Trudeau Puts His Money Where His Comic Is

By: Dave Astor More than 1,100 people have entered a $10,000 contest announced in this week's "Doonesbury" strips. Garry Trudeau is offering the money to anyone who can prove George W. Bush fulfilled his 1972 National Guard duty in Alabama.

But Trudeau joked he had other motives for the satirical competition. "To burn off cash," he told E&P in a Thursday e-mail interview. "I've been looking for something to do with a huge tax cut I didn't need. Part of the blowback from Bush's largesse to the unpoor is that people like me have become fat cats."

Actually, a "Doonesbury" character drolly noted in Wednesday's strip that the contest about the extent of Bush's military service is designed to "put this trash story to rest and get back to the real issues -- unemployment, the deficit, and the war in Iraq. So help us end gutter politics...."

If the $10,000 is awarded, it will go to the USO (United Service Organizations) in the winner's name. "We feel the winner would want it that way," said Trudeau. "As would my accountant."

The contest (http://www.doonesbury.com) also offers a consolation prize of a "Doonesbury" strip for the most entertaining entry from someone who can't prove they witnessed Bush's military service. All or virtually all of the entries, of course, will be from non-witnesses. Thursday's "Doonesbury" strip noted that the consolation comic will be "autographed by a top student intern," though Trudeau promised to "upgrade" this prize -- meaning he'll probably sign the strip himself.

David Stanford, whose title is "duty officer of the Doonesbury Town Hall," said most of the National Guard veterans responding so far say "just locate the morning reports." Stanford, referring to the 1,100 responses, added: "As someone who compulsively hits 'send and receive' every 10 minutes, it has been a rewarding week."

When's the contest deadline? "We haven't decided yet. Might be open-ended through the election," replied Trudeau, whose comic runs in 1,400-plus papers via Universal Press Syndicate.

Trudeau had one more comment about the contest: "We're hoping the public-spirited nature of this project will buy us some good will, which we may need when we move the studio to Bangalore this June."

And speaking more about his desire to disperse the money Bush's tax cuts sent his way, Trudeau said: "I've always wanted to take back our country from the special interests, and now I can afford it. I've been writing checks to almost everyone, which apparently entitles me to a tsunami of campaign spam. I'm having the time of my life."