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Pug Davis #1-2
Pug Davis
Pug Davis takes place in a sort of retro-future, a world envisioned by dreamers in the Eisenhower Era and spurred on by the developments of the Kennedy Era.
The hero of the comic is the titular Pug Davis: a defender of Earth with an American flag emblazoned on his chest. A bare-knuckles brawler. A man of action with a puppy for a head. He’s basically Buck Rogers if Buck was a surly old marine. He makes no attempt to hide that he’s a grizzled sourpuss, tossing about politically incorrect epithets that he may or may not mean.
Pug’s past is a mystery, and he burdens a hidden pain that becomes apparent when you look at him directly in those big puppy-dog eyes. He’s also got a sort of Jesse James or Billy the Kid reputation: killers seem to be popping out of the woodwork just to see if they can take a crack at the infamous Pug Davis.
The hero of the comic is the titular Pug Davis: a defender of Earth with an American flag emblazoned on his chest. A bare-knuckles brawler. A man of action with a puppy for a head. He’s basically Buck Rogers if Buck was a surly old marine. He makes no attempt to hide that he’s a grizzled sourpuss, tossing about politically incorrect epithets that he may or may not mean.
Pug’s past is a mystery, and he burdens a hidden pain that becomes apparent when you look at him directly in those big puppy-dog eyes. He’s also got a sort of Jesse James or Billy the Kid reputation: killers seem to be popping out of the woodwork just to see if they can take a crack at the infamous Pug Davis.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Sugar
42 books319 followersRebecca Rea Sugar is an American animator, composer and director. She is best known for creating the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe, which has made her the first woman to independently create a series for the network
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 20, 2021
Rebecca Sugar's first comic book does little to show where the greatness that is Steven Universe came from as a dull tough-guy Pug manimal and his fully human gay sidekick bop around outer space having go-nowhere adventures that are neither humorous or thrilling.
February 27, 2019
After a few eBay battles, I finally managed to get my hands on a copy of old Pug Davis. As a raging Steven Universe nerd, I was curious to see what types of indie comics Rebecca Sugar wrote back in the day--especially after enjoying the online piece "Don't Cry For Me, I'm Already Dead," her student film "Singles," and the little random sketches from "Margo in Bed" that were published in an issue of Frontier. Everything she writes has a life juice that speaks to me, so I assumed this would as well.
I was not disappointed.
First, let's get this out of the way: It's not very similar to Steven Universe, but there are some shared elements: queer characters, space adventures, deep and catastrophic trauma, and lots of feelings. The differences are pretty stark for anyone who was expecting her comics to be like her cartoons; the feel is much darker and bleaker than SU, and there are some brutal illustrations that depict fatal wounds and burns, violent battles, and catastrophic transformations. The characters' situations encourage the reader to consider the implications of body horror (such as Pug Davis's dog's-head-grafted-onto-a-cyborg-body), violent homophobia (Pug's sidekick has a history of experiencing gay-bashing and parental rejection), and mental invasion (brain-hijacking aliens figure into several of the stories, swiping traumatic memories for fun and forcing the victim to relive them, or injecting foreign memories into people so they can enjoy the reaction). There are also multiple depictions and implications of sex, some slurs and swear words, and quite a few triggery consent-violating situations. This is a pretty dark universe for something with a goofy-looking doggie on the cover.
I am not a "please give me the gritty darkness" type comics reader, and actually I'd rather not deal with anything on the horror spectrum if I can help it, but I make exceptions for good writing (I even like Stephen King, for instance!). And the fantastic, layered, complex emotion in this weird lump of tales is well worth the slight creep factor. The actual type of adventures Pug and Blouse go on aren't even heavily focused upon; we see their legacy in all the tall tales about the infamous Pug Davis that follow wherever he goes, and we see evidence of battle and space travel and alien encounters, but mostly what we get is the space between--the emotional conversations, the meeting of equals, the characters with little in common finding common ground. Emotion is evident in every choice of expression, every careful rendering of a hand, every stance presenting or confronting or cowering or begging. It feels like real people having conversations even though it's a freaking space dog taking a space leak outside a space bar.
Every character is formed by a history. It is so refreshing to meet characters who lived before page one, who have complex motivations besides romantic relationships and killing bad guys, who are still discovering things about each other and revealing multiple layers of their existence. It's so good to meet characters as we meet people--part way through their lives, not as they begin them or end them. I couldn't be more pleased with the honesty and authenticity of these characters, and I so much appreciate how relatively simple they are about presenting just enough for us to know so much more. I just adored this.
