Gary Trudeau and Doonesbury 1990

A Doonesbury strip by Garry Trudeau published in 1990 is genuinely one of the most beautiful tributes ever paid to Pet Sounds and Brian Wilson. The dying man's final written words being "Brian Wilson is God" is simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and — if you love that album — completely understandable.

The strip captures something that's hard to articulate about Pet Sounds specifically — that it operates on a frequency that feels almost transcendent to people who truly hear it. It's not just a great album. For a certain kind of listener, it's a profound emotional and almost spiritual experience. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" playing in the final panel as Andy passes — perfect.