A Farewell to Puck

The dreamy world of giant dogs, talking squirrels and love unrequited has come to a quiet, poignant finale. Today's "Puck Willoughby" marks the end of a beloved comic strip, drawn by Jason Y. Cho '01, that has graced the pages of The Crimson for the past two years. And, like so many student-drawn strips that have come and gone, "Puck" will be fondly remembered.

Comic strip authors are often quick to warn against taking their work too seriously. After all, humor is the name of the game. But humor can take many forms, and Cho's brand was unique. Through the character of Puck--an insecure, self-doubting student whose big hair hid an ever-so-fragile ego--Cho painted a world not entirely unfamiliar to his readers.

We don't laugh at Puck, but rather we laugh along with him. His misfortunes--academic stress, romantic ineptitude and jealousy of a too-perfect roommate--touch on our own carefully guarded sentiments. And interspersed among these periods of self-doubt are quiet walks among the leaves, moments of innocent bliss that we, too, can share.

Puck's eclectic world, which flitted freely between gloomy introspection and aesthetic delight, has earned a special place in the hearts of loyal fans and casual readers alike. We join them in saluting Cho's contribution to our Harvard experience.