Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for April 26, 1981

Transcript:

Zonker: Ah, opening day... Think I'll overdo it. Mark: So how's the new tanning season shaping up this year, Zonk? Zonker: Not so good, Mark. Reagan's new budget cuts have thrown the whole industry into turmoil. Mark: How so? Zonker: The National Endowment for the Arts has been forced to cut off all tanning fellowships, nearly 1000 apprentice tannists are going to be pounding the sand this summer looking for sponsors. It's a setback of tragic dimensions. It's not so bad for established professionals like myself, who can fall back on endorsements and coaching, but it's a disaster for people just breaking in. What Reagan's done is throw a whole generation of amateur tannists out on the boardwalks. Hundreds of middle-class kids, who saw tanning as a way out of the suburbs, will now probably turn to drugs or business school! Mark: Wow. That's awful... What about private funding? Zonker: George Hamilton's only one man. He can't do the job alone.