Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 28, 2011

BD and Boopsie, now the hard work starts.

She’s regretting that she did.

Apparently, Sam is entering the “terrible teens” — rudely texting, while Dad, waxing sentimental, is cut out of the interaction. But wait, wasn’t BD just like that when he was younger? Wearing a football helmet as a symbol of “cutting out” the world? Just goes to confirm the old adage, “Like father like daughter.” Yup, ya got it right again, LWP: hard work for Mom and Dad straight ahead. Sigh. And I had harbored such hopes, that she would NEVER act that way . . . . Yeah, and I have a daughter too, who went through such a stage. Is married to a good provider, an attorney, now, with a six-month old son, my grandson. Oops, there I go again, waxing sentimental — just like BD.

It’s called “the jaggies”, Clark Kent AKA Superdude.

She is indeed way too mature for Sarah Palin.

This is so unrealistic. There should be a cell phone stuck to her ear 24/7 if she’s supposed to represent todays youth.

I guess Sam takes after her father. Boopsie has been with B.D. since the 60s and still hasn’t lost that look of wide-eyed innocence (or is it optimism?)

so, true…that little girls grow up in a blink of an eye…i still think of lindsay lohan as that kid in the parent trap movie and raven simone as that cute kid bothering bill cosby.

Shouldn’t she have save the Sarah Palin doll so that, in the future, if anyone has any money, they could have a relic of what helped to destroy America?

I’m no fan of the Baked Alaskan, but from her remote outpost she could not have done much to destroy our country. That honor sits squarely on Bush and his cronies. Palin is too insignificant to have had any impact. She might not even earn a footnote in the future’s history books.

Did you notice the last panel? Sam’s eyes changed from “child eyes” to “doonesbury eyes” :)

  מזל טוב = “good luck” 2U2, favorite babygirl.

Good catch, Susan. Hopefully, Boopsie can ride that one out in the interests of helping to guide Sam to a good and decent boy.

LITTLE GIRL GROWN Monday I tied blue ribbons in her hair before she went to school. Tuesday I packed her teddy bear and she was off to camp. Friday I drove her to college with her silver flute. Sunday she moved to Manhattan with her fiance. Will the neighbors on East 35th Street please see that she doesn’t dawdle on her way to work? She’s the one with the flute and the teddy bearand blue ribbons in her hair. — Arlene Mandell (1989)

FOR SAM: May you grow up to be righteous,May you grow up to be true,May you always know the truthAnd see the lights surrounding you.May you always be courageous,Stand upright and be strong,May you stay forever young,Forever young, forever young,May you stay forever young. —Bob Dylan

As we established a time-line viewing last week’s strip, B.D. – and by extension Boopsie – must both be in their mid-50’s or even late-50’s (or, in the case of B.D. perhaps even 60+). Both are depicted as amazingly well preserved – especially the former Barbara Ann Boopstein! Sam’s now entering her teen years, so counting back, the happy couple first became parents close to their mid-40’s – unusual circumstance, though not extraordinarily so. (Although one has to wonder if Samantha was perhaps . . . um . . . “unplanned”?)`(Folks, I know this is a comic strip, where the almighty creator (G. Trudeau) can suspend the laws of reality with impunity. However, Trudeau is now 63 years-old and, viewing recent photos, looks it. Way it goes – comic characters potentially can be immortal, but obviously not cartoonist.)

12/2811. The day Sam became a Doonesbury adult. The wide-eyed innocence/world-weary heavy-eyelid difference really captures body language so well given the limits of 2 dimensions and no motion.

Not surprised to see that others also caught the change. Alex’s transformation was the first time I remember it happening to a regular character in the midst of a strip though if memory serves, Boopsie has had a brief flash or two of the Doonesbury eye before resuming her wide-eyed demeanor Any one remember when Jeff changed? Will Zipper?

The Doonesbury strip doesn’t look jagged in today’s St. Petersburg Times (on 1/1/12 to become the Tampa Bay Times [urk]).

Yup, now it starts. Cars cruising by the house slow. Sometimes they stop down the block. Be very afraid…yeah, I wax sentimental too. I only had to slap one young(er) bully around for the stepdaughters, but a very peacenik buddy tripped and fantasized building a shooting platform on his roof and getting a 12 gauge when HIS beautiful daughter turned twelve.Girls sure are fun before THAT, though.

Getting rid of that one doll was fine, but many girls have dolls well into their 20s or so. I guess it depends on the doll.

She’s got the Doonesbury heavy eyelids in panel 4. Nice subtle joke.

If a $arah Palin doll is too haz-bin for Sam, that means Bristol’s and Willow’s friends think their mom is a has-been, or perhaps a never-was, as well.

YaY!!

GT has talked about how he draws eyes. Between panels 3 and 4, Sam’s eyes have changed into adult eyes. Boopsie always has those wide eyes as a symbol of her intrinsic innocence despite it all.

 Here’s hoping that the quality of these comments will improve.

“I’m just glad Sarah made enough money in politics she does not live in Alaska anymore, She is not missed.” • You must live in Alaska.• How does one make legitimate money in politics? Legitimate ways would include writing a book from which one reaps royalties. Illegitimate ways would include keeping campaign donations after choosing not to run. In Palin’s case, which is it?

Thanks for the date of Alex’s transition.

To all the Palin haters and lovers:

This story arc is not about Sarah. It is about Sam growing up.

Sunrise, sunset…..

You must be Jewish? I’m not, but I love the Jewish people.  Re the Hebrew lettering, I don’t have the software either. I just copied the phrase off of the internet and pasted it here. I’ve studied Hebrew, and I love it, love its verve, directness and punchiness, but my studies were in seminary a looong time ago.

 Thanks, recent posters, for the improved content of the comments, for which I had just wished.

Sam growing up is one thing. But Sam should not have sent the dolls to the garbage bin. If you don’t want even one for memories then clean them up and donate.

Compare the third cell to the fourth cell. Sam suddenly has lost the parentheses around her eyes. Uh-oh. BD and Boopsie are in for it now. And they’ve still got three years to go before Sam reaches 15—the pit year for girls. (Since Boopsie still has parentheses around her eyes, this is gonna get interesting.)

The McCain-Palin ticket was the political equivalent of a golddigger’s marriage – cute young thing with more ambition than brains or talent marries old geezer with the gold. She walks away with precisely what she wants – in this case, her name on everyone’s lips.

Awww, not Sam.!They do grow up so suddenly. I was hoping she would keep her mother’s eyes.

Notice how her eyes have changed- she’s now an adult in the comics from now on. Sad to see innocence die.

Observe the change in his daughters eyes, in the blink of an eye.