The Super Hero’s Journey by Patrick McDonnell

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Growing up, I was an avid consumer of comics—or funny books, as we called them.  I spent hours with various DC heroes (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were my favorites) but also with Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Baby Huey, and especially with Little Lulu and Sugar Spike.  Many’s the time my grandparents would park me at the magazine section of a grocery store and go off to run errands, knowing I’d be happily occupied for hours.

I did not read many Marvel titles, though.  I did read some, but as a sight reader I found some of the dialectal renderings difficult to read. (“Sez” for “says” for example.)  I do remember reading some Namor and Thor, and one of two Spider-Man but I was not a “true believer.”

Patrick McDonnell was, though, and as a devoted fan of his strip Mutts as well as his children’s books, I decided to take a look at The Super Hero’s Journey. This is his story of a childhood growing up with the Marvel universe.  He retells some parts of stories, recreating the art work, giving credit to the original artist who had such an influence on his own life and work.  Most of the reviews call it “a love letter to Marvel” and I can certainly second that.  He is most definitely paying tribute to his artistic heroes.

I’ll admit much of the Marvel storylines didn’t mean much to me, but I did enjoy seeing young Patrick and his romance with the comics.  It brought back my own happy memories.  I was also interested in the glimpses of his childhood.

Marvelites, especially those of a certain age, will thrill to this re-telling; McDonnell fans will still enjoy the book for its personal touches.

The Art of Nothing: 25 Years of Mutts and the Art of Patrick McDonnell

Reviewed by Jeanne

I’m a long-time fan of the Mutts strip.  It’s funny, sweet, endearing, and I am fascinated by the artwork.  I own several of the books, both the collections of strips and the picture books. I also own the predecessor to this volume, Mutts:  The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell. 

For those new to Mutts, it is a long running comic strip featuring Earl, a happy dog, and Mooch, a bewildering cat.  Earl loves his human Ozzie devotedly, and Mooch is fond of his humans, Millie and Frank.  There’s also a whole cast of characters, from Guard Dog to Shtinky to Crabby and the Fatty Snax deli man.  Along the way, the strip has evolved from a simple three panels with a gag to a sensitive, thoughtful strip that espouses kindness to all living things without being didactic. I’ll admit I have teared up at some. 

And if you are indeed new to Mutts, I would suggest you start with a collection of the strips, just to familiarize yourself with McDonnell’s style to be able to appreciate The Art of Nothing.  While strips are included, the book is more of a “behind the scenes” look at McDonnell, his influences, and how he works.  It includes sketches for strips and goes through the process of how these are turned into the strips we see in newspapers, early versions of some strips, and the artist’s commentary.  I have always particularly enjoyed the Sunday title panels, the single panel which has the strip’s name; sometimes these are dropped by an individual paper so they can’t be an integral part of that week’s strip.  Many strips just use the same panel week after week, but McDonnell uses it as a sort of tip of the hat to other artists.  Sometimes one just won’t be familiar to me.  There are a number of the panels shown in this book, explaining the attributions from N.C. Wyeth’s The Giant to Andy Warhol to a Frank Zappa album cover to The Big Lebowski. Of course, some of my favorites pay homage to classic children’s books such as The Wizard of Oz and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Interspersed with the art are comments from McDonnell himself, talking about his life, his influences, and the real life inspiration for some of his characters.  It’s no surprise to learn that Charles Schultz is one of his heroes, but it’s nice to know that the two had a very cordial relationship.  One of the early pieces in the book is a photo of a sheet from a newspaper with the first printed Mutts strip and the notation, “Good start, Sparky.”  McDonnell’s taste is art is expansive, covering a lot of eras, style, and cultures.

This is a real treat for fans and a fascinating look at the artistic process for anyone interested in comic art.

