The cast of the comic strip Doonesbury. Due to the sheer number of characters and the frequent overlap between Cast Herds, the characters are divided by the decade they were introduced, with the exception of the original core cast.
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Walden Communune Alumni
Michael "Mike" Doonesbury
The main character of the strip for most of its run, Mike started out as a student at Walden and Casanova Wannabe and later turned into Walden Commune's voice of reason. After college he married J.J. and worked as a New York Adman, until he lost his job and J.J. left him. Mike then moved to Seattle with his daughter Alex, met and married second wife Kim Rosenthal and is currently running the website MyVulture.com with Kim.
- Author Avatar: As Trudeau himself put it: "Yes, dammit, I'm the model for Michael."
- Bumbling Dad: To Alex, but an exceptionally good dad.
- Casanova Wannabe: During the strip's first few months and the original Bull Tales strips.
- Characterization Marches On: He started out as a CasanovaWannabe in Truedeau's college strip Bull Tales before becoming the strip's OnlySaneMan. Growing up can do that to you.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Had to go through many difficult years - an unhappy marriage with J.J., a horrible job, unemployment, J.J. running out on him. Then he got a job with his college lab partner Bernie in Seattle and met Kim. Even then, he still had to fire most of Kim's friends as layoffs, deal with Kim moving to Paris and then breaking up with him, and Alex deleting the E-Mails saying so, and finally reconciliation with Kim, just to get to somewhere resembling a happy ending.
- Good Parents: A loving and supportive father to his daughter, Alex.
- Happily Married: To Kim, his second wife.
- May–December Romance: He is considerably older than Kim.
- Only Sane Man: In stark contrast to some of the strip's more outrageous characters, such as Zonker and Uncle Duke.
- Out of Focus: Most of his screen-time's gone to his daughter Alex. Lampshaded when he (almost) officially passes the strip over to her.
- Protagonist Title: His surname is also the name of the comic strip.
- Straight Man: To his friends' crazier antics.
B.D.
The star quarterback, and hardcore conservative, at Walden and Mike's roommate in the beginning. Enlisted in The Vietnam War to get out of a term paper and has been in every war since. Has been in a relationship with Boopsie since her introduction and married her in the early nineties. Wore a helmet of some kind constantly until 2004, when he got his leg shot off in Iraq and lost the helmet at the same time. Currently works as Walden's Football coach.
- Blood Knight: Really really loved combat and was especially brutal during his time in the ROTC.
- Character Development: Has mellowed out with time.
- A Father to His Men: To the point where he was planning to go to Germany to be by Toggle's side after Toggle was injured in Iraq. This is also true as a coach.
- Happily Married: To Boopsie, though their relationship did have its downer moments, such as fooling around with a female officer in Iraq.
- Heroic BSoD: He went through a realistic version of this after losing his leg, becoming irritable and relying heavily on alcohol. He eventually went to therapy and got through it.
- Jerkass: For a good portion of time. He eventually mellowed out to become a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
- My God, What Have I Done?: For a while after entering therapy, B.D was reluctant to talk about his service in Iraq. He eventually opened up an revealed that he had been harboring a lot of guilt from an incident where he ordered the driver of his HMMWV drive through a crowded street in order to escape an ambush, which resulted in innocent civilians getting caught in the crossfire.
- Never Bareheaded: For a long time, he would always be wearing some kind of helmet (usually a football helmet or soldier helmet), even in bed. This ended in 2004, when he was injured in Iraq and has now been bareheaded ever since. He later reveals during a therapy session that he always wore helmets because his mother was neurotic about safety.
- Only Known by Initials: To the point where not even his wife knows what B.D. actually stands for.
- Officially his last name is "D"; he's specifically answered this when asked on at least one occasion. One website even gave his daughter's name as "Samantha D".
- Parental Substitute: Acts as a father figure to Toggle, a young injured soldier with a stutter he met in Iraq.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Was this for a while, after losing his leg.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: With Zonker and Mark during their Walden days. Now it's just Zonker, and even that's subsided in recent years.
- Strawman Political: The strip's token hardcore conservative. It is downplayed, though, as B.D. is by all means portrayed pretty sympathetically, especially later on, and has plenty of character traits outside of his political views.
- He's a conservative in the classical sense: He honestly believes in family values, small government, fiscal responsibility, strong defense etc.; he even tried to decline disability benefits on principle ("You know how I feel about handouts!") and relented only because his family needed the money. Over time, however, the reality of American conservatism, particularly at the highest echelons, forced him to take more nuanced positions, with the tipping point most likely being George W. Bush.
