Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for January 13, 2013

Ya gotta be in it for the Big Picture !

Kids???! How, exactly, and with whom?

Is this Sunday strip a flashback? It can’t be a rerun, since it’s copyrighted ©2013, which would be January of this year at the oldest.

So if it’s a flashback, then how come this younger, earlier, college-age Jeff is so idealistic?

And Zip is even more idealistic than Jeff! He wants to “be changing the way people LIVE!” I can’t believe this! Even though Clark Kent is absolutely right: he’s “delusional”!

And not only can I not believe this, I’m confused. Terribly so.

Help!

“Funny such ideas just aren’t on demand.”

Funny you should say that, Night-Gaunt. In fact, Einstein came up with his idea for general relativity by daydreaming about riding or flying alongside a light-beam (or a photon) at the speed of light. He wasn’t thought of as much in university. Even with his newly minted PhD he couldn’t find a job in Europe as a university prof! And he had to come up with his “fool idea” (first special, then general relativity) AS A LOWLY PATENT CLERK IN SWITZERLAND and in his spare time! Go figure! And figure! And then figure some more!

Has this student been introduced? How is he then suddenly a confident of Zipper Harris? And who is this so-called “just some student” in the world of the 30-year-old Jeff of the here and now? If you’re really right, then something is seriously amiss with this comic strip.

Nose is all wrong for it to be Jeff.

Doesn’t look anything like Jeff. And I don’t think Zipper wants to change peoples’ lives so much as come up with a get-rich-quick scheme.

Not all gingers look alike. You’re being… um… hair colorist?

Can’t be Jeff, he is too tall, he has a different face, and he is planning on getting a job sometime in the future.

Yes, there is more than one redhead in the scheme of things – this is not Jeff at all. Since Zip is a college “lifer” (I forget the proper term) he will always be around the campus. Zipper is aware of the plans for Walden to turn into a for-profit university and the dean will humor him to keep him quite until the plans go though. At least that’s my take.

I see lots of snow there. Kids around here would be so thrilled if we were to get a bunch of that stuff!

Zip may know about the birds and bees, but one would have to wonder what female at Walden would be interested in somebody like Zip… Someone just as clueless as Zip? That sounds like a scary thought…

New character? Definitely not Jeff, who is no longer in school (and probably still in bed). Not a rerun, too topical.

They are BOTH delusional! Engineer guy thinks he’s going to find a job? lololol

There are three kinds of engineers; 1/ a person that works down at the train-yard.2/ a person that runs the boards at the local TV station.3/ a person who designs things we live in, drive or ride.

Not Jeff. No sunglasses.

Zipper is planning of having kids? I was unaware he had a steady … anything! Other than being a steady student….

What’s that framed gizmo in last panel that looks like a mirrored medicine cabinet outdoors?

“Based just upon statistical probability – guess which one is a Democrat and which is a Republican.”

Based just on statistical probability, they’re both college-educated so they’re probably both Democrat.

“… Jeff finally woke up and decided to return to school to learn to do something useful. Y’think?? ….”

Like letting his hair grow longer?

An engineer out walking his dog.. See all the burrs the poor dog picked up in a field.. Velcro..

Ideas are not in demand until some one thinks of one and puts it to good use.

Actually, Zipper is closer to the truth than he realizes…

The Zip character is not one of Trudeau’s best concepts.

Hey, I know. The ‘Pet Rock’! No, wait, that’s been done.

“How about someone to explain the BENGHAZI COVER-UP???”

Fearest thou not, Calimesa Jim! The one happiest to explain it all to thee would Zipper be.

@DTπ – This is a new strip-@mabrndt – You are probably correct about the Ginger being the same character as the one in the December 12, 2010 strip.

Are there more than two?

Wait, why is BD back in college with two legs, no helmet, a different hair color, a new face, and a totally different character? Silly cartoonist!

Hair is too red for Jeff also.

When a strip is a repeat, it says “FLASHBACK” on the left hand side at Doonesbury.com. Here is an example of a strip from 12/30/2012 that was originally run in 2011:http://doonesbury.slate.com/strip/archive/2012/12/30-This strip today on Doonesbury.com does not say “FLASHBACK”:

http://doonesbury.slate.com/strip/archive/2013/01/13

“… this is not a repeat…..”

Repeat ≠ flashback. Two different things.

Nah, he can check a dictionary, online or off. Have you checked one?

All of you:This is not a flashback, a new student, or Jeff returned to school.This is Zipper’s new roommate for the year. I remember him from a few months ago. Roommates come and go, but Zip stays and stays.And I STILL don’t know who pays for his tuition!