Dog-Eared Mutts 9

"Dog-Eared" is exactly what this latest collection from cartoonist Patrick McDonnell is destined to become. The brilliant assortment of simple-yet-complex strips will have readers turning its pages again and again, eager to revisit the charm, truth, and humor found within.McDonnell's strip, syndicated in more than 500 Sunday and daily newspapers throughout the world, highlights the adventures of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, best buddies who regularly come in contact with Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby-as well as an assortment of whimsically rendered humans. This cast is capable of endless antics, interspersed with poignant views on both the animal and human condition. And whether they're raiding garbage cans or basking in full-frontal belly rubs, Mooch and Earl always have a comment to clinch the scene.Mutts is the kind of strip that comic readers find irresistible. "Dog-Eared" is the same kind of collection. One strip leads to another, and before you know it you've turned page after dog-eared page to satisfy a growing Mutts addiction.

Patrick McDonnell has enjoyed an illustration and design career that stretches for decades. He's best known, however for Mutts, his widely read strip for which he earned the Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year in 1999. Patrick regularly lends his talents to animal protection groups and issues, including the Humane Society of the United States and the state of New Jersey, which put Mutts characters on license plates to raise funds for low-cost spaying and neutering programs. Muttscomics.com, the strip's official Web site, has experienced great popularity since its launch in 2003.