Dude: The Big Book of Zonker

by G.B. Trudeau

This breathtaking volume boldly, cheerfully, and blankly stares back across the stunningly mellow life and times of Zonker Harris. From his Californian-American roots to his legendary status as surfer, nanny, and former sun god, his career trajectory has unfailingly carried him ever deeper into the homegrown heart of the American daydream. A puddle-plumbing denizen of Walden Commune, Harris spent his formative years as a bodaciously freaked-out college student. His innovative decoding of the rites and rituals of the burgeoning counterculture put him on the cover of Time . Forced by a strategic oversight to graduate from college, Harris blazed a path to glory on the pro tanning circuit. His triumph in the George Hamilton Cocoa-Butter Open set a high watermark for the sport.

Family values led Harris to devote considerable time to helping his stunned parents refill their empty nest. Extended-family values propelled him into a career as a professional nanny, in which capacity he has indeed taught the children well--especially Sam, who was surfing the long board while still in diapers. Later, leveraging his political cluelessness, Zonker served on the disastrous Duke2000 presidential campaign. A devoted foot soldier in the war against AIDS suffering, Zonk is held in high regard among SoCal's medical marijuana community for the efficacious potency of his magic brownies. Unfazed by worldly success, he remains a true and gentle freak. After all, he humbly notes, I am but one dude. 

Genres: Humor, Comics

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

Garretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip. In 1970, Trudeau's creation of Doonesbury was syndicated by the newly formed Universal Press Syndicate. Today Doonesbury is syndicated to almost 1,400 newspapers worldwide and is accessible online in association with Slate Magazine at doonesbury.com. In 1975, he became the first comic strip artist to win a Pulitzer, traditionally awarded to editorial-page cartoonists. He was also a Pulitzer finalist in 1990. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1977 in the category of Animated Short Film, for A Doonesbury Special, in collaboration with John Hubley and Faith Hubley. A Doonesbury Special eventually won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Special Prize in 1978. Other awards include the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) Newspaper Comic Strip Award in 1994, and the Reuben Award in 1995. He was made a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1993. Wiley Miller, fellow comic-strip artist responsible for Non Sequitur, called Trudeau "far and away the most influential editorial cartoonist in the last 25 years." In addition to his work on Doonesbury, Trudeau has teamed with Elizabeth Swados and written plays, such as Rap Master Ronnie and Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy. In 1988, Trudeau joined forces with director Robert Altman for the HBO miniseries Tanner '88 and the Sundance Channel miniseries sequel Tanner on Tanner in 2004. In 1996, Newsweek and The Washington Post speculated that Trudeau wrote the novel Primary Colors, which was later revealed to have been written by Joe Klein. Trudeau wrote the political sitcom Alpha House, starring John Goodman and Bill Murray. The pilot was produced by Amazon Studios and aired in early 2013. Due to positive response Amazon has picked up Alpha House to develop into a full series.

Reviews

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Winner is wild

The focus of the book of comic strips is one Zonker Harris. In this book you are introduced to characters of Doonesbury with Zonker as the star. Are the strips funny, yes if you like a satirical look at the world. These strips when first published in the newspapers in America not well liked in some places. In fact some papers went so far as to say they needed to be on the editorial page as they were political cartoons. While other papers buried the strips back in the classified section of the paper. All this because these strips were controversial to some people, they had fans so.they ran. So if you want a look at what was scaring the conservatives back a.few years this is the place to look.

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I read about Mooner in Janet Evanovich's books I am reminded of Zonker.

[Scott Butki]

I'm a long time doonesbury fan and read all of his books up until about a few years ago - i'm catching up with the last few years' worth via the library and local bookstores. I did an interview here with an author who wrote a book about Doonesbury style of satire
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2010...-

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Doonesbury fan from way back, and Zonker has always been my favorite character. This collection is all Zonker- what's not to love? A wonderful retrospective. I'd forgotten the lottery win, for instance- which enabled him to buy Uncle Duke's zombiefied self as well as Zonk's shiny new title. And the early nannying days! Not to mention the classic football huddles. I loved every panel.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never followed Doonesbury, though I frequently enjoyed the odd occasion when the strip fell beneath my glance. This book must be quintessential beach reading, which made it psychologically medicinal in the New England winter. Odd flashes of nostalgia when I read strips which I remembered reading back when they were first published.