That Giant Angry Dog Called Marmaduke

Posted on February 22, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, the Sunday newspaper has been delivered and that means it’s time to once more give the Rotten Funnies a read. For this update I have decided that it’s time we chat about that giant dog Marmaduke as this update is long overdue. Do you remember sitting at the table as breakfast was being made; your dad read the sports page as you kids were reading the funnies. I have good memories of that and then having breakfast of eggs, sausage and milk while talking about what Garfield or Charlie Brown were doing that morning. There’s just something very special about reading the funnies on Sunday Mornings, and I fear that this is a joy that has been lost to today’s youth as print newspapers themselves are not as common in households. But let’s not think about that, and let’s pour ourselves more milk, coffee or OJ and talk about the silly antics of the one and only Marmaduke!

Brad Anderson was the artist and writer behind the comic strip Marmaduke that started in 1954 and was a syndicated strip that was sold to National Newspaper Syndicate which allowed it to be seen all over America in newspapers. Brad Anderson was born on May 14, 1924 in Jamestown, New York and served in the Navy allowing him to attend Syracuse University as well as work on cartoons for several Navy publications. In 1951 he graduated college with a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a major in advertising. After working a few years in advertising he found his true love and that was cartooning for magazines and papers and his career in that started in 1953 and from 1954 to 1966, he worked on his first big comic strip called “Grandpa’s Boy.” In 1954 his biggest and most iconic strip also started up and that was Marmaduke, about a big Great Dane and the family he belonged to. Anderson claims that his ideas for the strips would be based on some of his favorite antics from comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Anderson would also work alongside Phil Leeming from 1955-1962, Dorothy Leeming from 1963-1969 and his own son Paul Anderson starting in 2015 on the comic strip that became very popular with readers. Over the years Brad Anderson would win a National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1978 and a Pioneer Medal from Syracuse University in 1999. Sadly Brad Anderson would pass away on August 30, 2015 at the age of 91 from congestive heart failure, and while he is gone, his work lives on as his son Paul keeps Marmaduke alive and the comic strip still is printed in newspapers across America. I should also note that Marmaduke got a feature length movie in 2010 that starred Judy Greer, Lee Pace, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Kiefer Sutherland, Fergie and Owen Wilson as the voice of Marmaduke. Plus let’s not forget he also had a cartoon series alongside Heathcliff!

Now let’s talk about the characters that make up the Marmaduke universe! First let’s talk about the Winslow Family that has the father Phil, who is a good natured hard working man who loves his family as well as his pet dog, even if the latter can drive him crazy! The mother is Debbie, who is as well very loving and caring to her family and can even send Marmaduke on missions to get or protect the kids. Speaking of the Winslow kids, you have Barbie and Billy two good kids who like all kids get into mischief and much of the time Marmaduke is along for the ride keeping them safe. Marmaduke is a very large Great Dane. While his size and sometimes his attitude can be scary, he is really very lovable and loyal to the Winslow Family. Other major characters in the comic strip are The Snyders, the next door neighbors of the Winslow’s who are annoyed by the antics of Marmaduke, and King Tut, a Siamese cat who is often annoying and bugging Marmaduke, and acts as the dog’s enemy in the strips he appears.

Marmaduke is a truly iconic comic strip that is still going to this day and is one that I grew up reading both in the paper as well as owning many of the paperback book collections. In fact growing up when reading the Sunday Funnies, Maramduke was the fifth strip that I had to read just behind Peanuts, Garfield, Far Side, Andy Capp and Blondie. And that is the thing about Marmaduke, because he was a massive dog, it made him a must read strip for kids, because just like robots, animals in comics made us 80’s and 90’s kids flock like moths to a flame. I want to thank Half Price Books and an Etsy seller for having these paperbacks in stock and making this update possible. I also want to remind you readers that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. Also keep in mind, I will only be picking 10 strips from the book to talk about, and they are my favorites in no real order. I am very much looking forward to reading this paperback again as I have not read a Marmaduke strip in decades, and I am looking forward to catching back up with this crazy dog again. Also they made several paperback books featuring Marmaduke, so I tracked down two of them to make this update a little more fuller and fun!

Marmaduke ***
Released in 1965 Cover Price NA Scholastic # ?? of ??

# 1) It’s Halloween and the neighbors are scared of Marmaduke so they are giving him steaks in his trick or treat bag. # 2) Marmaduke is running with a chunk of meat in his mouth as Phil asks Debbie to call the police and see if the meat market has reported a robbery. # 3) Barbie has a mop on the head of Marmaduke and tells him this is what he would look like if he was a member of the band The Beatles. # 4) Phil and Debbie are looking out the window and see Marmaduke and the new dog of the neighborhood having a stare down. # 5) Phil is annoyed as Marmaduke and his dog friends are blocking the TV, and he is telling Debbie that they should move to a apartment that does not allow animals. # 6) A thunderstorm is raging outside and Phil tells Debbie that nothing could get him to go out in it, that is till Marmaduke wants to go for his nightly walk. # 7) Barbie is in bed and Marmaduke is pointing to his teeth as she forgot to brush and she is annoyed he noticed. # 8) Marmaduke is running down the street and dragging poor Phil who is trying to remind his pet that it’s a walk not a run! # 9) Marmaduke is asleep and is counting poodles in his dream. # 10) The Winslow Family have Marmaduke outside with a For Sale sign around his neck.

What a fun flashback to my youth as I have not read a Marmaduke comic strip in well over a decade, and this was a fun one to read again as I had this book when I was a kid. And man are there lots of jokes about Marmaduke loving steak and how Phil would love to be able to get rid of his pet as he is large, in charge and bullies the town with his massive size. We also know that Marmaduke goes trick or treating with the kids and that’s pretty great as not only is he watching over them but he is also wearing a costume and getting treats himself. While I do think that the humor is very dated, I still feel that this can pack a few chuckles even for modern readers who did not grow up with this comic strip, as let’s be honest almost everyone loves jokey animals. While Marmaduke is a menace to people, he also is protective of his family as well as looks out for the dogs in town as he runs off the dogcatchers and frees the captured dogs. The Winslow family while annoyed with their pet love him and even give into his love for top cut meats showing that he truly is part of the family. The goofy faces of Marmaduke are also very funny and adds to the entertainment of this book. The artwork by Anderson is great stuff and is classic comic strip style that seems to bring joy to the faces of readers. Over all this was a great read that might not be for everyone, but those of use who grew up on comic strips in the Sunday Papers will surely enjoy it. Check out the artwork below to see the art of Anderson as well as the jokes used in this book.

So let’s go to the second Marmaduke paperback I have and see if it lives up like the first book did.

Marmaduke Rides Again ! ***
Released in 1968 Cover Price .85 Scholastic # ?? of ??

# 1) Marmaduke and Phil Winslow are at a sports game as the hotdog man is worried about passing someone’s dog to them as Marmaduke has a crazed look in his eye. # 2) Phil calls in Debbie to watch as Marmaduke is annoyed as he thinks that his image in the newly installed door mirror is another dog. # 3) Billy is hiding between the front legs of Maramduke who is giving a mean look to another boy who has been bulling Billy who is daring him to say it now. # 4) Phil is at the butcher’s shop with Marmaduke and the butcher is thanking Phil for help putting his son through college due to all the meat he has to buy to feed Marmaduke! # 5) The Winslow family is having a picnic at a park, and Marmaduke steals another family’s basket as they packed better food. # 6) Billy is holding up a magnifying glass to the eye of Marmaduke and they are looking at a Chihuahua and Billy is telling him that he told him he was a real dog. # 7) Phil has taken Marmaduke to the park and a group of hippies are walking in circles with their signs and Marmaduke is following them, and Phil is happy as it beats him having to walk around the block for the dog to get exercise. # 8) It’s late at night and Phil is looking out the window and Mr. Snyder is feeing Marmaduke lots of peanut butter in order to stop his barking. # 9) Phil and Billy are fishing on a lake but half the boat is sunk do to Marmaduke’s size, and Phil is telling his son this is why they should have not brought him. # 10) Billy and his friend are in a tent camping in the backyard, but Marmaduke is having to act as the tent pole as he chewed up the original one. And this is just 10 out of a 100 different comics to choose from!

