A Good Line – Canine Cartoonists

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104 – May, 2022

By Sarah Montague

We love purebred dogs for their singularity—each breed designed for a different end—each both functional and beautiful. In their working lives—even as companion animals—we see examples of form following function. The long, low Dachshund; the pendulous Bloodhound; the solid and athletic Labrador Retriever. In conformation shows, we see these same qualities in an aesthetic context. “Best dog on the day” looks most like itself, and what it represents.

But, there is another way to look at dogs: the way cartoonists do. We recently ran my interview with Alan Fausel, head of the AKC Museum of the Dog. [Editor's Note: Mr. Fausel's title recently changed to Adjunct Curator] Fausel talked about the tension between a breeder’s view of how of a dog should be rendered visually—as a picture-perfect example of breed standard—and an artist’s, interested in motion and contours, and setting and light and shade and drama. Cartoonists take this polite battle to a whole new level, exaggerating physical characteristics, creating dogs with characters, expressions and opinions, providing a level of expression that can range from endearing to ridiculous.

The famous animator Chuck Jones wrote in his memoir Chuck Amuck that he learnt the rudiments of cartooning from drawing the family cat, Pampelmousse. He said that cats were perfect training for a fledging illustrator because they “walked thin and sat fat.” I beg to differ—cats don’t offer nearly the rich variety of shapes and textures that dogs do. Is the Puli “the ancient sheepdog of Hungary,” or the canine equivalent of Marge Simpson? Is the dachshund a hunting dog with medieval credentials, or a sausage with legs?

Sporting dogs have dominated traditional painting, but it’s open season for all types in the cartoon world, and all types of cartoonists have risen to the challenge. What follows is a selective appreciation. Ohio State University mounted an historical appreciation of dog cartoons from June 19, 2021-October 31, 2021. The Dog Show: Two Centuries of Canine Cartoons, which demonstrated that dogs have been favorite subjects for all manner of comic illustration from political satire to syndicated strips to animation, on both sides of the Atlantic, since the 19th century.

Breed Standards (Not): Cartoonists

James Thurber

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104 – May, 2022

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