Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for April 09, 2014

Cleveland? Think bigger and go to Detroit.-Here is the strip where Joanie stops the boys:-

http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/09/10-Here are some strips that GT skipped over which I found interesting:-Take me out to the ballgame:-http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/08/04-Even Mark didn’t know then:-http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/08/10-In the presence of great power:-http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/08/14-Haight Ashbury-http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/09/06

Originally run 11 Sept 1972 – followed by:http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/09/12#.U0Ti3KhdUd0 Clinton the caring HusbandMike

I like Joanie, but over time I’ve come to have real issues with her choices in life. Her husband was an unsympathetic clod, and she was indeed being stifled, but still——when all is said and done, she abandoned her child. I’m not a parent and probably never will be, but I have trouble forgiving that.

And we wonder why J.J. is such a screwup?

@JLGThis storyline reflects the views of a 24 year-old single man when it comes to marriage and children. Twenty years later, a married father of 3 GT would do a similar storyline, but this time focus on the father and daughter left behind.As for Joanie’s ex, Clinton, he must’ve done something right; JJ did get into Georgetown.The turning point in our attitude toward women claiming their liberty by walking out on their families probably came with the movie “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Early on in the movie, Jane Alexander’s character says that it took a lot of courage for Meryl Streep’s character to do what she did. To which, Dustin Hoffman’s character replies:-

How much courage does it take to walk out on your kid?

big, concrete plans take you far

It’s fun reading the strips this way. We, the now omniscient readers, know that Mike is meeting his future mother-in-law, and that she will become a great-grandmother. I do, however, wish they would not condense so sharply. Spin the stories out a little!

There were actually a few times that they referred to more than one child (of Joanie’s and Clinton’s). Once, I recall, was in (divorce) court, when there is a reference to, “the children.”

I’ve always had a hard time with this, yes she patched things up with JJ but what the other kids? She had more than one.

I can’t believe I recognized Joanie right off in the first panel!After all these years!

I bet GT would use “reprieve” instead of “reprieval” now.

Sounds better. Besides, “reprieval” is more like an action (the deliverance from punishment), not the actual time spent away (“living out”).

Ha. My spellchecker in this browser doesn’t even like the word “reprieval”.

Oh wait. Maybe “reprieval” is before Joanie got all lawyerish. Never mind!

In 1972 Cleveland was still a thriving vibrant city, great economy. It was a great place to live and work.In the past 40+ years Cleveland/Cuyahoga County has had over 500,000 leave the area

Hello Joanie!

I just realized I randomly whined to the world about my kids. Sorry…lol

I had a Vocational Rehabilitation client who suddenly decided he was going to find happiness in Jacksonville, FL (he was living in St. Pete at the time). I’m going, inside my head, “JACKsonville?” (I had only passed through it on I-295.) A week later, he came crawling back.

Actually after staying in north Jacksonville several times when my husband and I went to a show at Amelia Island, I found the River City Marketplace and environs to be quite charming. I don’t think it was in existence, though, when my VR client went up. Joanie seems to have fared better.

Sadly, the town she eventually found was Washington, DC

I remember that as well, it was this panel when I said, this is wrong.

I don’t like this. C’;mon, Garry – either give us new strips, or start at the beginning & run everything in order!

@Night-Gaunt49The question Ted Kramer asks in Kramer vs. Kramer is gender non-specific.I have very little regard for anyone who walks away from a child without taking into regard the emotional and psychological harm they are doing to the child.

@argy.bargyIf anyone was physically abusive in this relationship, it was Joanie:-http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1972/9/12

Yep, I remember there were more children than JJ. I wonder what happened to the others…and Clinton.

@gaebieCleveland, like many cities in the industrial Northeast and Midwest, started decling in the 1950s. The population of Cleveland peaked in 1950.-1950 - 914,8081960 - 876,050−4.2%1970 — 750,903−14.3%-

The population estimate for 2012 is about 391,000 — less than it was in 1910.

Many thanks to all who have shared strips that help “fill in the blanks.” :-)

I’m one of many quiet readers who seldom/never comment. Three thoughts on this: One, I don’t recall physical abuse so Joanie may have thought the kids would be more secure and stable with husband. Given the times, she was probably right. Two, leftwingpatriot was right in his comment about Garry writing from a 24 yr old standpoint. Three, I am in love with LWP.

@jsteinmann☺️

@jsteinmannIn case you didn’t see my reply, it is a blushing emoticon.You made my day.

I think she was from Denver,Colorado.