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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

to our readers Comic strip includes ‘inappropriate’ image

The Spokesman-Review

Today’s “Doonesbury” comic strip unfortunately depicts a man’s head on a platter in a panel that was created and printed weeks before the recent release of a videotape showing an American’s beheading by Iraqi militants.

The Spokesman-Review’s Sunday comics section is printed in Pomona, Calif., and the distributors of the “Doonesbury” comic strip did not notify newspapers of today’s content until it was too late to make a change. Any change in the Sunday comics normally requires a three-week notice to the printers.

Garry Trudeau, creator of “Doonesbury,” issued a statement of regret last week when newspapers learned of the controversial panel. “I regret the poor timing, and apologize to anyone who is offended by an image that is now clearly inappropriate,” Trudeau said.