Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for June 30, 2014

Pago Pago will never be the same.

Look out McArthur!

Ah, Duke’s back. This is before Honey came into the picture?

I forget how much we learned about American Samoa from this story line, but at that time we did appoint the Governors without regard for their attitude toward the Samoan people..

Still, the Samoans were reluctant to holding elections for governor because their culture demanded favoritism to family. Their first elected governor (IIRC) was Samoan, but without any family to favor.

One of my favorite Duke stories is when he and Honey started up Rusty Nail Charters to take tourists to watch the Falklands War. His navigation was way off; they shipwrecked on one of the Texas barrier islands (Matagorda Island near the Aransas Nat’l Wildlife Refuge, I believe). Even Gilligan had better GPS.

Folks thought about GPS when they realized they could tell was Sputnik was and that if they knew where Sputnik was they could tell where they were.

Bring on Lava Lava Lenny! I was overseas when this first ran so it’s a real treat to see it now.

This stint has one of my favorite Doonsebury lines: “I’m a reasonable man MacArthur, so I know this isn’t snow.”

Like he said, Gilligan still had better GPS

We all know he was being tongue-in-cheek, and that GPS wasn’t AVAILABLE to Gilligan. Rest assured, it had been thought of at the time the Minnow met its doom. GPS was conceived in the 60s, and actually developed in 73.

My resume is pitiful too, but if my pic is fab, I’m happy.

Before GPS, there was SatNav. I was on a boomer in the 80s that had it; couldn’t hit a gnat’s butt in Roosha with a missile unless you knew where you were shooting from.

The ancient mariners had a star navigation system.

Of course people do that. That’s what Expression of Interest postings allow – people to ask to be picked.

Oh, boy, time to go inflict some improvements… .One of my favorite phrases, coined by MacArthur.

In real life offices like that are sold to the highest bidder — but it’s perfectly legal, because the payment isn’t an illegal bribe. It’s a legal campaign contribution.

What is the deal here with going retro? I hate it.

Yes, it’s an elective office now. This is an old comic strip.

There are still many other offices that are sold to the highest bidder.