Mark Slackmeyer
Mark started off as a protester, but eventually segued into a hardcore liberal and DJ. Eventually moved on to NPR, where he works to this day. Later found out he was gay and started dating Chase, eventually marrying him until their divorce a few years ago.
- Coming-Out Story: Mark during the early days of the strip was quite the woman chaser, but he realized it was a cover for his attraction to men.
- Erudite Stoner: In the 70's. A later strip shows he's still doing this.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: As said below, he's the hardcore liberal son of a conservative. He's also gay.
- Out of Focus: Daily-wise. While he still gets quite a few Sunday strips, he's gotten few, if any, weeks dedicated to himself for the past couple of years.
- Strawman Political: The Radical Left.
- The Unfavorite: The hardcore liberal son of a conservative, and that was before he came out. His dad disowned him several times. It's subverted with his mother, who still loves him regardless of his political views.
Zonker Harris
A hippie who spent his 9 years at Walden avoiding graduation, tanning, and generally slacking off. After graduating, he mooched off of Mike and J.J. before enrolling in Baby Doc Medical College, before becoming Mike and J.J.'s live-in nanny. They eventually fired him after Mike lost his job and Zonker moved back in with his parents before moving in with B.D. and Boopsie as their nanny, where he remained for a good period time, although he was forced to get a job as a waiter to bring additional income to the house. These days he owns a (legal) cannabis farm with Zipper. He's also a lord after buying a lordship in the 80's.
- Breakout Character: He started as basically a one-joke foil for Mike and B.D., but quickly became popular (even getting one write-in vote in an Illinois gubernatorial election), and had his role greatly expanded as a result.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Due to being frequently high, he can be pretty spacey. Sometimes he has moments of intelligence regardless.
- Erudite Stoner: While he spends a lot of time in his own fantasy world, he seems pretty brainy regardless of how high he is.
- Fake Brit: He purchased a UK royal title and adopted a British accent he learned from listening to Monty Python's Flying Circus records.
- Granola Girl: Male version.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: A nice, stand-up stoner with blond hair.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: As he's gotten older.
- Parental Substitute: To Alex and Sam when their parents are working.
- Serious Business: Was a professional tannist at one point.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To B.D., though they mellowed out somewhat in later years.
- The Slacker: He stayed at college for 9 years by choice and tries to avoid working at any cost.
- Still Believes in Santa: In an early strip, Mike relates to Zonker how he cried when he found out as a child that there was no Santa. He starts to ask Zonker how old he was when he learned, but Zonker interrupts by bawling right then and there.
- The Stoner: His main trait during the Walden years, which was very controversial and edgy for a comic strip in The '70s.
Barbara Ann "Boopsie" Boopenstein
A cheerleader and B.D.'s girlfriend. Became an actress after graduation, albeit in minor roles. Was originally incredibly ditzy but gradually matured over the years. Currently lives at Walden with B.D., their daughter Sam and (formerly) Nanny Zonker.
- Alliterative Name: Barbara Ann "Boopsie" Boopenstein.
- Character Development: Went from The Ditz to a dependable mother, wife, and counterpoint to B.D.
- The Ditz: Has grown out of it over time, especially after becoming a mother.
- Happily Married: To college sweetheart B.D., though it was not without its hiccups.
- The Heart: Is the usual go-to sounding board when B.D., Sam, or Zonker needs to talk about something, and often mediates disputes between them.
- Ms. Fanservice: In her movie career she becomes a sex symbol in universe, although most of the movies seem pretty bad.
- Only Sane Woman: Often the voice of reason for her husband, B.D.
- Superpowered Evil Side: Channeled the spirit of the ancient warrior Hunk-Ra up until her marriage to B.D. He was not the nicest person.
Joanie Caucus
A housewife who ran away from her husband and daughter and was picked up by Mike and Mark while the duo were on a road trip. A feminist, she brought feminism to the local day care center before moving on to Berkeley and getting a law degree. During this time she met her second husband, Rick, and had another child with him. She currently worked with Congresswoman Lacey Davenport until Lacey contracted Alzheimer's disease. Joanie has recently come out of retirement to guide Real Life Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's campaign.
- Intergenerational Friendship: An older woman who is friends with the oft-younger denizens of Walden Commune, Ginny, and her grandaughter Alex.
- Irony: After abandoning her daughter, J.J., and leaving her with issues, Joanie decided to atone for it by trying to be there for her son, Jeff, who would grow up to become a massive Cloudcuckoolander.
