Gunston Street



published in Stars and Stripes
Gunston Street is a weekly comic strip that is written and illustrated by Basil Zaviski. The main character Phil, is based on Basil's father Phillip Zaviski, who served with Basil in the same National Guard Unit for over 7 years. Although the main character is based on his father, the strips are that of Basil Zaviski's experiences. The heavy leaning storyline of the main character "Phil" tends to focus on the life and times of your average Army National Guardsman and their daily struggles with deployments, family and combat.
Basil Zaviski has served over 15 years with the Unit Co.F 425 Airborne Infantry "Long Range Surveillance" and was deployed to Iraq for 15 months spanning 2004. The comic strip has been around since 1991, and has been reportedly rejected by syndicates for being niche, claiming that the average reader cannot connect with the military theme. Zaviski's reply,"That's fine with me. I see my job as giving the
troops entertainment, not pleasing the syndicates. I enjoy what I do, and who I do it for."

Publishers