And yes, if you're curious, it's pretty funny sometimes too. I laughed out loud at least twice.
I was not disappointed.
First, let's get this out of the way: It's not very similar to Steven Universe, but there are some shared elements: queer characters, space adventures, deep and catastrophic trauma, and lots of feelings. The differences are pretty stark for anyone who was expecting her comics to be like her cartoons; the feel is much darker and bleaker than SU, and there are some brutal illustrations that depict fatal wounds and burns, violent battles, and catastrophic transformations. The characters' situations encourage the reader to consider the implications of body horror (such as Pug Davis's dog's-head-grafted-onto-a-cyborg-body), violent homophobia (Pug's sidekick has a history of experiencing gay-bashing and parental rejection), and mental invasion (brain-hijacking aliens figure into several of the stories, swiping traumatic memories for fun and forcing the victim to relive them, or injecting foreign memories into people so they can enjoy the reaction). There are also multiple depictions and implications of sex, some slurs and swear words, and quite a few triggery consent-violating situations. This is a pretty dark universe for something with a goofy-looking doggie on the cover.
I am not a "please give me the gritty darkness" type comics reader, and actually I'd rather not deal with anything on the horror spectrum if I can help it, but I make exceptions for good writing (I even like Stephen King, for instance!). And the fantastic, layered, complex emotion in this weird lump of tales is well worth the slight creep factor. The actual type of adventures Pug and Blouse go on aren't even heavily focused upon; we see their legacy in all the tall tales about the infamous Pug Davis that follow wherever he goes, and we see evidence of battle and space travel and alien encounters, but mostly what we get is the space between--the emotional conversations, the meeting of equals, the characters with little in common finding common ground. Emotion is evident in every choice of expression, every careful rendering of a hand, every stance presenting or confronting or cowering or begging. It feels like real people having conversations even though it's a freaking space dog taking a space leak outside a space bar.
Every character is formed by a history. It is so refreshing to meet characters who lived before page one, who have complex motivations besides romantic relationships and killing bad guys, who are still discovering things about each other and revealing multiple layers of their existence. It's so good to meet characters as we meet people--part way through their lives, not as they begin them or end them. I couldn't be more pleased with the honesty and authenticity of these characters, and I so much appreciate how relatively simple they are about presenting just enough for us to know so much more. I just adored this.
And yes, if you're curious, it's pretty funny sometimes too. I laughed out loud at least twice.
March 10, 2020
Quite rare and random, but interesting and deep enough to make you feel for the characters and their stories. My only comment is that it feels incomplete, but maybe it was never meant to be a full story.
January 16, 2020
Cute! It's really interesting to see the foundations for artist i feel I know so well.
July 25, 2020
I Love Pug Davis! The fluid drawings are worth the price of admission. But these stories are weird, funny and emotional, and I wish there was more! Also there is a character named Blouse which is a top ten fictional character name of all time.
February 27, 2019
Pug Davis is a space adventurer and Earth defender who inexplicably has a dog head on a man's body. He has a story, and his sidekick Blouse has known him and supported him and been rescued by him for some time before he finds out what that story is. Pug Davis's reputation precedes him; he's infamous, feared, and respected, and he does what he's gotta do (whatever that is). We follow Pug Davis and Blouse as they confront crafty enemies, deal with mechanical and physical setbacks, and get harassed by memory-stealing brain aliens. On the way, we learn about both their pasts, and watch them explore who they are to each other.
Really incredible work here, if pretty goshdang weird. I'm a Steven Universe fan coming to Rebecca's indie comics after the fact, so obviously I am unable to avoid comparing, and I've got to say it's wonderful to see how the soul of Rebecca's style is untarnished in this set of stories too. I love that Blouse, the sidekick, is more of a perspective character than Pug is, and that his homosexuality is sometimes wrapped up in something funny happening but it isn't a vehicle by which he becomes the joke. The horrors of both of their pasts strengthen their bonds (though Pug seems a little shirty about admitting it), and even though their adventures are weird and sort of directionless, there's a feeling of emotion and groundedness throughout all these wild happenings--a feeling of recognition of the realness in people who couldn't exist, so far away, in a backwards reality. I was captivated by these characters and this soulful way of balancing words with gestures, actions with ideas. I'm so glad I was able to find a copy of this treasure and enjoy this weird and wonderful story.