- Like Father, Like Son: Her daughter J.J. seems to have taken a page from her book when she abandoned Mike and Alex and married Zeke.
- Mama Bear: She's always ready to help the former residents of Walden Commune.
- May–December Romance: With Rick, her younger second husband.
- Meaningful Name: A Congressional assistant with the last name of Caucus
. - Odd Friendship: With Zonker and Alex.
- Older Than They Look: Is in her 70's, but looks to be only in her 50's or 60's.
- Sixth Ranger: Though it was decades ago, she was the only person to join the commune after it was founded.
- Team Mom: To the residents of Walden Commune, even long after she left.
Bernie
Mike's college lab partner who had a habit of making transformation potions, Bernie graduated and joined Apple before splitting off on his own and starting his own software company. He hired Mike and was the reason Mike moved to Seattle, and financed Mike's first business, Mikim Inc., for a while. He was also one of the founders of Walden Commune.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Eventually. He had no problem forcing Mike to do mass layoffs for him, outsourcing and other questionable tactics.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Averted. He got the funding for his business making a profit off of his morphing potions.
- Mad Scientist: In his first couple of appearances.
Introduced 1969-1979
Uncle Duke
Zonker's honorary Uncle who started out as a writer at Rolling Stone before moving on to Governor of American Samoa, then Ambassador to China and… well, so many other careers that it would take most of this page just to list. Duke will do anything to make money and has absolutely no moral compass and half the time no clue. He's also a massive drug fiend to the point where they barely affect him anymore. Currently working as a lobbyist with his son Earl.
- Bald of Evil: He was completely bald for a while after a stint as a zombie slave, but still has enough of a bald spot to qualify regularly.
- Breakout Character: He debuted in 1974 as a fairly one-dimensional Hunter S. Thompson parody, but the storylines where he became the governor of American Samoa and the US ambassador to China quickly turned him into a major character, even leading to a main role in the Doonesbury musical and a strip collection devoted to him (Action Figure: The Life and Times Of Doonesbury's Uncle Duke).
- Comic-Book Time: Unlike the other characters, he shows little sign of aging as the decades pass. Possibly justified by the weird things (such as being turned into a zombie) that happen to him and/or a side effect of the many drugs he's used.
- The Consigliere: At various times to Donald Trump, Jesse Ventura, and Oliver North. At other times he's been a dragon with Plausible Deniability.
- Even Evil Has Standards: As he is describing his latest Gambit Pileup to Zonker, it leads to this exchange:Zonker: Duke, why don't you just steal the money?
Duke: Point of pride. I've always worked within the system. - Evil Counterpart: His son Earl says Duke is like Forrest Gump's evil twin. That's not far off.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Duke is a thoroughly unscrupulous man who is always wearing sunglasses. In a flashback of his birth, Duke came out of his mother's womb wearing glasses, to the horror of the obstetrician.
- Functional Addict: Duke has indulged in all kinds of powerful and obscure drugs. He also consumes copious amounts of alcohol and marijuana, according to some strips.
- Gambit Roulette: Some times it works (sending a job application to the white house got him the governorship of Samoa, which eventually led to his stint as an ambassador) and sometimes it epically blows up in his face (buying cocaine to finance his John DeLorean biopic— from an undercover FBI Agent!).
- Honest John's Dealership: Most of his operations.
- Made of Iron: Duke has survived an assassination attempt, zombification, and shocking amounts of mind-altering drugs looking no worse for wear.
- New Job as the Plot Demands: As a Hunter S. Thompson parody, he began as a gonzo journalist, but eventually went through a dizzying array of jobs spanning several continents, most memorably as governor of American Samoa, US ambassador to China, an NRA lobbyist, the president of a medical college in Haiti (which led to him becoming a zombie slave), the owner of a nightclub in Kuwait, and an orphanage manager (which is how he met his son Earl).
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Based on gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, right down to living near Aspen, Colorado and contributing to Rolling Stone, though Thompson's death revealed Expy Coexistence (with Duke almost having an existential crisis after learning that Thompson died, while Honey couldn't understand why Duke thought he had any similarities to Thompson).
- Oblivious to Love: Honey adores him, but it's unclear if Duke doesn't know this or doesn't care.
- Overzealous Underling: While working on Jesse Ventura's staff, he interprets one of the Governor's rants about Garrison Keillor as a secret instruction to assassinate Keillor.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: John Denver.
