Mutts
Encyclopedia
Mutts is a daily comic strip
created by Patrick McDonnell
in 1994 based on the day-to-day adventures of two house pets
: a dog named Earl and a cat named Mooch. Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human owners and a large cast of neighborhood animals.
Charles M. Schulz
, the creator of Peanuts
, was a fan of this strip, saying that it's "one of best comic strips of all time."
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The strip centers on the relationship between Mooch, a cat, and his best friend and neighbor Earl, a dog. Their friendship focuses on the differences between cats and dogs as pets and friends: Earl is friendly, loves the company of his human companion and likes to play outside; Mooch is often indifferent to his human companions, except for being fed, and prefers to stay inside and play by himself. Both animals frequently express themselves through thought balloons when their owners are around.
who lives with his human companion Ozzie, a bachelor. They love spending time together and taking frequent walks. Earl often howls in loneliness when Ozzie is away from home. Earl spends much of his free time with Mooch, either inside or wandering around town visiting other domesticated and wild animals. He loves to eat both human food and his own dog food. It is revealed in a 2011 Valentine strip that Earl was adopted by Ozzie from the shelters.
) and shmousie (mousie). He frequently snubs his cat food, much to Millie's chagrin, dislikes car rides, and like Earl, he eats human food at every opportunity. He frequently uses a little girl's Bobbie Doll toy car.
In 2005, Earl and Mooch appeared as guests in Blondie and Dagwood's 75th anniversary in the comic strip Blondie.
). More recently, some strips have poked fun at The Big Lebowski
, featuring Mooch as the Dude, with different characters quoting lines from other characters from the film. Every summer, Earl and Mooch and their families visit the Jersey Shore, where they are joined by Crabby, Mussels Marinara and McGarry. From time to time, Mooch drapes a towel over his head and delivers oracles as The Shphinx. In the fall, Bip and Bop embark on their campaign of dropping nuts on ground-dwellers' heads.
issues, especially the adoption of pets from animal shelter
s. Themes include Farm Animal Awareness Week and Shelter Stories, where pet adoption as well as pet shelter life is focused on. McDonnell also created artwork for the second generation New Jersey
Animal Friendly optional license plate
first issued in 2001. A portion of the revenue from the plates goes to the New Jersey State Department of Health's Animal Population Control Program. Also, he speaks out (usually using Shtinky) about numerous animal rights causes, including seal clubbing, whale hunting and most of all, saving the tigers.
s are colored and their title panels are sometimes a tribute to a famous comic strip, a work of art or another subject, among which one can find tributes to Flash
#1, Dalí
's The Persistence of Memory
, Elvis Presley
, Trout Mask Replica
and Magritte's Golconda
, to name but a few.
and Blue Sky Studios
are developing a feature-length animated film based on the comic. Patrick McDonnell and his brother Robert McDonnell have been hired to write the script, while Patrick will also executive produce.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
created by Patrick McDonnell
Patrick McDonnell
Patrick McDonnell is the creator of the daily comic strip Mutts. He has also illustrated Russell Baker's Sunday Observer column in The New York Times magazine and created the monthly comic strip Bad Baby for Parents magazine...
in 1994 based on the day-to-day adventures of two house pets
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
: a dog named Earl and a cat named Mooch. Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human owners and a large cast of neighborhood animals.
Charles M. Schulz
Charles M. Schulz
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.-Early life and education:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz grew up in Saint Paul...
, the creator of Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, was a fan of this strip, saying that it's "one of best comic strips of all time."
Characters and story
Earl
Earl is an innocent Jack Russell terrierJack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
who lives with his human companion Ozzie, a bachelor. They love spending time together and taking frequent walks. Earl often howls in loneliness when Ozzie is away from home. Earl spends much of his free time with Mooch, either inside or wandering around town visiting other domesticated and wild animals. He loves to eat both human food and his own dog food. It is revealed in a 2011 Valentine strip that Earl was adopted by Ozzie from the shelters.
Mooch
Mooch is a curious tuxedo kitty who lives next door to Earl with his human companions Millie (who often calls him "Moochie") and Frank and a pet fish named Sid. Mooch is somewhat reclusive, sometimes preferring to stay inside and nap, or play with his little pink sock, rather than go outside with Earl. He, along with all other cats depicted in the strip, has a lisp that causes him to insert an sh into words, such as yesh (yes), shmilk (milkMilk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
) and shmousie (mousie). He frequently snubs his cat food, much to Millie's chagrin, dislikes car rides, and like Earl, he eats human food at every opportunity. He frequently uses a little girl's Bobbie Doll toy car.