Really incredible work here, if pretty goshdang weird. I'm a Steven Universe fan coming to Rebecca's indie comics after the fact, so obviously I am unable to avoid comparing, and I've got to say it's wonderful to see how the soul of Rebecca's style is untarnished in this set of stories too. I love that Blouse, the sidekick, is more of a perspective character than Pug is, and that his homosexuality is sometimes wrapped up in something funny happening but it isn't a vehicle by which he becomes the joke. The horrors of both of their pasts strengthen their bonds (though Pug seems a little shirty about admitting it), and even though their adventures are weird and sort of directionless, there's a feeling of emotion and groundedness throughout all these wild happenings--a feeling of recognition of the realness in people who couldn't exist, so far away, in a backwards reality. I was captivated by these characters and this soulful way of balancing words with gestures, actions with ideas. I'm so glad I was able to find a copy of this treasure and enjoy this weird and wonderful story.
January 15, 2026
i mean -- her drawing style is immaculate. also she gets comics -- sometimes people who animate don't get comics & panels & pacing (thinking about you miyazaki's nausicaä manga) but rebecca sugar *get it*. the last story was a bit of a let down -- something is off for me w the art; it's not blurry but like there's somethign different with the crispness of the linework that's a departure from the prev comics and the like old comic-ish style that does crisp lines; but then "Like Heaven" is a really nice sketchbook style but feels clearer to me; it's almost like there's a weird soft filter on the drawings on the last comic? idk. it's also like a bit of a let down -- a doodle of a plot -- after the prev story which is like one of the most fully fleshed out stories (almost a pun lol) in the volume and kinda eats. also dropping that amazing antagonist design like it's nothing!!! come on rebecca!!
yeah this book is amazing. at points it gives t***s m*sc tea, which is just a vibe i guess, but i love it. she's so good at drawing and comics
PS the disclaimer at the beginning that this is not for kids like her other work is a bit :'( --- like leave that out PLS --- but whatever; glad this was collected and published such a high water mark. i want to see if she's done other comics. this is v "singles" (her animated short) tea -- in terms of style (those lines around the eyes!!! amazing) and just vibes vs steven universe which is a diff vibe. ok this isn't a PS I just had more to say but love this. so much. glad I finished it when i was awake and not right before bed (which is when i read book 1 of 2 in the volume) <3
yeah this book is amazing. at points it gives t***s m*sc tea, which is just a vibe i guess, but i love it. she's so good at drawing and comics
PS the disclaimer at the beginning that this is not for kids like her other work is a bit :'( --- like leave that out PLS --- but whatever; glad this was collected and published such a high water mark. i want to see if she's done other comics. this is v "singles" (her animated short) tea -- in terms of style (those lines around the eyes!!! amazing) and just vibes vs steven universe which is a diff vibe. ok this isn't a PS I just had more to say but love this. so much. glad I finished it when i was awake and not right before bed (which is when i read book 1 of 2 in the volume) <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2021
4.5/5
Golly, I would have loved to have seen more of this story unfold, but snippets are what we get, and I suppose that's fine. The bits I got to read were a joy, and I especially liked how semi-grotesque and wrinkly Rebecca's characters look in this. It's one heck of a time capsule.
If this ends up being one of their next animated projects, I would not object to seeing more of Pug Davis and The Blouse.
Golly, I would have loved to have seen more of this story unfold, but snippets are what we get, and I suppose that's fine. The bits I got to read were a joy, and I especially liked how semi-grotesque and wrinkly Rebecca's characters look in this. It's one heck of a time capsule.
If this ends up being one of their next animated projects, I would not object to seeing more of Pug Davis and The Blouse.
February 14, 2025
Pug Davis me mata, es tan exageradamente angsty y over the top, me encanta.
Pese a estar escrito medio en broma me parece tan brillante a su manera, y 100% me tragaría una larga adaptación a serie.
Es tan gay, es tan dramático, las expresiones faciales son tan unapologetically Rebecca Sugar, es simplemente perfecto a su manera.
La última historia me hizo chillar, cuál era el punto, es simplemente SEXO GAY ALIENÍGENA
Pese a estar escrito medio en broma me parece tan brillante a su manera, y 100% me tragaría una larga adaptación a serie.