- The Sociopath: He's devoid of empathy for others and has been involved in countless illegal and immoral activities over the decades. He likes Earl and Honey, but he doesn't care about their well-being.
Rick Redfern
Joanie's husband who was a writer for the Washington Post for most of the strip — until he was fired a few years ago for no particular reason. He's currently a blogger for the Huffington Post and is constantly frustrated with his son.
- Bumbling Dad: Before Jeff was even born. He became even worse from there.
- Butt-Monkey: Ever since losing his job as a Washington Post journalist. His son Jeff frequently didn't help matters, either.
- Foil: To Hedley. Whereas Hedley is presented as foolish, pursuing the "current trends" whatever they were - even back in The '70s - and incapable of introspection, Redfern is a dedicated reporter, digging up facts, interviewing sources, and getting the big scoops.
- Freudian Excuse: The reason for Rick’s lack of guilt over Jeff’s upbringing is that his own father was a completely Disappeared Dad; therefore Rick reasons that he must have done the better job.
- Intrepid Reporter: Was introduced in the 1970s covering the political beat, which is how he met Joanie during her work on Ginny's congressional campaign. Worked as a reporter for the Post until he was fired during the wave of downsizing that afflicted the print media as social media took over.
Roland Burton Hedley III
A reporter that initially worked with Time on an article about the current campus trends. He's since switched to network TV and Channel Hopped, eventually sticking with Fox News. He currently has a Twitter account, which he plugs at every opportunity.
- Character Blog: His Twitter is one.
- Insane Troll Logic: Especially during his tenure at Fox News
- Press Hat: He gets gifted a reporter hat when he becomes one. It has a note tucked into the crown of the hat.
Joan "J.J." Caucus Jr.
Joanie's daughter, who reappeared later on as freshman college student and was engaged to Zeke Brenner before breaking it off. She later married Mike and became a performance artist in New York, giving birth to their daughter Alex on live television. J.J. later left Mike and Alex and ran away with Zeke before eventually moving to Seattle with him. She later married Zeke.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: From her introduction, Rick noticed that she manipulated her mother's guilt for leaving and didn't like it. She averted this trope mostly during the years she was actually married to Mike, but since she left him for her old boyfriend, Zeke, most other major characters have shunned her. She wasn't even invited to Alex's wedding, although she managed to sneak in as a bartender.
- Hate Sink: In-universe, she isn't well-liked by Mike's close friends and associates due to cheating on him and later abandoning him and her daughter Alex for the sleazy Zeke.
- It's All About Me: Tries to make both Grandma Doonesbury's funeral and Alex's wedding all about her, making a big show about how much she'd forgiven Mike's mother in the former, and trying to make said wedding into a massive performance art piece. Not only that, but she out-and-out refuses to come because Alex happened to both choose Walden as a wedding location and then refuse to invite Zeke.
- Like Father, Like Son: Like her mother before her, she abandoned her husband and child to marry someone else.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: For Mike. Deconstructed in that the more eccentric parts of her personality are what eventually drove them apart.
- No Accounting for Taste: Zeke, both times.
- Parental Abandonment: Both ways. Her mother abandoned her for a life of her own, while she abandoned Alex. Subverted somewhat with the latter, as she later moved to Seattle where Alex lives.
- The Unfair Sex: Inverted. Her abandonment of her husband and child, no matter how rocky the marriage was, is looked on with disdain by everyone in the strip.
Honey Huan
Duke's translator during his tenure as ambassador, Honey fell in love with Duke and followed him to America and through the rest of his schemes. Eventually left him in 2005 and stayed behind to help with the clean-up of Hurricane Katrina. Worked for the Beijing Olympics Committee; most recently seen as a spokeswoman for the Chinese government, and later a Vice Minister in charge of various infrastructure projects.
- Abhorrent Admirer: From Duke's perspective.
- The Dragon: To Duke, whom she initially worked for as a translator.
- Dragon Ascendant: She's gone from being Duke's faithful doormat to being a high-ranking Chinese government official.
- Expy: Of Marcie from Peanuts, each being a bespectacled, intelligent, socially inept Love Martyr who serves as the (willing or unwilling) sidekick and foil to more outlandish individuals. note
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Honey is much more practical, grounded, and moral than Duke.
- Ms. Fanservice: Something of a surprising example. During the 1982 arc with Duke's Falkland Island War tour boat and consequent shipwreck she spent most of her time in a bikini, which Trudeau seemed to enjoy drawing.
- Odd Friendship: With J.J.
