‘Outland’ Mothballed

Although some events, terrible and disheartening, obviously overshadow the comics, one must indeed mourn the loss of two of the art form’s finest practitioners: Gary Larson and now, Berkeley Breathed (Jan. 14). Theirs is a unique talent to poke fun whimsically but to dispense truth. They function in another realm of creativity and knowledgeability to which most of us have no access except as recipients.

These cartoonists, together with Watterson, Hart, Wiley, Martin, to name only a few, are the liberal press. They keep the feelings of nonbelievers and those who do not buy into the party line and the current styles alive and prospering; they poke fun at almost any shibboleth, even1818845797writers.

As one of the few surviving liberals in the High Desert, I certainly will miss Breathed’s and Larson’s independent irreverence, the naughty raspberry they continually blow at society.

What’ll we do without “Outland” and “The Far Side”?

JULIE ST. VRAIN FRENCH

Victorville