Before Snoopy and after Snoopy: the history of cartoon dogs can be marked
by the birth of that floppy-eared Beagle, created by Charles (Sparky)
Schulz in 1950. Before Sparky first introduced us to the world of Snoopy,
cartoon dogs played second fiddle to their human sidekicks—loyal
and mischievous but rarely front and center—and mostly silent,
save an occasional “Arf.” Snoopy changed all that (Good Grief!)
and the world of cartoon canines has never been the same. Patrick McDonnell,
the creator of Mutts, and one of today’s leading cartoon artists,
acknowledges this debt in a show entitled “Top Dogs: Comic Canines
Before and After Snoopy” that he curated at the Charles M. Schulz
Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California. The show presents
over 50 cartoon works ranging from Tige and Offissa Pupp to contemporary
strips—with a generous sampling of Schulz’s genius. The exhibition
is on view through September 26, 2005.
A few of our
favorite comic
canines—‘Offissa
Pupp’ from
Krazy Kat, ‘Otto’ from
Beetle Bailey,
and ‘Dawg’ from
Hi & Lois are shown below.
CREDITS
George Herriman,
Krazy Kat,
circa 1919. © King
Features Syndicate
Mort Walker,
Hi & Lois,
circa 1964 © King
Features Syndicate
Mort Walker,
Beetle Bailey,
circa 1963 © King
Features Syndicate
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