- Put on a Bus: Eventually left Duke, before recently resurfacing.
- Shipper on Deck: The only one who thinks J.J. and Zeke are an item.
- Tactful Translation: In her original capacity as Duke's translator.
- Translator Buddy: When she is originally introduced, she describes herself as just about the only person among China's billion-plus citizens who can understand Chairman Mao's speech, which has become almost completely unintelligible as a combined result of his stroke and his reversion to the obscure dialect of his rural birthplace. This led to a Tactful Translation episode when Mao ordered her on a Friday to have the Great Wall dismantled, but on Monday changed his mind and ordered it rebuilt again, and Honey was able to tell him it had been done.Honey: Actually, I spent the whole weekend watching TV. But he thinks I'm a genius.
Duke: In a way you are, Honey. - Unrequited Love: Loves Duke romantically. He just sees her as an Abhorrent Admirer.
Zeke Brenner
A stoner and complete layabout who worked as Duke's caretaker and was J.J.'s fiance until he burned down Duke's house when lighting up a joint. He later ran away with J.J. and eventually married her, to everyone else's displeasure.
- Evil Counterpart: To Zonker. Both make an art form out of trying not to work, but while Zonker is charming, provides a service to those he's mooching off of, avoids romance like the plague and is loyal to Duke and Mike, Zeke is a douchebag who sits around and begs for money, hits on women even after he got married to J.J., stabbed Duke in the back at the first opportunity, and stole Mike's wife without a hint of regret.
- The Load: In-universe, while Zonker generally helps out those he mooches off of, Zeke does none of that.
- Malicious Misnaming: Alex calls him "Uncle Stupidhead".
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: With Duke, whom he backstabbed, and Alex, who doesn't like him much and calls him "Uncle Stupidhead
- The Slacker: Like Zipper and Zonker, he doesn't make an effort to work, except he has less redeeming qualities than the first two.
Kim Rosenthal-Doonesbury
First introduced as the last baby airlifted out of Vietnam, she was adopted by the Rosenthals. She appeared again briefly in the '80s as an honor student dealing with racial issues before reappearing for good as a twenty-something tech wiz. Kim is a Gen-X programming genius and Mike's second wife.
- Adoptive Peer Parent: To her stepdaughter Alex, who is only around 13 years younger than her, and who was 8 when Mike remarried. Became Mum Looks Like a Sister when Alex got older.
- Good Parents: A loving stepmother to Alex, to the point where Alex herself calls her an "awesome stepmomster" in one strip.
- Happily Adopted: By the Rosenthals when she was younger.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: For Mike, even more than J.J. Unlike J.J., she's mostly Happily Married to Mike.
- May–December Romance: She was a baby while Mike was a college student in the '70s, for starters.
- Ms. Fanservice: One of the most attractive characters in the strip, as well as being an Asian computer nerd.
- Nerds Are Sexy: A tech wiz who is very easy on the eyes.
- Running Gag: When she was wearing a top with spaghetti straps, at some point in each strip, one would slide off a shoulder.
- Soapbox Sadie: When it comes to Nike.
- Second Love: For Mike.
- Speaks In Shoutouts: When she was a baby, she learned to speak by imitating advertising jingles, catchphrases and soundbites. The Rosenthals were attentive parents, though, and she grew out of it.
- Teen Genius: Well, she dropped out of MIT because it bored her.
- Totally Radical: Though toned down sometime after she and Mike got married.
- Wicked Stepmother: Averted. She and Alex have a better relationship than Alex does with her birth mother, J.J.
Lacey Davenport
A kindly old lady who worked as a Congresswoman. Lacey was a very nice lady who was fair, balanced, and honest to a fault, if a bit out of step with the times. She eventually had to leave the office when she contracted Alzheimer's. She eventually passed away and was reunited with her husband, Dick.
- Happily Married: To Dick.
- Killed Off for Real: One of the few characters who died during the strip's run.
- Never Mess with Granny: Well, she wasn't about to shoot up people, but she wasn't afraid to speak up when necessary and fearlessly dealt with a mobster and a contra, as well as some of her old friends without batting an eye.
Dick Davenport
A conservative just like his decades-long friend and later wife. Dick was always supportive of his wife and was an avid bird watcher. He died trying to get a picture of the rare Bachman's warbler, and managed to capture it in his final moments.
- Alliterative Name: Dick Davenport.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: As noted above he had a heart attack while he was alone trying to get shots of the bird. He then used his last bit of strength to get the shot.