"Mutts" Has Pure Bred Charm

Mutts: The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell by Patrick McDonnell (741.5 MCD Main)
Reviewed by Jeanne

As a person who is very fond of both comic strips and animals, it’s a no-brainer that I love Patrick McDonnell’s “Mutts.” I first became aware of the strip thanks to a friend in Maryland who clipped some from her paper and sent them to me. (Thanks, Teresa!) I was quickly bemused by earnest dog Earl and his cat friend, Mooch. (I tried to think of a word to describe Mooch. There isn’t one. Mooch is Mooch, the one and only.) Not only are the strips funny, but there is a gentleness that comes through as well. I soon learned of other characters and found more favorites: Shtinky Puddin’, the little cat who dreams of saving the tigers and other endangered species; Guard Dog, chained in the back yard, who faithfully watches for his family; Ozzie, Earl’s beloved human; and Millie and Frank, Mooch’s sometimes contentious older couple.

Since our paper doesn’t carry “Mutts,” I started buying the strip collections to feed my growing habit. Having so many strips at once to read and enjoy gave me a great appreciation not only for the strip but for the artist who creates such an entertaining world. Patrick McDonnell is a passionate advocate for animals, both wild and domestic, for the environment, and for the arts. Every year he runs a series of strips about animals in a shelter waiting to be adopted, and he bases the cartoons on real shelter animals. One I recall in particular had a dog explaining that his family said they left him there because he got too big. The dog thinks it’s because their hearts got too small.

Can McDonnell pack a punch or what?

The majority of the strips are gently amusing and full of the joy of living. Even Sourpuss isn’t a curmudgeon: he just hates Mondays. Crabby the Crab is, well, crabby. He’s only outdone by Mrs. Crabby. Mostly, the humor is optimistic and a bit understated. McDonnell was a huge fan of Charles Schultz (he wrote the “Peanuts” creator a fan letter as a child) as well as Krazy Kat, so there’s a touch of slapstick as well. One of my favorite cartoons has Frank and Mooch marching back and forth in front of a window inside the house. A visitor inquires as to the reason and Millie says, “Oh, that’s their ‘Cats are better than dogs’ rain dance.” The next panel shows a soggy Earl and Ozzie outside in a pouring rain, wistfully watching the warm and dry Frank and Mooch.

There’s more to this strip than just the humor. I became fascinated by the Sunday “splash panels,” the large opening picture with the comic’s name: instead of a standard panel, McDonnell drew a new one each week. These weren’t just any panels, either: each one was in a different art style or else an homage to a particular painting, photograph or pop culture item. One, for example, was a recreation of the poster for the classic version of “Frankenstein” starring Boris Karloff with Mooch as the Monster; another was the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” cover; still another was based on Dali’s famous “Persistence of Memory” painting, with watches melting on Guard Dog. One favorite is based on Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want.” The neat thing is that you can enjoy the panel without knowing that it’s based on something else, but if you are familiar with the original you have extra dollop of pleasure, a shared joke between friends.

In my quest to find out more about the man behind this intriguing strip I found the book Mutts: The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell in the library collection. What a treasure trove! Interspersed with many, many wonderful strips are brief comments by Mr. McDonnell about his influences: Charles Schultz, Popeye, Krazy Kat and many others. He also describes how his art has evolved and the origin of his characters. Finally, there is an excellent essay about Patrick and his work by comics historian John Carlin.

If you’ve never read “Mutts,” you’re in for a fabulous treat. If you’re already a fan, you’re sure to be delighted with this book. I know I was—so much so that I bought my own copy.

Main has copies of two collections of “Mutts” strips:
Sunday Afternoons (741.5 MCD)

What Now (YA 741.5 MCD)

I also recommend Mr. McDonnell’s children’s books, especially South, the story of a little bird left behind when his flock flies south for the winter. It’s wordless, but the simple pictures speak volumes. Look for it in the Children’s Library at Main (J E MCD).

P.S. If you don’t like comics but do like animals, give “Mutts” a try. You might be surprised at how much can be packed into four panels.