Pucky, Prince of Bacon by Georgia Dunn

Reviewed by Jeanne

I’ve loved both comic books and strips from even before I started reading.  I can remember my grandmother reading the strips to me from the newspaper, including her favorite strip which was, appropriately, called Grandma. Now I like to start my day with a cup of coffee while reading a selection of my favorite daily comic strips.  Recently, I have picked up two collections in a row, starting with Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians. The next thing I knew, I was reading the new Georgia Dunn collection, Pucky, Prince of Bacon. While these two are very different, I thoroughly enjoyed both. 

Dunn’s daily strip Breaking Cat News runs in some newspapers (not the Bristol Herald Courier, alas) and features the adventures of an assortment of felines and their friends who act as reporters for “news that’s important to cats.” The three main reporters are Elvis, a needy and neurotic Siamese; Puck, a three legged black cat who is very zen except when it comes to bacon or ham; and rambunctious Lupin, a deaf white cat who rushes in where angels fear to tread. They live in the Big Pink House with The Man, The Woman, and The Toddler.  Pucky, Prince of Bacon collects several months of these strips, including the Sunday ones.  This time around, our intrepid reporters take on the terror of pets everywhere, the vacuum cleaner, investigate Fourth of July cuisine to answer the question, “Can cats even eat potato salad?” and wonder why The Woman is getting very round. 

Sweet, funny, and gentle, these books are marketed to middle school students but I know many adults who are also addicted. I think of them as being like Mutts or Peanuts: kid friendly but not juvenile.  I love Dunn’s attention to detail in the panels, from decorations on the walls, and the lovely color palette.

This is the sixth book in the series and while it can stand on its own, for full enjoyment I’d recommend starting with some of the earlier titles where you can read the backstories of some of the other characters.  I’m particularly fond of Tommy, who lives at another house with Sophie, an artistic feline soul who does not care for Tommy’s adoration.  The story arc where Elvis is lost and meets Tommy always brings tears to my eyes.  Yeah, I’m a softy.

Breaking Cat News

Lupin Leaps In

Take It Away, Tommy

Elvis Puffs Out

Behind the Scenes with Burt

Pucky, Prince of Bacon

Take It Away, Tommy by Georgia Dunn

Reviewed by Jeanne

I remember having my grandmother read comic strips from the newspaper to me as a very young child.  Her favorite strip was, predictably, one called “Grandma” which featured an elderly woman who is still young at heart.  I’ve followed various strips for decades; I have my old favorites but I am always on the lookout for new ones to enjoy.

Sometime around 2011, I stumbled across a web comic called “Breaking Cat News” and it was love at first read.  The premise is that the cats are little reporters who inform about “News of Interest to Cats.”  They wear little jackets and ties, have a news desk, and carry microphones.  The People of the house have no idea this is going on, of course.  The characters are fully developed, from rambunctious Lupin who is deaf and therefore has no idea that he sounds like a small pony as he races around the house to neurotic Elvis, a Siamese who is very hard to please and to Puck, a sweet and gentle black cat who wants everyone to get along.  The cast has continued to expand to include the People’s growing family (the boy and the baby), cats outside the household (including the titular Tommy, who lives in the neighborhood and who reports on doings outside the house), and various other characters:  the robber mice, Trevor the dog, ghosts, and so forth.

The comic was picked up by Gocomics.com, bringing it to a wider audience.  It has since been syndicated in newspapers across the country, but in the traditional three panel format which limits the way the story is told. 

Take It Away, Tommy picks up where the other two collections left off:  Breaking Cat News (reviewed earlier) and Lupin Leaps In.  However, you don’t have to have read those to enjoy this one.  There is a basic sweetness to the strip that I find endearing and addictive; they’re fun and feel good without being saccharine or sappy.  It reminds me of Mutts by Patrick McDonnell, another strip I adore, and like Mutts, there’s the occasional gentle lesson thrown in. 

While I think anyone would enjoy the strip, cat owners—or should that be staff?—will find much to be familiar, as when there is a report of bacon in the kitchen.  Naturally, the entire news staff goes to investigate this possibly delicious story. This particular book also has the Halloween story beloved by those who followed the strip online.  The story ran over several weeks, beginning with a little ghost cat who appears but is only seen by some of the cats.  Our intrepid reporters are on the case, and the ending is wonderfully satisfying.  I was especially glad to see this one as it was not adaptable into the newspaper format; three small panels just wouldn’t work. However, the rest of the strips are equally good.  Another favorite is Christmas, when Puck informs the audience that people LOVE to decorate the Christmas tree, so he advises all cats to remove the ornaments each night so they will continue to have that joy each day. Then there’s “Vacuum Awareness Week” in which the Breaking Cat News team advises the audience what to do if a vacuum cleaner appears and offers a sage rhyme of advice:  “If it’s not a broom, leave the room.”

