Today marks the 40^th anniversary of the popular Doonesbury comic strip, first published in 1970 by Garry Trudeau. Doonesbury’s origins lie in Trudeau’s undergraduate strip, Bull Tales, for the Yale Daily News. Trudeau first published Doonesbury shortly after graduating Yale College, where he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Record, and he continued at Yale, earning his MFA in graphic design in 1973.

To celebrate the milestone, Trudeau has appeared on NBC’s Today Show and NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss forty years in syndication of “some of the most memorable characters ever sketched”: B.D., Zonker, Joanie Caucus, Mark Slackmeyer, and, of course, Mike Doonesbury. Meanwhile, Brian Walker, author of the new Doonesbury and the Art of G.B. Trudeau, has contributed an adapted piece for Slate.com, accompanied by a slideshow of Trudeau’s art, and the site features tributes from several others, including Gail Collins, and “Doonesbury’s 200 Greatest Moments.”

Next Wednesday, November 3, look for both Walker and Trudeau to appear at the Yale Barnes & Noble for a book signing from 12:30 – 1:30pm and a talk at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at 5:15pm. Both events are free and open to the public.

If you’re a Doonesbury fan, be sure to grab a copy of Walker’s book and check out the accompanying Facebook page for more updates.