Patrick McDonnell, Creator of Mutts
by Jane Covner
Fall, 1999
Patrick McDonnell is the first one to admit that's he's not much of a planner. "I just let things happen and take each day as it comes, just like 'Mutts'," he says, referring to his hugely successful cartoon strip featuring Earl (the dog) and Mooch (the cat), that appears in over 400 news-papers internationally. "My first love is the art of comic strips," explains McDonnell, "and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do a strip about a dog from a dog's point of view. Originally, it was just going to be about a dog named Earl and his owner. Before I knew it, the strip had Mooch the cat. Other characters who have evolved into the strip include a not-so-happy dog who is always chained up. I haven't yet revealed who that dog belongs to, but I do hope people reading the column might recognize themselves," notes McDonnell thoughtfully.
"It's natural that animal rights issues have become a part of the strip," he observes. "I try not to make it seemed forced. I want the reader to enjoy it, but pick something up too. A little education never hurts," he adds. McDonnell is referring to two particular 'Mutts' series he created to promote animal adoptions after being contacted by two animal agencies.
"The first strip I did featured shelter animals who were all hoping to be adopted, including a cat named Tom Tom who was unsuccessful in finding a home. In the latter one, a little girl falls in love with Tom Tom and the strip ends happily with her taking the ecstatic cat home." McDonnell and his wife Karen O'Connell have first-hand experience with animal adoptions. For sometime, Karen had been feeding a feral cat who was living in the parking garage of the office building where she works as a computer marketing specialist. When the cat gave birth, Karen rescued two of the kittens, bringing home the tiny female calico, now named Meemow, and placing the other with friends. Unfortunately the story had a bittersweet ending. When Karen went back to search for the mother and remaining kitten, both were discovered dead. McDonnell is knowledgeable about numerous pet issues, thanks in part to Karen, who is a member of the DDAL. "I read all her Animal Guardian issues," explains McDonnell (who is quick to interject that Meemow and Earl, his Jack Russell Terrier, have been spayed and neutered). "I am very aware of the organization's fine, inspirational work. Who doesn't feel for the animals?" McDonnell asks pensively. "Hopefully we can all change some minds."
These days, McDonnell is one busy guy. Since his first "real job" illustrating Russell Baker's column for The New York Times a job he held for 10 years, some of his many accomplishments include the cartoon series 'Bad Baby,' a monthly strip that appears in Parents magazine; the 'Scorecard' column in Sports Illustrated; 'Bright Ideas' in Parade; and the Reader's Digest 'Laughter' page. His productivity hasn't gone unnoticed nor unappreciated. McDonnell, who earned a Bachelor's degree from New York's School of Visual Arts , received the Harvey Award for Best Syndicated Strip in 1998. The award, named after Harvey Kurtzman, creator of Mad Magazine, is the comic book industry's highest award. In November of 1997, McDonnell was honored with the prestigious Adamson Statuette from the Swedish Academy of Comic Art for Best International Comic Strip Artist. in 1998, 'Mutts' and McDonnell also received the national Cartoonists Society's Best Comic Strip of the Year Award and Germany's Max and Moritz International Cartoonist of the Year Award. In addition, McDonnell has twice received the Ark Trust's Genesis Award for outstanding contribution for animal rights by a cartoonist, first in 1997 and again in 1999. And while McDonnell modestly acknowledges the accolades as "nice," he admits that he doesn't give it much thought, being too busy working very long days at his drawing table, supervised by Earl and Memow. "Earl is the one who helps me get out of the house," McDonnell gratefully acknowledges. "We usually take about three walks a day." McDonnell also enjoys playing catch with Earl and listening to classical music with his pets. His current favorites are works by Faure, Debussy and Ravel. Occasionally they'll share a vacation. "We took a trip to the New Jersey shore before Meemow joined our family," recalls McDonnell. "Earl really enjoyed the beach."
McDonnell always wanted a dog but his parents wouldn't allow it. "So Snoopy was it," says McDonnell, referring to Charles M. Schultz's beloved beagle from the strip 'Peanuts.' "I credit Schultz with my love of comics and my love of dogs. And now I have my first dog Earl, and he's everything I always hoped a dog would be." While McDonnell insists he isn't much for long term plans, he knows animal rights issues will continue in some way to be a part of his life. "There are a lot of ideas floating around in my head," he explains. "Like life, I really don't know where they will take me .I live my life day by day and I know this sounds kind of corny," he reveals philosophically, "but if I can become a better person, the strip will become a better strip."
However, one project McDonnell has been planning for sometime, is anew book to be in stores this fall titled "Mutts Sunday" from Andrews McMeel, which also published "Mutts," "Mutts II: Cats and Dogs," "The Mutts Little Big Book" and "Mutts: More Shtuff" as well as a Mutts calendar. Not only is McDonnell excited that his newest book, featuring over 200 comic strips, will be his first tome in color, but he's ecstatic about the unique book signings being planned. Some of the book-stores and galleries that will host autograph sessions with McDonnell will simultaneously hold mobile pet adoptions. "Most of my fans are animal people," notes McDonnell, "so to hold a book signing combined with a mobile pet adoption is kind of a natural thing. Hopefully they'll also leave with a new pet." We hope so too.
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