Nick
Nick, you owe Gary an apology. Here are the facts about how the strip is produced from Gary's FAQ site. ---BBB
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/faqs/faq_cs.html
Q: I've heard that GBT no longer draws Doonesbury. True?
A: False. The strip is currently being produced the same way it has been for over 26 years. Trudeau writes the strip alone, and then does tight pencil drawings. The drawings are then either shipped or faxed to his assistant Don Carlton, who traces over Trudeau's finished drawings in ink. The rumor that Trudeau no longer draws the strip was started by Entertainment Weekly. When the magazine subsequently learned that the writer of the piece had wildly exaggerated Carlton's role, it printed a retraction and apology. By then, of course, the damage had been done, proving once again that a lie does indeed circumnavigate the globe before the truth can get its pants on. The irony of the episode was that after years of being blamed for the artwork in Doonesbury, Trudeau suddenly found himself unable to get credit for it.
Q: When a computer shows up in the strip it is usually a Mac. Does Trudeau compose cartoons directly on a Mac? Or does he use old-fashioned pencils?
-- H.R.H. Jock Yellot, Charlottesville, VA
A: Trudeau uses a new-fashioned, .5 mm automatic pencil to draw the strip. His tight drawings are then inked in by longtime assistant Don Carlton. Sundays are scanned and colored using Photoshop on a Mac.
Q: Should an assistant on the strip, such as Doonesbury's Don Carlton, get co-creator credit?
A: Traditionally, many comic strip artists from Walt Kelly to Mort Walker have employed assistants, but since their contributions--invaluable as they may be--are largely technical in nature, assistants are not considered creators. The creator of the comic strip is the person who writes the strip and draws the art. Usually, those roles are combined by the same person, but some strips, like The Wizard of Id, have two creators. The assistant who provides technical support, whether as inker or editor or researcher, is not regarded as a creator, because he or she is not actually involved in the task of imagining the content or look of the strip.
Q: In its earliest years, the strip was dissed by many cartoonists for being graphically static. The cruel joke was that GBT drew one panel, photocopied it three times, then added dialogue. Nowadays the strip abounds in the use of silhouettes, shifting 'camera angles,' and other cool 'toon techniques. Any truth to the rumor that during his '80s sabbatical, GBT spent a lot of time woodshedding, developing his chops?
--Stephen H., Charlottesville, VA
A: None. In its early incarnation, Doonesbury was given a deliberately static style--the idea being that this would keep the focus on ideas, not artwork (an emphasis pioneered by a strong influence, Jules Feiffer). Each panel was, in fact, drawn separately, and no photocopies were used, except on one Sunday strip in the mid '70s. The downside of this approach, of course, was tedium at the drawing board. There was no re-tooling of style during the sabbatical, but a few years after his return, GBT finally got fed up and transitioned into a more conventional multiple-perspective format.
Q: I would like to know if GBT makes sure there is always a distinct change in the artwork within each strip. I don't know when I first noticed this trend, but I have been able to find it every time I come across the strip. Is this a secret habit GBT has--to always have one small change in the drawing of the strip?
--Kyle A., Columbus, OH
A: The tiny changes in the artwork were initially introduced as a way to relieve the monotony of four repeating panels. After GBT switched to a more traditional multi-perspective format in the late '80s, the device was abandoned. Any inconsistencies in the artwork in recent years are the result of pure sloppiness.
Q: When did GBT first use Zipatone to add grays to the artwork? Is he now using a digital equivalent?
--Peter C., Woodberry Forest, VA
A: The first Zipatone screen showed up in 1972. For the following year and a half, the Zipatone was usually a diagonal line pattern intended to mimic the original hand-drawn shading technique. In early 1974, the screen that is still in use was introduced. Since then there has been only one other screen added -- the gradated pattern, used first in late 1988. The screens are not applied digitally.
Q: Will GBT ever draw the strip on a computer?
A: No. The feel of graphite on 100% rag paper is too sensuous to forswear for the sake of modernity.
Q: Do you draw the White House all over again each time you use it, or do you recycle old pictures? How long does it take to draw a White House panel?
-- Stan Beck, Knoxville, TN
A: Each White House view -- indeed, each panel of Doonesbury -- is an original. The length of time it takes to draw one varies, depending on the level of detail involved, GBT's caffeine intake, and whether or not he's distracted by Letterman.
Q: Is it just me, or does the artwork look subtly different now? Are you trying something new? It looks pretty cool.
-- Kris Verdeyen, Houston, Texas
A: Thanks for noticing. The line artwork hasn't changed, but the Sundays are no longer colorized using traditional methods (assigning colors from a chart and letting the printer fill them in). Beginning with the 12/9/01 strip we now use Photoshop on a Mac to create subtle and elegant palettes, using "dirty" colors and more gradations. Going digital also allows us to work outside the boundaries of the black line (note the vapor exhalations on 12-23), and change some of the black line art to color to create a more 3-D effect (see 12-16). New colormaster is Design Monster's George Corsillo, longtime special projects collaborator, who last worked with GBT on the "Doonesbury@Starbucks" literacy project.
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