If walls could talk, what would they say? The walls of Guilford’s art gallery, home this September to the exhibit “Doonesbury in a Time of War,” say a lot. As editorial cartoonist Garry Trudeau intended, these walls practically scream with stories of wounded soldiers, disturbed citizens, and political mistakes.The display, open to visitors 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Sundays, offers a guest book. Among the sprawling signatures lies enthusiastic commentary: “Doonesbury keeps me sane!” “Woot!”

Doonesbury’s blunt politics and subtle humor fit Guilford’s psyche exactly. After all, what better place to caution against war than a Quaker school?

The idea of endearing political cartoons is by no means a new one. Kyle Dell, assistant professor of political science, said, “Editorial cartoons have a long history in our country, stretching back to when we were still a part of England.”

The editorial cartoon has become an art form – one that Garry Trudeau has mastered.

He has expressed opinions on big business, Vietnam, the 1980s economy, and Bill Clinton, without limits and without shame. When Trudeau suggested, through Doonesbury, that presidential candidate Bob Dole politically exploited his war injury, Senator John McCain pronounced on the Senate floor, “Suffice it to say that I hold him in utter contempt.”

Dell suggested that editorial cartoons attempt to become “part of a larger political dialogue.” If that’s the case, Trudeau has succeeded beyond doubt.

Take this quote from “Sarge,” one of Trudeau’s characters, regarding the war in Iraq: “Permission to think it through: denied.”

But the collection of comics on display in the art gallery isn’t about politics. It’s about human pain and the price of war. Trudeau’s inspiration for the series came from personal interviews with Vietnam veterans.

Trudeau uses his characters to mirror Vietnam experiences. B.D. lost a leg. Elias suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Melissa was sexually coerced by a superior. Toggle lives with traumatic brain injury. Trudeau tells their stories with a masterful blend of cynicism and light humor.

For decades, Doonesbury has spoken to readers. Unlike the typical short-lived editorial cartoon, Doonesbury has continued to evolve. Trudeau’s cartoons represent pure free speech, encouraging, as Dell said, a “marketplace of ideas (that) will provoke progress toward political truth.