In 2005, Earl and Mooch appeared as guests in Blondie and Dagwood's 75th anniversary in the comic strip Blondie.
Humans
- Ozzie — Earl's owner, a 30-something bachelor
- Millie — Mooch's owner, a middle-aged housewife
- Frank — Millie's retiree husband
- Butchie — A butcher, the owner of Fatty Snax Deli, who tries to stop Mooch and Earl from eating his food
- Dr. Woo — A veterinarian often seen with Ozzie
- Doozy — A little girl who loves animals
- Bushy — Doozy's best friend and a hero to Tom-Tom
Animals
- Bip and Bop — Two squirrels who like bonking ground-dwellers with nuts
- Chickpea and Chickpea's brother — Two former "Shelter Stories" kitties; the two are indistinguishable
- Crabby — An unhappy crab who speaks with frequent expletives (denoted by stars and typographical symbols). He claims to have gone on many adventures, such as on a pirate ship, inside a whale, and even meeting the PopeyePopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
cast. - Guard Dog — A fierce-looking bulldog, perpetually chained up in his yard
- King Crab — The crabbiest of them all. Ruler of all he sees (since he's at the bottom of the ocean, however, he can't see anything).
- Lollipop — Crabby's soft-shell wife
- McGarry — A bird who lives at the shore and tries to get Crabby not to swear
- Mussels Marinara — A mussel that's always talking about its muscles; Crabby's buddy.
- Noodles — An alley cat friend of Shtinky's
- Philippe — A bird always wooing his love, Phoebe
- Shnelly — The house cat for whose love Mooch and Noodles fight; only the top of her head is seen through her owner's window
- Shphinx — One of Mooch's alter egos, obsessed with answering riddles
- Shtinky Puddin (aka Jules) — A little kitty with a short memory and a very wealthy human companion. He wants to save the world and often speaks out about animal rightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
, especially saving the Tigers. - Sid — A fish who lives in a goldfish bowl in Mooch's house, and wishes to be free
- Speed-o (aka Little Earl) — Mooch's pet snail obsessed with walking Mooch
- Sourpuss — An unhappy kitty who hates Mondays and usually hides under his owner's sofa
- Tom-Tom — A former "Shelter Stories" cat
- Woofie — The big, energetic dog that "wuvs" everything and everyone
Recurring storylines
From time-to-time there are special sets of daily comic strips, such as "Shelter Stories" (which focuses on animals in shelters) and Animal Idol (a parody of American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
). More recently, some strips have poked fun at The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
, featuring Mooch as the Dude, with different characters quoting lines from other characters from the film. Every summer, Earl and Mooch and their families visit the Jersey Shore, where they are joined by Crabby, Mussels Marinara and McGarry. From time to time, Mooch drapes a towel over his head and delivers oracles as The Shphinx. In the fall, Bip and Bop embark on their campaign of dropping nuts on ground-dwellers' heads.
Animal welfare and animal rights
On occasion, McDonnell devotes the strip for a week or so to animal welfareAnimal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
issues, especially the adoption of pets from animal shelter
Animal shelter
An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost, or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats.Parrots, for example, are the third most common pet owned by people...
s. Themes include Farm Animal Awareness Week and Shelter Stories, where pet adoption as well as pet shelter life is focused on. McDonnell also created artwork for the second generation New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Animal Friendly optional license plate
US and Canadian license plates
In the United States, license plates are issued by an agency of the state or territorial government, and in the case of the District of Columbia the District government. Some Native American tribes also issue plates. The U.S. federal government issues plates only for its own vehicle fleet and for...
first issued in 2001. A portion of the revenue from the plates goes to the New Jersey State Department of Health's Animal Population Control Program. Also, he speaks out (usually using Shtinky) about numerous animal rights causes, including seal clubbing, whale hunting and most of all, saving the tigers.
