Doonesbury, March 14, 1991
A prized possession: A classic “Uncle Duke” original strip from Doonesbury. Certainly, my favorite character from that strip. And a perfect gag for the over-the-top Duke.
Hunter Thompson, the incredible “gone” journalist (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, et al) and Uncle Duke had a love-hate connection. Duke was a hyper-exaggerated version of Thompson—boozy, wild, unhinged—who appeared from time to time in the strip. Legend has it that, at first, Thompson was cool with the characterization, maybe even flattered. But eventually, he became irritated, believing Duke made him look like a complete maniac. During a 1977 lecture at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Thompson commented that “some people grow up and want to be firemen, and some want to be president; nobody wants to grow up and be a cartoon character.”
Thompson also said he had no desire to meet Trudeau “because I might set the little bastard on fire.”
That said, toward the end of his life, Thompson reportedly told friends he had “made peace” with the Duke character, and the depiction no longer annoyed him.
And truly, Thompson and Duke will both live on a very long time.
