When Andy Lippincott died from HIV/AIDS in 1990, the readers were appalled almost to the point of aggression. The reaction underlines the popularity of one of the most popular comic characters the world has ever seen. Andy Lippincott was a cartoon character in the comic strip Doonesbury. The character was one that mirrored the real life social aspects of the American public. For instance, when he first appears in the comic series, Joanie Caucus, his employee gets attracted to him and he confesses to her that he is gay; breaking the lady’s heart. Lippincott apparently disappears from the series before reappearing in 1989 and confesses that he is suffering from HIV/AIDS. The implication of his confession, intertwined with the popularity of the character brought to the forefront the intensity of the disease in the popular culture. Lippincott battles the disease with several complications before he eventually dies from it. …show more content…
The quilt that bears thousands of notable names of people that died of HIV/AIDS is created as a memorial for the community folk art honored Lippincott. The quilt ensured that the fictional character of the late 1980s and 1990s is never forgotten for his contribution towards the realization of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in popular culture at the time. That factor, coupled with the fact that Lippincott initially confessed about his sexual orientation, assert to the significance of the social literature in highlighting popular issues in the contemporary world. Andy Lippincott’s section of the quilt underscores the public perception of a disease that was not really spoken about and the stigma associated with it especially in the popular