Garry Trudeau done a fairly radical thing in the April 21 (2004) strip of Doonesbury
The first thing was so shocking (a helmet’s been there for 30 odd year’s, I’m not sure if Boopsie has seen him without it) that I didn’t notice the second thing, even after going back to it 3 times. It wasn’t until someone else commented on it that I final figured out what was bugging me.
As a statement it is a gusty move. As a piece of writing / cartooning – the miss direct and subtleness – it is a masterful stroke.