- Killed Off for Real: The strip's first example.
Nguyen Van Phred
A terrorist during the Vietnam War where he met B.D.; after being stranded together with a beer cache the two became fast friends. After the war, Phred lobbied for his people before becoming the Vietnamese U.N. Ambassador. He later opened up a club in Vietnam in the 90's and gave tours before becoming head of a Nike factory.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Hasn't appeared since the late '90s.
- Face–Heel Turn: He went from helping with a legitimate business to running a sweatshop.
- Odd Friendship: With B.D., an American war veteran he got stranded with in Vietnam.
Virginia "Ginny" Slade
Joanie's roommate during college. Currently married to her long-term boyfriend, Clyde, and trying to keep him in check.
- Intergenerational Friendship: With Joanie.
- What Does She See in Him?: She even noticed how odd it was for a feminist to be dating a sexist like Clyde.
Clyde
Ginny's freeloading boyfriend and later husband. Eventually founded his own successful cookie company and ran against Lacey and lost. Later took Lacey's position after she stepped down, but eventually lost it.
- Hypocrite: Ran against Lacey as a more conservative primary challenger by attacking her on a "War on Drugs" message and accusing her of being a drug addict... even though in the 70's he himself was a drug dealer.
- Jerkass: He was a bit of this in the 70's but got even worse in the 80's by basing his campaign on drug tests and trying to paint a 70-year-old woman as a drug addict.
- The Slacker: In the 70's.
Phil Slackmeyer
Mark's dad. The exact opposite of his son, Phil was a cold-hearted businessman who fully embraced his greed. Eventually divorced Mark's mother and then got remarried four times. He eventually died with Mark by his side.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: While his business career wasn't mentioned much in the early years of the strip, he was hired into the Reagan administration in the 1980s as a consultant who pushed Reagan's business-friendly tax cuts. He quickly got hired back onto Wall Street as the CEO of a small business who then tried to pull a hostile takeover of another public company
even though his cousin was CEO there. After getting betrayed by another strip's character - Jim Andrews - who was an even more corrupt executive, Slackmeyer finds his way to an investment trading firm for a few years before he's exposed dealing with Ivan Boesky and gets sent to jail for insider trading. - Evil Counterpart: To Mark.
- I Have No Son!: Tried to disown him a lot early in the strip. Towards the end of his life, stating that he had never approved of anything Mark did and that Mark had been a constant disappointment actually brought Phil closure.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: The conservative straight father of the liberal and gay Mark.
- Odd Friendship: With Alice, a homeless woman.
Alice Schwartzman
A homeless woman who befriended Rick. She later befriended Lacey, who mistook Alice for her long-dead sister.
- Only Sane Woman: During her time with Lacey, as Lacey was going through Alzheimer's, Lacey's friend Jeremy was dysfunctional and Elmont was insane.
Andy Lippincot
A man Joanie had a crush on until he revealed to her he was gay. They remained on good terms. He eventually contracted AIDS and died a few months after. Later returned as a ghost to reveal Mark's latent homosexuality to the latter.
- Gallows Humor: He cracked a lot of jokes about his terminal illness, which some thought were insensitive by Trudeau, before friends of AIDS victims spoke up and said that there was Truth in Television in that most AIDS patients had the same attitude and cracked wise about their condition.
- Killed Off for Real: Died of AIDS a few months after contracting it during the strip's run.
- Spirit Advisor: To Mark, who came out as gay thanks to his advice.
- Straight Gay: Joanie had no idea that he was gay during the brief period that they were "dating."
Sid Kibitiz
Supposed Hollywood super agent, Sid first appeared trying to help Duke make a John Delorean Biopic before settling in as Boopsie's agent.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: As noted below he's full of himself, but he's actually manged to keep Boopsie's career going and even had the foresight to make a digital copy of her in her prime so she'd get likeness rights far into the future, royalties she's still pulling in today.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Thinks he's the best agent who ever lived and even once tried to get a director to rewrite Hamlet.
Jimmy Thudpucker
A singer and activist who started out in the strip during the 70's, retired early, and then made a comeback during the 80's. Currently a Cell Phone ring tone artist and file sharing activist.
- Composite Character: Basically a hybrid of people like Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne and Louden Wainwright III.
- Happily Married: Since his introduction.
Introduced 1980-1989
Jeremy Cavendish
A birdwatcher and friend of the Davenports.
- Cloudcuckoolander: "Genuinely strange" by his own admission.
