When Cartoons Offend: Controversial Comic Strips Then and Now—PICTURES

By National Journal staff

Updated: March 16, 2012 | 7:33 a.m.
March 12, 2012 | 6:58 p.m.

The comic strip Doonesbury is taking heat from conservative publications after author Garry Trudeau recently penned a series of strips regarding the Texas law that requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before the procedure. The strip will have six installments, starting March 12 and continuing for the following six days. It depicts a woman going through the procedure, from the mandatory ultrasound, the requirement that doctors describe the fetal image, and the 24-hour waiting period after the exam. We take a look at other comics that were considered controversial in their time.

Here is an excerpt from the aforementioned Doonesbury comic stirring up controversy. (Doonesbury)

Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis said the publication of this Garfield strip on Veteran's Day was "the worst timing ever." The strip depicts a spider about to be squished claiming that if he's killed, a holiday will be dedicated to him. The end of the cartoon depicts a classroom celebrating "National Stupid Day." Davis, whose brother served in Vietnam and whose son is a Marine, said he wrote the panel nearly a year before. (Associated Press)

A cartoon, unearthed by BuzzFeed, is the subject of a letter-writing initiative from 1969. The cartoon depicts a black student speaking to two white students; a controversial depiction at a time when school integration was still up for debate. (BuzzFeed)

This isn't the first time Doonesbury has faced controversy. In 1979 the strip was censored after several newspapers thought it crossed the line. The strip satirized the relationship of then-Gov. Edmund G. Browne Jr. and his ties with an alleged crime figure. (Spokane Chronicle)

Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.