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Good Dog
Good Dog marks the welcome return of alternative cartoonist Graham Chaffee, who, after his successful 2003 collection of short stories, The Most Important Thing and other Stories, took a detour to devote himself to the art of tattooing, before charging back with his new, beautifully conceived graphic novel. Ivan, who is plagued by terrible nightmares about chickens and rabbits, is a good dog--if only someone would notice. Readers accompany the stray as he navigates dog society, weathers pack politics, and surveys canine-human interactions. Good Dog's story and pen-and-ink art are deceptively simple, but Chaffee uses the approachability of the subject matter as a device to explore topics such as independence, security, assimilation, loyalty, and violence. Preteen-and-up dog fanciers, especially, will warm to the well-meaning Ivan and his exploits with a motley assortment of Scotties, Bulldogs, and mutts. Chaffee combines illustrative gravitas with cartooning verve and creates a richly textured, dog's-eye view of the world. The story is a rousing Jack Londonesque adventure as well as a moral parable.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2013
267 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 18, 2020
awww, connor bought me a present!!
and it is a present that came with a sidecar present for early-orderers!
and connor doesn't even like dogs!
so, first, there is bad dog. which is just a free little mini-comic about a very mischievous bulldog who spends a day getting into trouble.
BAD DOG!
i love bulldogs, and especially this one. dogs that go out and get into trouble, especially when they have sweet flappy-jowls - well, they are the best kinds of dogs by far.
and then there is good dog. which is a much deeper and more serious story. good dog is about a stray dog, plagued by nightmares of inferiority. he just wants to have a purpose, a job. he tries to do good doggie deeds, but they are either misinterpreted, or do not leave him feeling fulfilled, and he is always alone.
he thinks that if he just had a master, it would give his life some direction. but he sees the way his friend (the bulldog from bad dog) is treated by his master, and has second thoughts.
from there, he joins up with a pack of feral dogs, and their camaraderie and loyalty gives him his much needed sense of community and belonging.
but even within the pack, there are problems with pecking order, jealousy, and unease. but he stays with them for a time, having barking adventures and behaving the way unleashed dogs behave, until a situation occurs which leaves good dog conflicted, and back to his doggie malaise.
i really loved this story, and i loved the artwork as well. and i love how almost all the dogs are reasonably realistically drawn except for bad dog, who looks sweet and cartoony. it might just be that bulldogs kind of always look cartoony, but i still like the contrast between lean and tough feral canines and sloppy, slobbery bad dog, with his dumb-dog abandon.
and even though i am naturally drawn more to the bad dog and his exploits, good dog is a much more resonant story, and you all should definitely check it out, even though i think it is too late to get your freebie bad dog.
oh, actually, no it's not!
http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-s...
go get it, puppies!
oh, and did i mention the author is also a tattoo artist??
aahhhhh!!
come to my blog!
and it is a present that came with a sidecar present for early-orderers!
and connor doesn't even like dogs!
so, first, there is bad dog. which is just a free little mini-comic about a very mischievous bulldog who spends a day getting into trouble.
BAD DOG!
i love bulldogs, and especially this one. dogs that go out and get into trouble, especially when they have sweet flappy-jowls - well, they are the best kinds of dogs by far.
and then there is good dog. which is a much deeper and more serious story. good dog is about a stray dog, plagued by nightmares of inferiority. he just wants to have a purpose, a job. he tries to do good doggie deeds, but they are either misinterpreted, or do not leave him feeling fulfilled, and he is always alone.
he thinks that if he just had a master, it would give his life some direction. but he sees the way his friend (the bulldog from bad dog) is treated by his master, and has second thoughts.
from there, he joins up with a pack of feral dogs, and their camaraderie and loyalty gives him his much needed sense of community and belonging.
but even within the pack, there are problems with pecking order, jealousy, and unease. but he stays with them for a time, having barking adventures and behaving the way unleashed dogs behave, until a situation occurs which leaves good dog conflicted, and back to his doggie malaise.
i really loved this story, and i loved the artwork as well. and i love how almost all the dogs are reasonably realistically drawn except for bad dog, who looks sweet and cartoony. it might just be that bulldogs kind of always look cartoony, but i still like the contrast between lean and tough feral canines and sloppy, slobbery bad dog, with his dumb-dog abandon.
and even though i am naturally drawn more to the bad dog and his exploits, good dog is a much more resonant story, and you all should definitely check it out, even though i think it is too late to get your freebie bad dog.
oh, actually, no it's not!
http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-s...
go get it, puppies!
oh, and did i mention the author is also a tattoo artist??
aahhhhh!!
come to my blog!
