by Darcie Borden
Earl, the Jack Russell terrier who is the star of the 'Mutts' comic strip, returned to his hometown of Metuchen, Saturday, to meet with his adoring fans at the Raconteur book shop. He accompanied his owner, Patrick McDonnell, who writes and illustrates the strip.
The atmosphere was casual and friendly, and while about 50 fans sipped free lemonade, Earl wandered freely around the store, and McDonnell drew characters from the strip and then gave them away to children. While drawing, he regaled the audience with anecdotes about his life and the characters. 'Mutts' debuted in 1994 and has captured the hearts of animal lovers ever since. The comic strip has given a platform to issues of animal protection and kindness.McDonnell, who is on the board of directors for the Humane Society of the United States, has drawn upon an issue close to his heart since 1998 -- the importance of adopting animals from shelters.
McDonnell and his wife, Karen, both grew up in Edison, moved to New York City after college, and then came back to live in Metuchen for 12 years. "I never had a dog growing up as a kid," he said. "I wanted to move back to New Jersey because I wanted a yard for a dog." So, he moved to Metuchen, where he began his 'Mutts' comic strip.
Around this time, McDonnell met and befriended his boyhood hero, Charles M. Schulz. He asked Schulz what he should name the dog in the strip, and Schulz told him to just name it after his own dog, Earl.
Another character is Mooch the cat, which is a combination of a couple of different cats, McDonnell said during his chalk talk. "Actually, my mom named Mooch, because whenever our cat rubbed his head up against me, my mom called that 'the mooch,'" he said. In the strip, Mooch puts an 'sh' in many of his words. For example, instead of saying "yes," Mooch would say "yesh". McDonnell said he did this because he is a big fan of the old comics. "Some characters had a funny way of talking in the older comics," he said. "It kind of got lost."
McDonnell, who still lives in Middlesex County with Karen, has gained international appeal. As he drew Stinky, his tiger character, he said his strip has been running in India because there is a group there trying to save the tigers. McDonnell's strip appears in more than 500 newspapers and 20 countries.
One of McDonnell's fans, Ellen Barnett, drove all the way from Long Beach, N.Y., for the chalk talk. "I follow him around to these events," she said. "He's the man who puts a smile on my face first thing in the morning when I read the paper." One of the reasons Barnett has become such a fan is because McDonnell encourages people to adopt from animal shelters. Barnett said she likes the "deceptively simple way the comic carries a big message."
"I've always been passionate about animals," McDonnell said. "I was thinking about all the dogs and cats waiting for homes. I try to see the world through the animal's eyes." McDonnell urges people to adopt their pets from shelters, and each year he devotes a week of his comic strip to 'Shelter Stories.' Andy, a long-haired dachshund, made it from a shelter to a new home in this year's strip. Andy's story helped to promote a recent Pet Adopt-a-thon by the North Shore Animal League. "Usually the shelters are kind of hidden away," McDonnell said. "People know where the pet shops are; they're more convenient and some people want specific breeds. They don't realize that so many shelters have all different breeds of dogs and they can find what they want there." He advises pet shoppers to visit the petfindersbecause it lists all the shelters in each area and which breeds of dogs can be found there.
"I never realized exactly how hard it is for these animals," Barnett said. "Shelter stories can break your heart."
McDonnell was recognized for his efforts in March, when he was awarded the Ark Trusts Genesis Award, which recognizes artists who communicate animal issues with creativity and integrity. 'Mutts' has won many other awards, including the Harvey Award for Best Comic Strip for five years running, the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year in 1999 and for comic strip of the year in 1997, Germany's Max and Moritz Award for Best International Comic Strip in 1998, the Swedish Academy of Comic Art's Adamson Statuette in 1997, and the PETA Humanitarian Award in 2001.
McDonnell said he looked at his mom's 'Pogo' paperbacks as a toddler, and the black and white drawings came alive on the page. Schulz was also a major influence, he said. "Snoopy is why I always wanted a dog," he said.
McDonnell worked as a successful freelance illustrator, drawing the Russell Baker Observer column for the New York Times Sunday Magazine from 1978-1993, and 'Bad Baby,' a monthly comic strip that ran for 10 years in Parents Magazine. His work appeared in many other magazines as well, and he is co-author of "Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman," published in 1986. His work has even been animated for television commercials, such as a public service announcement for the New York Philharmonic.
McDonnell is busy creating ideas for his summer strips. He said his character Crabby will spend the summer with Popeye. In the story line, Crabby will tell "fish tales" about spending time with a one-eyed sailor. A 'Mutts' calendar is due sometime this year, a children's book will be out in October, and McDonnell already has 'Mutts' stationery produced by Chronicle Books. He said he has spoken with a few people about turning 'Mutts' into a television cartoon, but he is "approaching it cautiously". "I see it in the future," he said, "but I want it done right. So many cartoons don't capture the spirit of the comic strip."
To learn more about McDonnell and 'Mutts', visit muttscomics.
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