Sunday title panels
Sunday stripSunday strip
A Sunday strip is a newspaper comic strip format, where comic strips are printed in the Sunday newspaper, usually in a special section called the Sunday comics, and virtually always in color. Some readers called these sections the Sunday funnies...
s are colored and their title panels are sometimes a tribute to a famous comic strip, a work of art or another subject, among which one can find tributes to Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
#1, Dalí
DALI
DALI may refer to:* Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries* The "Distance-matrix ALIgnment" algorithm used in the FSSP database on structurally similar proteins* Digital Addressable Lighting Interface* Dartmouth Assessment of Lifestyle Index...
's The Persistence of Memory
The Persistence of Memory
The Persistence of Memory is a 1931 painting by artist Salvador Dalí, and is one of his most recognizable works. The painting has been in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1934...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Trout Mask Replica
Trout Mask Replica
Trout Mask Replica is the third album by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, released in June 1969. Produced by Beefheart's friend and former schoolmate Frank Zappa, it was originally released as a double album on Zappa's Straight Records label...
and Magritte's Golconda
Golconda (painting)
Golconda is an oil painting on canvas by Belgian surrealist René Magritte, painted in 1953. It is usually housed at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas....
, to name but a few.
Annual collections
Black-and-white reproductions of full year's strips (until 2005).- Mutts (July 1996) ISBN 978-083621025-5
- Cats & Dogs (October 1997) ISBN 978-083623732-0
- More Shtuff (September 1998) ISBN 978-083626823-2
- Yesh! (April 1999) ISBN 978-083628286-3
- Our Mutts (August 2000) ISBN 978-074070456-7
- A Little Look-See (April 2001) ISBN 978-074071394-1
- What Now (September 2002) ISBN 978-074072321-6
- I Want To Be The Kitty! (April 2003) ISBN 978-074076197-3
- Dog-Eared (September 2004) ISBN 978-074074740-3
- Who Let The Cat Out? (April 2005) ISBN 978-074075006-9
Sundays collections
Large-format color reproductions of Sunday strips (until 2005).- Mutts Sundays (September 1999) ISBN 978-074070010-1
- Sunday Mornings (August 2001) ISBN 978-074071853-3
- Sunday Afternoons (April 2004) ISBN 978-074074141-8
- Sunday Evenings (September 2005) ISBN 978-074075535-4
Treasury collections
Large-format, dailies in black-and-white, Sunday in color (after 2005).- Everyday Mutts: A Comic Strip Treasury (2006) ISBN 978-074076197-3
- Animal Friendly: A Mutts Treasury (2007) ISBN 978-074076556-8
- Call of the Wild: A Mutts Treasury (2008) ISBN 978-074077099-9
- Stop and Smell the Roses (2009) ISBN 9780740781469
- Earl and Mooch (2010) ISBN 9780740797682
- Our Little Kat King (2011) ISBN 9781449408008
Miscellaneous
- Mutts Little Big Book (1998) ISBN 978-083626980-2
- Mutts: The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell (2003) ISBN 978-081094616-3 (retrospectiveRetrospectiveRetrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle.-Music:...
) - Mutts: The gift of nothing (2005) ISBN 978-031611488-2
- Mutts: Just like Heaven (2005) ISBN 978-031611493-6
- Mutts: Hug time (2007) ISBN 978-031611494-3
- The Best of Mutts (2007) ISBN 978-074076844-6
- Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. (2008)
- South (2008)
Mutts in other languages
- Iceland: Kjölturakkar
- Denmark: Mis Og Fister
- Sweden: Morrgan & Klös
- Norway: Pels og poter ("Fur and paws")
- Finland: Kamut ("Pals")
- Austria: Milou & Filou
- Brazil: Os Vira-Latas
- Estonian: Krantsid ("Dogs")
- France: Earl & Mooch
- German: Mutts - Tiere sind auch nur Menschen ("Animals are just people, too")
Film
In July 2011, it was reported that 20th Century Fox Animation20th Century Fox Animation
20th Century Fox Animation is the animation division of film studio 20th Century Fox.-Fox Animation Studios:Before 20th Century Fox started its animation division in 1997, 20th Century Fox released its first six animated films, such as Wizards, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure , Fire and Ice...
and Blue Sky Studios
Blue Sky Studios
Blue Sky Studios is an American CGI-animation studio which specializes in high-resolution, computer-generated character animation and rendering. It is owned by 20th Century Fox and located in Greenwich, Connecticut...
are developing a feature-length animated film based on the comic. Patrick McDonnell and his brother Robert McDonnell have been hired to write the script, while Patrick will also executive produce.