Tell It Like It Is, December 2, 1974

Ralph Dunagin was an editorial cartoonist for the Orlando Sentinel who also worked on a few syndicated comic strips. He wrote gags for “Grin and Bear It” and wrote for “The Middletons,” and he also wrote and drew his own syndicated comic. Originally titled “Tell It Like It Is,” it was eventually renamed “Dunagin’s People.” While never overtly political, it still touched on various social issues of the day.

I picked this one because it feels very much like a comic from 1974, given the popularity of the title “Ms.” at that time. I also really like the ambiguity of the gag. As “Ms.” is meant to not indicate marital status, it could be that a number of these women have just chosen to utilize a new title for themselves, or it could be that their marital status has changed. Being able to understand a joke on multiple levels is always an indicator of a well-written gag.