- Comforting the Widow: Averted. He tries repeatedly to romance Lacey Davenport after Dick's death, but never comes close to succeeding.
Elmont
Jeff Redfern
Joanie and Rick's son, he started out as a gifted little boy who eventually enrolled in Walden at 17 once the college stopped requiring a High School Education. Eventually became Zipper's best friend and the two participated in zany schemes together until graduation. Jeff didn't do much after that, after flunking out of his CIA training, and eventually got back into the CIA in a desk job. He eventually rose out of it by making a name for himself as the legendary Red Rascal while doing nothing at all, eventually landing him a mercenary job before he was fired from it. A book deal followed, along with a massive payday, but Jeff soon found himself back with his parents.
- Butt-Monkey: For all of his Freudian Excuses, Jeff never seems to catch a break. Even the psychological effects of his capture by the Taliban are glossed over as comedic, or at any rate serve to simply irritate some readers.
- Child Prodigy: Was found to be “gifted” at four years old.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Lives in his head to cope, and gets along well with Zipper. He often misinterprets things in a comical way.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: As the Red Rascal.
- Freudian Excuse: There are plenty of strips out there that pretty much explain why he is as he is now.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Went from a simple slacker to the smug perpetrator of a massive ruse. Subverted later on, as he goes back to being a harmless moron, albeit one with a book deal.
- Genius Ditz: He’s actually quite intelligent, at one point being recruited for the football team due to a 4.0 grading average.
- Humiliation Conga: Among some readers. After becoming a bestselling author, making millions of dollars from his Red Rascal stories, he loses his mega mansion…to his father’s barely-contained glee. Furthermore, Joanie told him that he'd have to start paying rent, helping around the house and acting like a real writer if he wanted to move back home.
- Jerkass: Constantly gloated about his successes to his unemployed, patronizing journalist father. He is also rather blunt, and his social skills are not too great, which leads him to make Innocently Insensitive remarks at best.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Is truly a decent guy at heart, and can be quite friendly and polite to others. He just lives in a world of his own due to making much of his decisions on his own, and is often bitter towards his parents, especially Rick.
- The Slacker: Likely from being under-stimulated at school.
- Those Two Guys: With Zipper.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Sometimes.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Constantly trying to prove his worth to Rick, but not in a nice way.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Gets this from his parents on a regular basis.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Was basically his life during his formative years.
Introduced 1990-1999
Alex Doonesbury
Mike and J.J.'s daughter. She started out as a nameless baby but around the time J.J. left graduated into Mike's precocious computer wiz daughter, which stuck throughout her teen years. Currently a post-grad at M.I.T. and has recently married war veteran Toggle and has two sons by him.
- Breakout Character: To the point where she was granted her father's role as main character.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Though not to violent levels, she gets crazy paranoid about any other woman and Toggle (barring his mother), especially Drew, even if there's nothing there.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Though not as bad as some of the other characters, but it's there.
- Give Geeks a Chance: She's a computer whiz who only had one boyfriend before she met, dated, and married Toggle.
- Happily Married: To Toggle.
- Like Father, Like Son: Both Alex and her stepmom Kim are attractive computer whizzes who become Happily Married to their respective men (Toggle, Mike).
- Nerds Are Sexy: Despite having only one boyfriend before Toggle, Alex is reasonably attractive.
- No Name Given: As a baby.
- Parental Abandonment: J.J. ran out on her and her father Mike for the sleazy Zeke, though it's eventually subverted when J.J. moves to Seattle where Alex lives.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To Zeke, since she was a kid. To her, he's known as "Uncle Stupidhead".
- Teen Genius: A teenager who's skilled with computers.
- Totally Radical: As a kid.
Ray Hightower
B.D.'s war buddy since the gulf war and replacement after B.D. lost his leg. Recently sent home after taking multiple blasts. More at home on the battlefield than in civilian life.
- Blood Knight: Like B.D, he feels more at home on the battle field than he does at home.
Samantha "Sam" Boopenstien
B.D. and Boopsie's daughter.
- Companion Cube: Her Sarah Palin Action doll. She eventually gets rid of it along with all her other dolls.
- I Have No Son!: Inverted. She disowns B.D. as her father after he returns from helping Toggle the first time, due to the sheer amount of time he's been gone from her life.
- Precocious Crush: On Prince Harry.
Earl
Duke's son, he started off as another kid in the orphanage who DNA test confirmed was Duke's son and eventually ran off with his Dad for a while before disappearing. Later returned right after Duke lost Honey to bring his dad in on his Lobbying firm.
