Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for January 09, 2012

Where are the hot chicks?

Yea! New stuff. Will the Blue Bandit and the Red Rascal join forces to fight evil and injustice?

 They’re like a Trekkie convention, man. (Notice the headdresses in the background, panel 4.)

Do you know what you call people who show up to book signings in costume? Customers!

Not nearly as freaky as a new Stephenie Meyer release …

The Red Rascal and Blue Bandit will become the purple vain of truth.

“Who has actually bought Red Rascal’s book? Show of hands!” Random House (RH) does business not by shows of hands, but by sales receipts. If the book’s a best seller, RH issues news releases, and the book is ranked on various print and online news sources. Process is very similar to that of the motion picture industry. Journalist Jeff Redfern’s dad Rick’s a journalist also. He can find out by accessing WaPo’s received news release, by newspaper or by computer screen whether or not his boy’s book made it on. However, Dad’s “curious about his [son’s] readers” and wants to know “WHO exactly turns out for a Red Rescal book signing.” Will he go down to see? Will he go in costume himself? As khaki-clad fellow reporter Roland Hedley with all the buckles ‘n’ straps? Stay tooned.

They’re not only turning out, they’re buying the books. I think Dad is hoping to show up and gloat about Jeff not selling any.

Man, I love media conventions — my son and I go to animé conventions. Yes, the girls’ cosplay outfits can be, shall we say, startling…and for me even to notice them at my age may be considered a little creepy. But, hey…. :].Unfortunately, the most revealing costumes are often worn by those who are the least suited to them — and that’s all I’ll say about that.

Very funny strip today.

Does GT have to make Joanie look so old and dumpy these days?

I had no idea who Stephanie Meyer was until I looked it up. Don’t bother doing the same.

I can sell you a tin of Blue Bandits for $3.75.

There’s no business like show business…

The one with the Antennae in the back looks interesting? Think it might be The Tick? Red Rascal would do much better with him than that Blue whatever. After all the Tick had his own TV show..and was just as delusional as Jeff.

Red Rascal, Blue Bandit, where’s the “Great White Hope”??

 Did I or didn’t I appear in Red Rascal costume at a Comic-Con convention in a locale near me? This is not a difficult answer.

Great plug for a Washington DC institution, “Politics and Prose” book store.

Good to see Uncle Martin and a Conehead getting at least some background

Who watched the two Republican debates Sat night and Sun am, and if you watched both, which show had the best qu estions, ABC on Sat or Meet the Press on Sunday.

Better hurry, Rick! The fun is starting without you.

Sounds normal to me – Politics and Prose is a bookstore in Washington, D.C. I’ll grant you it could be hard for those who don’t live around here to figure that out when the dialog is entirely in upper case….