Citizen Dog (comic)
Encyclopedia
Citizen Dog was a newspaper comic strip
by Mark O'Hare
, distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
.
The strip is focused on the antics of a human
male
, Mel, and his male canine companion
, Fergus. The lines between master and companion are extremely blurred: Fergus frequently asserts his rights as equal, or perhaps superior, partner in the friendship. In an early strip, Mel labors for three panels to install a pet door
, only to have Fergus stroll in via the doorknob. Of course, this works both ways; several strips later, Mel flounders with his order at a fancy restaurant
, only to be saved by Fergus, who orders for both of them in fluent French
. All in all, Mel and Fergus's friendship is similar to that of the title characters in Calvin and Hobbes
, sharing both adventures and frequent arguments about the silliest things.
Animals in Citizen Dog can talk, and most of them (particularly dogs and cats) walk upright, chatting with each other and their owners. Furthermore, many dogs look similar to their owners: a slender, bookish man may find his eyewear paralleled on his dachshund
. Almost all characters feature O'Hare's distinctive large nose and candy corn
-shaped body, even the women—with the sole exception of occasional nubile females, who are rendered with large bosoms and caricatured hourglass figures
.
Citizen Dog ended on May 26, 2001. O'Hare decided to stop the comic because he felt he was not able to put in the work that the comic deserved, but noted that he would be willing to bring the comic back if given the chance. Daily reruns of the strip resumed on June 28, 2008 on GoComics.
Three paperback compilations were released:
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
by Mark O'Hare
Mark O'Hare
Mark O'Hare is an American cartoonist who created the comic strip Citizen Dog.O'Hare is well-known for his work on animated television shows as a writer and storyboard artist for Rocko's Modern Life, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls and Hey Arnold!. He performed...
, distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
.
The strip is focused on the antics of a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
, Mel, and his male canine companion
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, Fergus. The lines between master and companion are extremely blurred: Fergus frequently asserts his rights as equal, or perhaps superior, partner in the friendship. In an early strip, Mel labors for three panels to install a pet door
Pet door
A pet door is a hinged flap set into a vertical surface to allow cats to enter and exit a location without needing a human aid.Pet door may refer to:* Cat flap* Dog door...
, only to have Fergus stroll in via the doorknob. Of course, this works both ways; several strips later, Mel flounders with his order at a fancy restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, only to be saved by Fergus, who orders for both of them in fluent French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. All in all, Mel and Fergus's friendship is similar to that of the title characters in Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes is a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson, and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. It follows the humorous antics of Calvin, a precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his...
, sharing both adventures and frequent arguments about the silliest things.
Animals in Citizen Dog can talk, and most of them (particularly dogs and cats) walk upright, chatting with each other and their owners. Furthermore, many dogs look similar to their owners: a slender, bookish man may find his eyewear paralleled on his dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
. Almost all characters feature O'Hare's distinctive large nose and candy corn
Candy corn
Candy corn is a confection in the United States and Canada, popular primarily in autumn around Halloween . Candy corn was created in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company; the three colors of the candy mimic the appearance of kernels of corn...
-shaped body, even the women—with the sole exception of occasional nubile females, who are rendered with large bosoms and caricatured hourglass figures
Corset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
.
Citizen Dog ended on May 26, 2001. O'Hare decided to stop the comic because he felt he was not able to put in the work that the comic deserved, but noted that he would be willing to bring the comic back if given the chance. Daily reruns of the strip resumed on June 28, 2008 on GoComics.
Three paperback compilations were released:
- Citizen Dog, ISBN 0-8362-5186-5
- Dog's Best Friend, ISBN 0-8362-6751-6
- D is for Dog, ISBN 0-7407-0457-5
Characters
- Mel - The primary human in the series, completely average and unremarkable in every way. He is "suburbiaSubUrbiasubUrbia is a play by Eric Bogosian chronicling the nighttime activities of a group of aimless 20-somethings still living in their suburban Boston hometown and their reunion with a former high school classmate who has become a successful musician...
" incarnate, often content to sit and watch TV for long hours at a time and working a middle-class desk job for a nondescript company. He has an unusually large nose, likened at one point to a casaba melon, and rarely ever attracts attention from the opposite sex. - Fergus - Mel's dog who is arguably the more intelligent of the two, although this also leads to a massive ego. He and the other canines of the strip make frequent observations about the state of affairs in human society and how silly it is. TechnologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
alternates between boring and frightening him. - Arlo - Another dog and Fergus' best friend, rarely ever seen on his own, so it can be said that he's strictly a follower and "yes-man" for Fergus.
- Cuddles - The voice of reason in a dog's world, Cuddles is a cat who enjoys fine dining and reading Jane AustenJane AustenJane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
novels. He frequently gets fed up with Fergus' lackadaisical attitude to life, and has a well-known hatred of winter ("SAY NO 2 SNO!" is written on a button he tries to give various people). Often uses baby-talk when conversing with his owner, an unnamed little old lady. - Bruno - A large, strong sheepdog who never speaks and is often depicted as being rather mangy. He harbors a friendship with Cuddles which would be considered highly out-of-place by "regular" people, but is accepted as normal in the comic when other people see him with the unfortunate cat hugged up under his armpit.
- Mario - A fish who Mel often spends time trying to catch in later strips, but who he usually ends up discussing current events with. Almost landed a part in Free WillyFree WillyFree Willy is a 1993 family film directed by Simon Wincer, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends an orca whale, named "Willy."...
, but was denied the role for being a trout. - Maggie - A dark-haired little girl who Fergus and Arlo follow to and from school, amusing them with her tales of what she has to study in elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. She dislikes this attention intensely, especially after Fergus accidentally eats her homework on one occasion.