June 15, 2022
Good Dog is about Ivan the stray dog. He want to find a home, but he also just needs water, and food to survive. I liked this book a lot. I think Graham Chaffee manages to show the life of a stray dog from the canine perspective very well. There is a bit of anthropomorphizing, but as we can’t see how the emotional life of dogs works exactly, it is difficult to tell this story without it to some degree at least. This isn’t an Disneyfication of the lives of stray dogs. It never shies away from the fact that this is a difficult life for the dogs, but at the same time it shows that there are things about this life that works for them. In short, I like this book, and I’m going to read it again some day.
May 1, 2015
The artwork in this book makes it look appropriate to be a winner of a Will Eisner Award, as it looks like it owes something to Eisner's work. Feels like old comics. Has a touch of nostalgic heart to it. And Chaffee can really draw dogs well, and dog movement. And he does the "humanizing" anthropomorphic work of getting us to care about a lonely stray dog just lookin' for love pretty darned well. I am just not a dog person, so it just didn't move me.
September 24, 2019
Basit çizgilerle öz bir anlatım. "İyi ve Kötü", "Doğal ve Yapay", "Var Olmanın Şekilleri" ve şüphesiz merhamet duygusu üzerine güzel bir anlatı. Beğendim ama hayat şartları, kısa hali, kaliteli basımına rağmen fiyat olarak okuru zorlayabilme olasılığı düşündürücü. Flaneur Yayınları'ndan şu ana kadar eksi puan verdiğim eser olmadı. Tek negatif yön fiyat olabilir onda da genelde yayınevinin (hele çizgi eserlerde, romanlarda) yapabileceği bir şey yok.
May 29, 2021
çizimler harika, finali bu şekilde olmasaydı çok sinirlenebilirdim djgşfk. sinirimin kitapla ilgisi yok, insanımız hayvan.
August 18, 2013
If you love dogs and you love graphic novels, pick this up. Told from the point of view of a stray dog named Ivan, the author packs a lot of thought, empathy and humor into a book that only takes about a half-hour to read. The writing, combined with striking black and white artwork, made this a swell read.
September 27, 2019
Ek olarak; kitabın gelirinin yüzde on'u sokakta yaşayan hayvanların ihtiyacı için kullanılacağından ve sokaktaki hiçbir canlı için-bahçemdeki ikiz kedilere verdiğim günlük pastörize süt dışında, hiçbir şey yapmadığımı düşününce kitabın aynı zamanda vicdanımı rahatlattığından bahsetmeden, fakat bunun bir eleştiri yazısı olmadığını da eklemeden cümlemi noktalamak istemedim. Bu bir eleştiri yazısı değildir. Buraya kadar. İçerisinde ucu açık bir "iyi" sıfatı barındıran ve rüyasında tavşan ve tavuklar gören bir köpeğin sahipli olmakla olmamak arasında bocalayışına tanık oluruz. Biraz evlilik, biraz pranga, biraz halkalı köle, biraz memuriyet, biraz sosyal çevre, biraz sürü psikolojisi, biraz aynı dili konuşabilmek telaşı, biraz korkaklığın mahcubiyeti vardır köpek dünyasının içinde. Köpek iyidir de, hayat okulunda dersler zorlar, ıssızlaşır hem hayvan hem insan. Bazan. Aslında çoğu zaman.
October 14, 2016
I wanted to love this one but in the end, though there were some stellar moments and some great art, I was annoyed by the anthropomorphized longing for a human owner. The strange moralizing (it is ethically wrong for a dog to fend for themself among a pack of dogs and much better to have conversations with chickens because they belong to people?) Hmmm. Giving it a 3 because of dogs and art.
December 11, 2013
Great straight-forward read for dog lovers. Going to give it to my 12-year-old nephew.
January 31, 2026
You know what’s a good sign of a great graphic novel (or book of any description really)? The fact it genuinely gives you shivers as you end it. And this really delivers that sense of something extraordinary and unique - you can see the darker and the lighter versions of this story quite easily, but what’s so special here is that Chaffee chooses a wholly different direction. It’s beautiful, it’s sad, it’s tender and thoughtful and feels like a future classic in waiting
September 17, 2021
Good Dog.
What does it mean to be a good dog?
This is a question that occurs often to the protagonist of this little graphic novel. He wants to be a good dog. He's trying to be a good dog. His actions, however, are all misinterpreted or end up having disastrous outcomes. At his wits end, he winds up falling in with a small pack. If he can't find an owner, he could at least find some compatriots - right? It's better to be part of a somewhat questionable crowd than to be alone... right?
Which again, begs the question... What does it mean to be a good dog?