The books are marketed to middle school children as are many family friendly strips these days: that’s where sales are most brisk.  Don’t assume they’re just for kids any more than the Peanuts gang.  

This book is highly recommended and I have bought my own copy so I can dip into it again and again.

Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn

Reviewed by Jeanne and Ambrea, with a note from Kristin

Jeanne:

The subtitle of the book is “Cats Reporting on the News That Matters to Cat” and that pretty much sums up the premise of this collection of strips.  Most of the action centers on our three star reporters: Siamese Elvis, who takes a dim view of any sort of change and is very protective of The Woman; sweet, sensitive black cat Puck, whose empathy is only matched by his love for bacon; and Lupin, a deaf white cat who is nonetheless a Cat of Adventure, prone to exploring the dark reaches of the under the sink or the laundry room.  The cats are drawn in little suits and ties, with a news desk from which they report on a spider on the ceiling, the discovery of a treasure trove of ancient cat artifacts underneath the couch, The Man taking a shower, and the 2 a.m. Running of the Cats.  But they don’t stop there:  they do investigative reporting as well.  My personal favorite is their incisive and thorough search for the answer to that human posed question, “Who’s a good boy?”  (Puck:  “Lupin, new evidence suggests that it’s me!”)

Investigating the mystery of the Red Dot

 The art is warm and whimsical, with many charming little touches: the reporters all have coffee mugs with “CN” printed on them, charts to explain things such “What’s in Cans” (answer: almost always cat food), and there’s the occasional “news crawl” across the bottom of the panel.

Most people who know me know that I love cats and comic strips, so the fact that I love Breaking Cat News should come as no surprise.  Like all my favorite strips, there’s a bit more to it than three panels and a joke.  The cats are truly puzzled by some of their surroundings and interpret them in cat-like ways.  There’s the mystery of the human infant, for example, whose “alarm” keeps going off in the middle of the night, but who may actually have feelings.  (Elvis is skeptical.) I’ve been following the strip online for well over a year, and some of the strips have been very poignant and thoughtful.  There’s an underlying gentleness along with the humor which reminds me of the wonderful strip Mutts by Patrick McDonnell:  both have been known to bring a tear to my eye as well as a smile. 

Reporters gather at the water cooler

If you’ve never encountered BCN, then this book is a wonderful introduction.  If you’re already a fan, then this is a lovely way to keep physical copies of favorite strips.  The strips can be found online at www.gocomics.com or at www.breakingcatnews.com.  Ms. Dunn is trying to syndicate the strip, so it may also be coming to a newspaper near you!

(Note:  I reviewed Mutts previously here.)

The weather is cloudy with a chance of chickadees.

Ambrea:

Breaking Cat News is an adorable collection of comics by Georgia Dunn that follows the adventures—or, more accurately, the misadventures—of a quirky feline trio.  There’s sweet, lovable Puck; adventurous and gregarious little Lupin; and loyal, if perennially grumpy, Elvis.  Together, they—along with Tommy, the cat from the backyard, the “Ceiling Cats” (i.e. the cats that live on the floor above), and the other outdoor cats—make up Breaking Cat News, reporting on news that matters to cats.  They report on new toys, packing peanuts (a favorite), the Red Dot, empty food bowls, cooking bacon, and, most importantly, the Biannual 2 a.m. Running of the Cats.

Without a doubt, Breaking Cat News is one of the cutest comic collections I’ve had the pleasure to read.  Like my coworkers, I appreciated the touches of humor and heart that made me feel as warm and fuzzy as the blankets the cats adore.   Plus I loved the variety of characters, loved the ways the cats interacted and communicated.  I especially loved Tommy and the “Ceiling Cats,” Tabitha (who is positively fearless—and, moreover, has caught the Red Dot) and Sir Figaro Newton.  They were delightful additions to the cast, and I laughed over their regular encounters with Elvis, Lupin, and Puck.

Truthfully, this is a wonderful collection and I can’t wait to read more from Georgia Dunn.

Reading time.

Kristin:  All I can add is, "Two paws up!"  Or should that be "Four paws up?"