Quotes from Garry Trudeau

I don't think so, but it's always in the back of my mind that many of the soldiers being wounded and killed in Iraq are about the same age as my kids. My godson is going over soon, so the war's about to get personal for me.

The strips about the military do seem to provoke moving and thoughtful responses. It's nice when the strip resonates, but more importantly, I need to know when I'm getting something wrong. The last thing I want to do is contribute to the suffering that wounded warriors already endure.

I've been trying for some time to develop a lifestyle that doesn't require my presence.

Humor can inform and break down stigma, which is a huge issue in the military.

I've never taken any issue off the table for lack of suitability. Only for lack of imagination.

Well, it's a humor strip, so my first responsibility has always been to entertain the reader... But if, in addition, I can help move readers to thought and judgment about issues that concern me, so much the better.

When you're young, with less on the line, it's easier to be audacious, to experiment. So I introduced the concerns of my generation - politics, sex, drugs, rock-and-roll, etc. - to the comics page, which for many years caused a rolling furor.

Medical decisions have been politicized. What doctor wants a state legislator in his consulting room?

America: the only country in the world where failing to promote yourself is regarded as being arrogant.

Satire is a form of social control, it's what you do. It's not personal. It's a job.

When you're young, you don't feel iconoclastic - you're just kind of doing what seems natural, what moves you.

In Palm Springs, they think homelessness is caused by bad divorce lawyers.

Humor can inform and break down stigma, which is a huge issue in the military.

Comic strips are like a public utility. They're supposed to be there 365 days a year, and you're supposed to be able to hit the mark day after day.

I just happen to have one of those skill sets that allows me to work in my underwear.

Having stretched the boundaries some, I'm perfectly content now to work within them. 'Doonesbury' doesn't need to become 'South Park.' You won't ever see any singing turds.

Well, it's a humor strip, so my first responsibility has always been to entertain the reader... But if, in addition, I can help move readers to thought and judgment about issues that concern me, so much the better.

I try not to second-guess editors; they're the clients, and I have no expectation that my strip is going to make it into every paper every day.

Coming up with ideas is really hard - they don't spontaneously pop into my head while I'm cutting vegetables.

I'm never happier than when I'm not working. The strip is a job - that's why I take money for it. It's a job I'm passionate about, but it's a job I totally leave in the studio when I walk out of here, unless I'm late and I have to work at home. I never think of the strip unless I'm compelled to.

The systematic dismantling of reproductive rights, much like the takedown of collective bargaining, has been taking place in full view.

In any event, it's not exactly a secret to regular readers what my views on the war are.

America is one of the few places where the failure to promote oneself is widely regarded as arrogance.

Freedom should always be discussed within the context of responsibility.