in one strip, a child writes Santa Claus and asks, "They say you know if we’ve been sleeping; you know if we’re awake. Doesn’t this demand omnipresence? You know if we’ve been bad or good. This implies your authority to assign moral absolutes. Are you aware of the staggering theological implications of these claims?” Downs also converted Evangelical philosopher Francis Schaeffer into the character Captain Relative. Captive Relative does goods deeds such as rescuing a girl's cat from a tree, but throws it in the bushes when he learns the girl has no money for a reward. Downs also expressed his beliefs when broke with the usual tone of Downstown to call attention to the famine in Ethiopia and to encourage his readers to contribute to two faith-based charities. Design and Creation Downstown was a horizontal four-panel strip that was primarily black and white but also ran in color for weekends. Downs's cartooning style has been described as "crisp and uncluttered." He followed a strict schedule for writing and drawing, creating one strip a day." He says he "wrote in bunches, always carrying a notebook" in case inspiration struck. Collected Editions The Indiana Daily Student published three Downstown collections—Downstown: This is Winning? (1977), Downstown: With Love, Chuck (1978). and Downstown: Get in There and Quit (1978). Downs self-published a collection The Laylo Papers: The Complete Guide to Relationships. References 1974 comics debuts 1986 comics endings American comic strips Gag-a-day comics