This is an interesting story. It was more thoughtful than I expected, and it flies by with scant dialogue and beautifully drawn panels. The dogs, with the exception of the hilarious Bad Dog, are all very realistically drawn. Their stories are only too believable and their voices amused. It was a moving story in spite of its brevity... and rather surprisingly so considering the author, by his own admission, doesn't even care for dogs that much.
Good Dog was a good little story. I'm glad I grabbed it from the library.
What does it mean to be a good dog?
This is a question that occurs often to the protagonist of this little graphic novel. He wants to be a good dog. He's trying to be a good dog. His actions, however, are all misinterpreted or end up having disastrous outcomes. At his wits end, he winds up falling in with a small pack. If he can't find an owner, he could at least find some compatriots - right? It's better to be part of a somewhat questionable crowd than to be alone... right?
Which again, begs the question... What does it mean to be a good dog?
This is an interesting story. It was more thoughtful than I expected, and it flies by with scant dialogue and beautifully drawn panels. The dogs, with the exception of the hilarious Bad Dog, are all very realistically drawn. Their stories are only too believable and their voices amused. It was a moving story in spite of its brevity... and rather surprisingly so considering the author, by his own admission, doesn't even care for dogs that much.
Good Dog was a good little story. I'm glad I grabbed it from the library.
February 9, 2017
This delightfully penned graphic novel follows the adventures of a lonely stray dog named Ivan who wished for nothing more than a human master to serve. Ivan lives a lonely and hungry life on the streets of an unnamed small town in the United States in a time not well defined (could be now, could be the 1950s). He meets a feral dog pack led by the fierce wolf-dog Sasha, who is inspired by a dream from his mother about how he (Sasha) will live a free and glorious life and die a warrior's death. Ivan, the dirty little "yellow dog" (probably a golden retriever cross) is interested but ultimately wants something more. The drawings are simple, pleasing and hearken back to an earlier, less chaotic time of life (again, I am reminded of the 1950s). The story is told entirely from the point of view of Ivan and his dog friends, and my only complaint is that it wasn't longer! :) The creator of this little gem has a real talent for drawing adorable, compelling dogs- I wanted to hug each one of his creations, even the impressive wolf-hybrid, Sasha. :)
July 21, 2013
cute story dogifying the existential angst of sucky tradeoffs between loneliness and brutal society. But only three starred because not really that memorable and I don't think I'll be thinking about it tomorrow.
August 24, 2020
Taken simply on the surface, this is a heartfelt story about a stray dog finding its way in the world. But look deeper, and the story touches on loneliness, race, power struggles, toxic masculinity, and companionship. The art is magnificent to boot.
January 2, 2018
I enjoyed this book but I didn't adore it. While I thought that Good Dog book had really good character development, really beautiful art and at times felt like a Eisner-esque story, I'm not entirely sure what point it was trying to make.
You basically have a lost dog looking for somewhere to belong and it's not apparent if he ever will. He meets other dogs who have owners and some who run wild and tries out different life styles but none of them seem to work for him. During this time, though short, the characters really stand out on the pages. By design and personality, they all have their own place and quirks.
I think the characters are the strongest part of the book and I honestly wouldn't have minded this one being a little longer to keep exploring what the author was going for here, but the story itself leaves a little to be desired.
You basically have a lost dog looking for somewhere to belong and it's not apparent if he ever will. He meets other dogs who have owners and some who run wild and tries out different life styles but none of them seem to work for him. During this time, though short, the characters really stand out on the pages. By design and personality, they all have their own place and quirks.
I think the characters are the strongest part of the book and I honestly wouldn't have minded this one being a little longer to keep exploring what the author was going for here, but the story itself leaves a little to be desired.
October 29, 2024
Definitely not an art style I would usually go for, but I liked the sound of the premise. A very quick read, and reminiscent of all the animal movies I saw as a kid about dogs trying to find a home where they truly belong and/or learning the horrors of the world. It wasn't boring but it did feel relatively typical/stock and a bit episodic which reduced the sense of a story arc.
July 2, 2020
Ever wonder what goes through the mind of a stray dog? This is an exploration of the dynamics between dogs, people and other animals. Not too deep. Quick read, but a little thought provoking.
October 10, 2021
Heart warming, relatable, amusing.
December 17, 2019
Recommending this one to all the dog people.
Touching story of a stray dog named Ivan who just wants a boss to love. As he wanders the city, he struggles with finding a place of his own and falls into a pack. Within the pack, he still struggles to fit in and ultimately faces a tough choice.
Touching story of a stray dog named Ivan who just wants a boss to love. As he wanders the city, he struggles with finding a place of his own and falls into a pack. Within the pack, he still struggles to fit in and ultimately faces a tough choice.