- Generation Xerox: Of his Dad, especially as a kid. He eventually grew into a smarter and less brain-fried version of his Dad.
- High-School Hustler: A kid version. He had a racket going at the orphanage.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Inverted when he first met Duke and Duke wasn't sure which of his former paramours was Earl's mom. Not even Earl excitedly recognizing his mom's name on one of Duke's tattoos could help him narrow it down.
- Straight Man: To Duke.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute
Introduced 2000-2009
Zipper Harris
Zonker's nephew who goes to a much more slacker-friendly Walden. Aspires to follow in his Uncle's footsteps. He surpassed his uncle's staying record and has became a tenured student, though he eventually left Walden and joined his uncle growing legal marijuana in Colorado.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Like Uncle, like Nephew.
- Generation Xerox: Of Zonker, though that was his goal.
- Those Two Guys: With Jeff.
- You Just Told Me: Pulls this on President King after revealing he'd told the students Walden might switch to being a for-profit college. When King asks if he knows they've decided to move to for profit, Zipper casually responds "I Do Now"
Leo "Toggle" DeLuca
A young soldier who sold CD mixes to other soldiers, he was hit by a mortar and ended up with expressive aphasia and an eye patch. He's currently working through his disorder, while going to college and working in the music industry. He and Alex are now married.
- And I Must Scream: Early on, as he couldn't talk at all (outside of a few words) at first. He eventually got better as he got more speaking ability and he's stuttering less and less.
- Character Development: Was a bit of a prick before the mortar blast hit him. The very reason for his accident was due to his own (back then) foolishness; listening to loud music on his iPod instead of paying proper attention to his surroundings.
- Happily Married: To Alex Doonesbury.
- Nice Guy: Became this after going through CharacterDevelopment in the form of Iraq and a physically disabling mortar blast.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Is prone to traumatic episodes of PTSD. One memorable strip had him experience a panic attack when a student in one of his classes mentioned he was an Iraqi refugee. Debatably Flanderization.
- Speech Impediment: H-h-his s-s-stutter.
- Stutter Stop: His speech impediment drops out on certain dramatic occasions, like once when he confronted an NRA group open-carrying at a restaurant. Truth in Television, as many stutterers can temporarily overcome the condition with intense concentration, though doing so is mentally exhausting which is why they don't do it for long periods.
Melissa Wheeler
A mechanic in the army who was raped by her commanding officer and dealt with it in therapy. With B.D. and her therapist's help, she eventually returned to command and was promoted.
- Berserk Button: Command Rape, after her horrendous experience with the matter.
- Broken Bird: Even years after the fact, she's still dealing with the emotional fallout from her sexual assault.
- Brutal Honesty: When dealing with a high school girl wanting to go into the military who asks her about sexual assault. More than jusitified given Melissa's past experince and the real dangers the girl would face.
- Character Development: Goes from a thoroughly Broken Bird to a well-respected commander. As of 2018, she's a member of the House of Representatives.
- Fiery Redhead: She's a redhead who doesn't take shit from anyone. She even drew down on her abuser in one instance when he walked in on her while she was checking her weapon, and she took a small satisfaction in making him feel as powerless as she had.
- Rape as Backstory: Was threatened with a stalled career unless she slept with her C.O., which is termed 'command rape'. As she puts it, she wasn't violently assaulted or coerced, but she was still unwilling.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Did this to Jeff a lot, albeit unintentionally.
Roz
Melissa's fellow mechanic and best friend. Came out a lesbian following the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Melissa.
- Innocently Insensitive: She's the one who delivers a message from their current commander that he wishes to see Mel in private, causing Mel to panic. Roz jokingly accuses Mel of having a crush on the (handsome) older man, and only later finds out it's because that's how her old C.O. began his manipulation of her. note
Elias
B.D's counselor at the Vet Center.
- Odd Friendship: Forms one with B.D. over time.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Stops BD right before he can leave after saying he can't leave behind some things about the war.
Drew
Alex's roommate at MIT and best friend. Has guys falling for her left and right.
- Dude Magnet: To Alex's irritation, especially since Drew doesn't seem to notice.
Introduced 2010-2019
Becca
Jeff's Publisher.
- Ship Tease: With Jeff
- Strictly Professional Relationship: There have been signs.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Urges Jeff to stop battling with his dad. She also did not appreciate him selling Roland Hedley an advanced copy of “The Rouge”. She is actually quite cordial with him ninety-nine percent of the time, and is absolutely his best female friend.