Es tan gay, es tan dramático, las expresiones faciales son tan unapologetically Rebecca Sugar, es simplemente perfecto a su manera.
La última historia me hizo chillar, cuál era el punto, es simplemente SEXO GAY ALIENÍGENA
July 9, 2022
3.5 stars
Pretty cozy little comics. I thought they were pretty fun but definitely weren't particularly special. There's some great designs and style but the comedy and emotions aren't always super strong. I'd only recommend it to fans of Rebecca Sugar's work, but it's a quick read that's totally worth it if you're interested in their earlier stuff.
Pretty cozy little comics. I thought they were pretty fun but definitely weren't particularly special. There's some great designs and style but the comedy and emotions aren't always super strong. I'd only recommend it to fans of Rebecca Sugar's work, but it's a quick read that's totally worth it if you're interested in their earlier stuff.
February 15, 2023
Steven Universe'in yaratıcısının çizgi romanı.Keyifli ve hızlı bir okumaydı siyah beyaz versiyonunu okuduğum için gözlerim yoruldu ama renkli hâlini koleksiyona ekleyeceğim o çok daha iyi gözüküyor.3.5'dan 4.
En geniş şeklinde konusu ise Pug Davis ve sidekickinin uzay maceraları ve ikili ilişkilerinin derinine inmeleri.
En geniş şeklinde konusu ise Pug Davis ve sidekickinin uzay maceraları ve ikili ilişkilerinin derinine inmeleri.
April 12, 2020
This small collection of comics about Pug Davis and his sidekick Blouse is amazing! The art is very unique, just as much as the storylines and characters. It looks like a fever dream, but it doesn't get too crazy. It is actually just the right amount of crazy to hold the readers attention.
October 29, 2022
Pretty good stuff. Kind of reminded me of Ren and Stimpy. My only complaint is that I wish there were more of it. Just as it started getting going and the characters were getting fleshed out, it ended.
If you got here because of Steven Universe, don't expect it to be anything like SU.
If you got here because of Steven Universe, don't expect it to be anything like SU.
February 17, 2026
The ending is very abrupt but, aside from that, this is a very charming set of comics. It's always interesting to see the earlier work of show creators and, despite this being a short read, it has a lot of heart.
February 26, 2026
Short-lived comic project where a dog-headed space hero and his faithful sidekick have pulpy, PTSD-soaked adventures. Edgier and stranger-looking than Sugar's later work; I liked it! It would have been cool if they'd put out another couple of issues of this.
October 7, 2018
Kinda rough around the edges since it's an earlier work of hers, but it's weird and interesting and definitely worth a read if you're curious about what Rebecca Sugar did before Steven Universe!
January 11, 2020
Queria ter uma pontinha do talento da Rebecca Sugar aaaaffffff
April 19, 2020
Bello e poi io seguo Steven universe e voglio vedere altre cose che crea Rebecca sugar
May 6, 2023
pre-adventure time r sugar work really gets me
January 18, 2024
Absolutely divine work
October 18, 2025
Shame there isn't more of this, beautifully drawn with interesting characters.
February 19, 2013
Pug Davis is a graphic novel about a Buck Rogers like character, but with a face of a pug. His sidekick, Blouse, and him live together in a small space ship. This is a story about their "tolerationship" and eventual friendship that proceed through their adventure.
I read this online and I head of it because Rebecca Sugar is one of my favorite artists. It's very fast past, short and fun to read. It only takes about an hour to read it through. Overall, it's clean but there are some parts that become more adult. Anyone who likes to read American Comic books should look up Pug Davis.
I read this online and I head of it because Rebecca Sugar is one of my favorite artists. It's very fast past, short and fun to read. It only takes about an hour to read it through. Overall, it's clean but there are some parts that become more adult. Anyone who likes to read American Comic books should look up Pug Davis.
April 12, 2025
The art for this is simply to die for. The gestures and expressions of the characters are so clear and fluid, and the inking is so good. I yearn for the sort of skill the author had when making this. The story itself, while enjoyable, is nothing life changing, but I really enjoyed the tone. I also like that it was kind of edgy but also heartfelt and sincere at the same time.
February 8, 2015
A fun space adventure by the creator of Steven Universe (and former Adevnture Time writer/artist). I don't know why it's so hard to find, but it's worth a read if you can track it down. I'd love to see more stories set in this universe someday.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews