Saturday, March 24, 2012

Mutts and Kings

As I mentioned, this was the week for comic strip crossovers. In Mutts, Patrick McDonnell has been illustrating a series of quotes about spring. McDonnell's style draws inspiration from the golden age of comic strips (1920's-1930's), and he often includes homages to other artists both in and outside the world of sequential art. (click on image to enlarge)


The strip is entirely self-contained. Anyone can read and enjoy it without knowing anything else about comics.

Ah, but if you did...

Then you might find that crown and ermine robe looking very familiar. And you would be right.
They're both a reference to the Little King, a classic comic strip character drawn by Otto Soglow between 1931 and 1975.

And there's another subtle link. The Little King was mostly a pantomime strip. The lead character never talked. Although the characters in Mutts often have something to say, for this panel, Mooch is silent.

Wholesome, indeed. And fun.

No comments:

Post a Comment