesting. When I was young I used to think HST was a genius. As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to view him as a narcissistic drug addict.
The best quote I’ve seen about HST was, “Thompson used to be a journalist masquerading as a junky; then he became a junky masquerading as a journalist.”
So Trudeau blows up Dukes head. Is this supposed to be funny? Deep? Personally, I find the method of HST’s choice of suicide rather egotistical given that he shot himself with his grandson in the next room. Typical self-absorbed Baby-Boomer: doesn’t think about anyone else but himself.
Trudeau is the same way. He should have done what Watterson did with Calvin & Hobbes, or Larson of Far Side fame: hung up the pen before he jumped the shark.
But Trudeau jumped the shark a generation ago. Doonesbury should have died when Reagan was elected. Instead he’s written crap for over 24 years.
What Duke’s head exploding is supposed to mean is known only by Trudeau himself – like so much else of Doonesbury.
Hang up the pen, Trudeau.
