Puss 'n' Boots
Encyclopedia
Puss 'n' Boots were a character pair, cat
and dog
(billed, oddly enough, as "They Fight Like Cat and Dog") in the Sparky
comic. Obviously inspired by Tom and Jerry
and other madcap American cartoons, and drawn by John Geering
of Bananaman
fame, the occasional script was written by the later Dandy editor Morris Heggie. Puss was a black humanoid Feline whereas Boots was a tan-coloured humanoid Dog. Every week would involve one of the two playing a trick on the other, then the other getting his revenge, which would lead to a fight with varying results.
The stories not only depended on accentuated and very graphic artwork, but flowery and descriptive insults which added to the mayhem that made the strip.
It was one of the few DC Thomson cartoons where dialogue had equal importance with the visuals. A long and involved joke could be played out in the speech balloons (a nightmare for the hand-letterers) and all sorts of wild ideas were played out in words as well as pictures - often both courtesy of J.K. Geering.
Regular characters included Puss' baby nephew, Titch, whose speech balloon largely consisted of the word 'Baggle', and the occasional variation thereon; and from time to time the Scottish uncles, Uncle Hamish McToorie and Uncle Duncan McTavish - who, incidentally, had the same name as the staff scriptwriter's great-uncle, who was latterly the BBC news cameraman/interviewer, based in Nairn - before becoming secretary of Nairn Golf Club in the 1970s.
The writer and inventor of the uncles has wondered for some time if the exaggerated Islander who appeared in the television series Still Game (Jack and Victor) was based on the Scottish uncles. It seems almost too good to be true.
After the Sparky folded for good, having previously merged with the Topper
, they fled to The Dandy
appearing in 1993, but they only appeared very sparingly and were never regulars. After a long hiatus they reappeared in The Dandy
for two spells in the early 2000s, the second spell being less successful, as John Geering
had died in 1999 and artistic duty was taken over by Barrie Appleby who drew Cuddles and Dimples
. The characters were dropped when the comic was revamped in October 2004. As well as receiving a double page each month in Classics from the Comics
, since 2008 new strips have begun appearing in The Dandy
. Their names are an obvious pun on the play Puss in Boots
. Prior to 1993 when they appeared in the Dandy
, the strip was originally named 'Mutt & Moggy' (billed as "They're the Best of Fiends"). These strips started in around 1987, and the characters were coloured differently. Puss 'n' Boots appear in the Dandy Annual 2009 but this time drawn by Nigel Parkinson
. They also feature in the 2012 annual drawn by Nigel Auchterlounie
.
A similarly themed strip also appeared in The Beano
under the name Meebo and Zuky
.
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
and dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
(billed, oddly enough, as "They Fight Like Cat and Dog") in the Sparky
Sparky (comic)
Sparky was a British comic published weekly by DC Thomson, that ran from 23 January 1965 to 9 July 1977 when it merged with The Topper after 652 issues. From 1965-1980 the comic published an annual entitled The Sparky Book...
comic. Obviously inspired by Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
and other madcap American cartoons, and drawn by John Geering
John Geering
John Keith Geering was a British cartoonist with a distinctive, occasionally flamboyant style, most famous for his work for DC Thomson comics including Sparky, The Topper, Cracker, Plug, Nutty, The Beano and The Dandy....
of Bananaman
Bananaman
Bananaman is a British comic book fictional character. He originally appeared in Nutty as the backpage strip in Issue 1, dated 16 February 1980 drawn by John Geering.-Original strip:...
fame, the occasional script was written by the later Dandy editor Morris Heggie. Puss was a black humanoid Feline whereas Boots was a tan-coloured humanoid Dog. Every week would involve one of the two playing a trick on the other, then the other getting his revenge, which would lead to a fight with varying results.
The stories not only depended on accentuated and very graphic artwork, but flowery and descriptive insults which added to the mayhem that made the strip.
It was one of the few DC Thomson cartoons where dialogue had equal importance with the visuals. A long and involved joke could be played out in the speech balloons (a nightmare for the hand-letterers) and all sorts of wild ideas were played out in words as well as pictures - often both courtesy of J.K. Geering.
Regular characters included Puss' baby nephew, Titch, whose speech balloon largely consisted of the word 'Baggle', and the occasional variation thereon; and from time to time the Scottish uncles, Uncle Hamish McToorie and Uncle Duncan McTavish - who, incidentally, had the same name as the staff scriptwriter's great-uncle, who was latterly the BBC news cameraman/interviewer, based in Nairn - before becoming secretary of Nairn Golf Club in the 1970s.
The writer and inventor of the uncles has wondered for some time if the exaggerated Islander who appeared in the television series Still Game (Jack and Victor) was based on the Scottish uncles. It seems almost too good to be true.
After the Sparky folded for good, having previously merged with the Topper
Topper (comic book)
The Topper was a UK comic published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd that ran from 7 February 1953 to 15 September 1990, when it merged with The Beezer....
, they fled to The Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
appearing in 1993, but they only appeared very sparingly and were never regulars. After a long hiatus they reappeared in The Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
for two spells in the early 2000s, the second spell being less successful, as John Geering
John Geering
John Keith Geering was a British cartoonist with a distinctive, occasionally flamboyant style, most famous for his work for DC Thomson comics including Sparky, The Topper, Cracker, Plug, Nutty, The Beano and The Dandy....
had died in 1999 and artistic duty was taken over by Barrie Appleby who drew Cuddles and Dimples
Cuddles and Dimples
Cuddles and Dimples are fictional characters in the UK comic The Dandy. The stories are based around two toddler brothers who like to cause double the trouble whether they go, much to the dismay of their parents, who in the earlier strips, were referred to as Daddums and Mumsie...
. The characters were dropped when the comic was revamped in October 2004. As well as receiving a double page each month in Classics from the Comics
Classics from the Comics
Classics from the Comics was a UK comic, published from March 1996 until October 2010. Published monthly, it was D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd's third all-reprint comic...
, since 2008 new strips have begun appearing in The Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
. Their names are an obvious pun on the play Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots
'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé...
. Prior to 1993 when they appeared in the Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
, the strip was originally named 'Mutt & Moggy' (billed as "They're the Best of Fiends"). These strips started in around 1987, and the characters were coloured differently. Puss 'n' Boots appear in the Dandy Annual 2009 but this time drawn by Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson is a British cartoonist who currently works for D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and mainly draws for The Beano and The Dandy.-Biography:...
. They also feature in the 2012 annual drawn by Nigel Auchterlounie
Nigel Auchterlounie
Nigel Auchterlounie is a British comics artist and cartoonist. His graphic novel, Spleenal, was published by Blank Slate Books in 2009. He also works for The Dandy,, drawing Jibber & Steve, Twitter, The Bogies, Professor Dandy's World of Facts, Clive 5, The Gleeks and My Freaky Family.He drew...
.
A similarly themed strip also appeared in The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
under the name Meebo and Zuky
Meebo and Zuky
Meebo and Zuky is a comic strip in the British children's comic The Beano. It was introduced as one of three new strips in the Beano's Comic Idol competition, in June 2010, where the winner gets a permanent place in the comic. It was up against Home Invasion, about green aliens who want to invade...
.