Zonker Harris is the stereotypical unfocused hippie character in Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury. He made his first appearance as a perennial pot-smoking pest plaguing B.D.'s football team in 1971. He moved with Mike, B.D., and the gang to a rural commune. Zonker's family consists of his mother, father, "Uncle" Duke, his nephew Zipper, and his sister. His mother and father have a habit of fighting, which leads to the mother leaving for a short time to clear her head. Whenever this happens, Zonker's father becomes upset and visits Zonker, within minutes of the argument. On one occasion, Zonker's mother never actually left; his father thought she did, only to find her instead in the garden after calling his son for help. Although Zonker's sister never appears in the series, she is the mother of Zipper Harris, Zonker's nephew. Zonker's ancestors from Colonial America are mentioned several times in the series. Nathan Harris was a minuteman as well as an activist for civil rights and was responsible for "freeing" a nearby slave. Nathan's wife, Amy Harris, was equally revolutionary, fighting for women's equality in the Constitution and taking up an apprenticeship with Paul Revere to become a silversmith. Neither cause worked out very well however, as men weren't interested in women's civil rights and she was unable to even cast simple pewter tankards. She quits her apprenticeship when Nathan assures her that he needs her as a companion and equal as well as a wife. Wikipedia [ - ]

Zonker Harris is the stereotypical unfocused hippie character in Garry Trudeau's comic strip... [ + ]