CARTOON COLLABORATORS DRAW FIRE.(Perspective)

Byline: Paul Grondahl

I n cartoonists, those hunched over their drafting boards concede, we find a case of arrested adolescence into which the ultra- serious adult world never fails to invade.

It happened again recently when "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau and a handful of cartooning colleagues wanted to tweak a few noses both inside and outside the ranks of journalism.

The tongue-in-cheek cartoonists' "honeymoon week" for President George Bush's new administration was dubbed "Bush-out." The loosely organized event ran from Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, to Feb. 21, during which time the cartoonists pledged to abstain from Bush bashing.

What was meant as a lighthearted goof on the White House press corps - who had nothing newsworthy to write about but wrote reams of Bush analysis anyway - put some editorial noses out of joint. Several editors and cartoonists didn't enjoy the spoof, and said so.

Trudeau's gambit, and related concerted cartoonists' efforts, have become a cause celebre that has spilled over into an intracartoonist ruckus. It has divided members within the pages of the winter …