The second revisit is just as fun as the first and delivers another fun comic strip read. This is classic stuff and while some of the humor is a little dated it is really cool to see this style of humor pulled off in one panel and style that is really hard to do, but Brad Anderson does a great job of also adding to the humor by the looks on Marmaduke’s face in many of the comics. This book has a great mixture of humor in it as well and much of the better ones are the ones of Marmaduke being weird and making funny faces, the hotdog one comes to mind and made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. And while the humor of Marmaduke might not be for everyone and sadly I feel is a little lost in these modern times, I do find him to be a very iconic comic strip character who has delivered laughs to many young and old readers over the decades. But even with that said I feel that animal based humor will never truly go out of fashion as most people love dogs, cats, mice, hamster, birds, fish, snakes, lizards, bunnies and all other types of pets that are found in households worldwide. Check out the artwork below to see they style used in this paperback by Anderson.

Marmaduke is one comic strip character that really has kept its charm for me as this was a blast reading both these paperback books, and in fact they kind of made me feel like a kid again and truly miss those days of a family breakfast on a Sunday Morning eating eggs, toast and sausage links while drinking a glass of milk and reading the Sunday Funnies along with my brother. And with that we have taken a look at two different comic dogs with Top Dog being the first update and Marmaduke being the second, but for out next update we will be leaving Comic Canines behind and will be heading to the West…The Wild West for another Round Up so you readers know that means talking about a classic western film as well as chili with the film being Lucky Boots! So until next update, read a comic of three, watch a film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update at the Rotten Ink Ranch as the chili is cooking on the campfire and the western film is in the DVD player.

Belvedere: The K-9 That Comic Strips Forgot

Posted on February 12, 2024 by bloodlinematt

It’s time to grab that glass of milk and open up the Rotten Ink Daily News and find the Rotten Funnies as we once more take a look at a classic comic strip that made the newspapers worth opening! Don’t get me wrong, I have a very soft spot in my heart for the newspaper but after the Virus Crisis of 2020 I feel like almost all news is bad news…well that is being a little dramatic. While looking through my paperback books that are compilations of comic strips I decided that I wanted to take a look at one that I did not grow up reading and one that I knew very little about, as I am sure I am like many of you readers as I love to learn about things and characters and that’s why I choose that comical dog Belvedere as this update’s topic. Bratty animal comic strips are ones that I enjoyed in my youth and even still somewhat to this day as Garfield is fantastic and Snoopy of Peanuts is a true icon of comic strip history. So I am pretty excited to see what Belvedere brings to the table when it comes to comic strips. So sit back, drink that milk and maybe have some ham and eggs and let’s take a look at that dog named Belvedere.

The creator of Belvedere is George Webster Crenshaw, who was born on October 23, 1917 in Los Angeles, California. He was a student of UCLA as well as Harvard and made an impact in the world of animation as he worked on such Disney films as “Fantasia” and “Pinocchio” as well as several “Donald Duck” cartoons. He also worked with MGM on many “Tom and Jerry” toons. He also had his hand in the world of newspaper and magazine comic strips with much of his work being published in publications like The New Yorker, Reader’s Digest, Woman’s World and The National Enquirer. Plus he did some comic book writing for characters like Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and Woody Woodpecker. But much of his comic strip work was not a major hit with most lasting less than two years. He did such titles as “The Muffins” that lasted from 1957-1959; his next was “Nubbin” that would go from 1958-1972. His shortest lived strip was “McGirk’s Works” that started and ended in 1959! “Sompkins” was from 1971-1978 and his only major hit was Belvedere that was from 1962 all the way to 1995. George Webster Crenshaw would pass away on September 6, 2007 and while he is no longer with us, he has left behind many comic strips that bring laughter and delight to readers all over the world.

The characters that make up this single panel comic strip universe are the following: Orville and Emma are a married couple who have a good house, good neighbors and a great relationship that includes home cooked meals and fun vacations and getaways. Emma likes to cook and go on hikes, while Orville is a man who likes to fish and hunt. The couple owns three very odd pets with their talking and sarcastic bird being named Chi-Chi. He is a handful as he is also very honest and at times mean in his words to Orville. The cat is Jezebel, a sweet black kitty who struts around the house and town. And lastly is the dog Belvedere who has white fur with black spots and is a canine with attitude as he does what he wants and throws fits like a spoiled child if he doesn’t get his way. He also has a feud with the local dog catchers as well as the butcher who he tries and steal meat from. Also around are the townspeople, co-workers as neighbors, and let us not forget the other animals that are part of this comic strip universe.

So as you can tell, Belvedere is a comic strip that had a decent run in papers and while long gone from being printed and showing up in the Sunday Funnies, many of his comic strip humorous adventures can be found in paperback books and one of them is what we will be using for this super quick update. I want to thank a seller on Etsy for having this book as part of a lot that I was able to get for a really good price. Also want to remind you readers that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So lets get to the one and only Belvedere!

Belvedere: The Odds Are **
Released in 1982 Cover Price $1.75 Tor Books #? of ?

Much like all these comic strip paperback books they feature one page jokes and stories so it makes it very hard to cover for these reviews. So like always, I will pick 10 of my favorite gags from this book and give you a taste of the style of humor used in Belvedere and again in no real order. # 1 has Orville and Emma on vacation and has Orville looking shocked as King Kong has grabbed a young woman, and he is seconding guessing if they should have chosen this spot. # 2 has Emma and Orville eating a hot dog from a stand on a peer and Belvedere is throwing a fit like a toddler as Emma tells Orville just to buy him another hot dog. # 3 has that sneaky Belvedere stealing a UFO from aliens who are confused to where their spacecraft went! # 4 has Orville sticking out of the floor and Belvedere is in a fighting stance as Emma tells her husband that he should give up, as you cannot teach judo to a dog. # 5 has Belvedere making a Bubble Gum Pizza and it’s a massive bubble as Orville looks on. # 6 has Orville and Belvedere at a secret fishing hole and are about to be eaten by a massive water monster. # 7 has Belvedere using boomerangs to knock out dogcatchers who laugh as they think they are toys! # 8 has Belvedere using voodoo to turn a dogcatcher into a frog! # 9 has Orville showing off a wild hog mounted on his wall to his friend, the hog is wearing a party hat and he tells how wild the hunt was. And # 10 has Orville and Belvedere looking for bones in a dig and the pet doghouse found the skeleton of a Centaur!

Let me start off by saying that Belvedere is a good kid friendly read and has the fun and mischief adventures of a pet dog with attitude, but I also want to say that George Crenshaw milks the same jokes several times in different strips and follows that same formula of a sassy animal much like Garfield and Heathcliff do. Now I am sure many of these jokes that he recycled over and over were spread out over months and maybe even years…but when put into this book, they stand out at being reused like the jokes of Belvedere telling someone to look one way as he steal meat and even jokes of him having fits over not getting his way when it comes to food. I also 100% think that the comic strip only can be funny in the visuals as the jokes that are told rely on them to work. I must say I do like the friendship between Belvedere and Orville. It’s one of the best things about this comic strip as the pair have fights and such but also spend time hunting, fishing and having adventures. And I would say that the friendship reminded me of Charlie Brown and Snoopy as far as they are not just owner and pet but also best friends. Sadly while Chi-Chi and Jezebel are around and do offer some laughs, they definitely take a back seat in this book. Emma is pretty funny and plays well off her husband as well as Belvedere. The cover for this paperback is pretty eye catching and has a vet making the mistake of thinking she is going to give Belvedere a shot! The interior art style of George Webster Crenshaw is good Sunday comic strip look that reminds me of slightly of Reg Smythe (Andy Capp) meets Dik Browne (Hagar The Horrible). To sum up Belvedere, while it is a fun and silly comic strip it is one that I found myself losing interest in the more the creator reused the jokes and gags. But with that said, I also say you readers should not only check out the art style of George Webster Crenshaw below, but also check out Belvedere as you might enjoy his style of humor.

For you readers who enjoy funny animal comic strips I would say that you might enjoy Belvedere as he does have some pretty funny gags and has a classic strip charm to him. I really do hope that you enjoy these updates that are all about comic strip characters and the paperback books that bring collections together as I have been having fun reading them and writing these updates about them! For our next update, we will be sticking with the Dog theme as well as the comic strip one as well as we will be taking a look at that massive Marmaduke! So until next time, read a comic strip or three, watch a dog movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as it will be for the dogs……you get it? As this month has turned into comics about dogs.