July 28, 2014
An interesting look through dog POV, a dog's homelessness, more or less invisible? The dog expressions were wonderful, expressive without losing their doggy aspects. The story follows Ivan a dog who was born an unwanted puppy and now lives on the streets. Most people shoo him away, misinterpreting his appeal for food or water and while he runs into other dogs he's really looking for a good person.
Ivan is a loyal dog, often trying to be helpful to those he encounters, though his attempts often get him into more trouble. He encounters a variety of other dogs, some with homes, others like him on their own, but finds himself questioning whether dogs are meant to live in wild packs.
My favorite part was Ivan's dreams, developing over the course of the story, which were a gateway into his inner thoughts. The one moment I did not get was the silent judgement of Sawney at the end. I couldn't quite understand what that meant.
I was slightly annoyed that the dogs referred to people mainly as men, like as Good Dogs they were looking for Good Men, women don't figure?
It was also interesting to note that the artist is also a tattoo artist.
Ivan is a loyal dog, often trying to be helpful to those he encounters, though his attempts often get him into more trouble. He encounters a variety of other dogs, some with homes, others like him on their own, but finds himself questioning whether dogs are meant to live in wild packs.
My favorite part was Ivan's dreams, developing over the course of the story, which were a gateway into his inner thoughts. The one moment I did not get was the silent judgement of Sawney at the end. I couldn't quite understand what that meant.
I was slightly annoyed that the dogs referred to people mainly as men, like as Good Dogs they were looking for Good Men, women don't figure?
It was also interesting to note that the artist is also a tattoo artist.
September 25, 2014
A welcome return for Graham Chaffee, one that should please fans of mainstream and indie comics alike. Dog lovers may wince at some of the cast’s monologues, some less than flattering, and the sharp tonal shifts keep it from being a true classic. There’s sharp imagery here, no doubt, but apart from the odd swear there’s nothing here that wouldn’t keep sensible parents from sharing the story with impressionable younger readers. Overall, a solid recommendation. Let’s hope he doesn’t take another twenty years for the next one.
Good Dog Review on Popzara
Good Dog Review on Popzara
April 11, 2014
A black and white graphic novel about Ivan, a stray dog who is looking a purpose while troubled with nightmares. Over the course of the short tale, he wanders around encountering folks as a stray, hangs out with an owned dog (who has a bad "boss" of an owner), and falls in with a pack of dogs led by Sasha, a malamute with visions of grandeur.
Despite the subject matter, this isn't a children's book (for reasons of language, if nothing else). It's more a reflection on finding a home and an identity when you have no guidance. It's slight, but it has a satisfying ending, and I ended up thinking more about it than I expected.
Despite the subject matter, this isn't a children's book (for reasons of language, if nothing else). It's more a reflection on finding a home and an identity when you have no guidance. It's slight, but it has a satisfying ending, and I ended up thinking more about it than I expected.
June 5, 2013
A really sweet, charming graphic novel that I simply devoured in a single sitting. I didn't mean to read it all in one go but really I had no choice once I got started! "Good Dog" is such a cute but misunderstood puppy and his difficulty with fitting into the world and finding his place are very resonant. The artwork is also, of course, excellent; simple but very effective. So while this isn't War and Peace I'm glad that I made some room in my life for this tale (pun intended).
May 8, 2019
Not gonna lie I could probably keep reading about Ivan forever. So, I'm kinda sad this is only one volume. The story is about Ivan, a stray, who wonders around a town and looks for his place in the world. Sometimes, he has bad dreams about rabbits, which causes him to question his purpose. He talks to his friends, tries to find food and runs with a pack of wild dogs for a little bit. It's a charming story with simple black and white panels and a really cute dog. What's not to like?
May 26, 2021
Blankets meets Rover Red Charlie is the best description I can think of, but I honestly mean that in the best possible way. The artwork is direct and honest, but tells a story that is subtle and nuanced. While there's no shortage of comics you can use to introduce people to the idea that comics are more than superheroes, I think this would be a particularly compelling one. It's a comic about a stray dog trying to find his place in the world.
June 17, 2013
3.5 stars -- A graphic novel about a stray mutt, Ivan, trying to make his way in a hostile world. While I loved the idea, the execution was a little spotty. I wasn't quite sure of the purpose of tossing in supernatural elements, for example, and the story didn't feel entirely fleshed out. Nevertheless, I prefer Good Dog over many graphic novels with human protagonists.
June 29, 2014
A stray dog haunted by nightmares wonders what it is like to belong. Part of the magic of this book is the anthropomorphized dog and his thoughts, dreams, and experiences illustrated, but also the tradeoffs of having a human "boss" versus the freedom of running with the pack. Young adult only because language.
October 20, 2013
Really rating this 4.5 stars. The illustrations are wonderful. The story tugged my heartsrings at times. I would have like to have had a more settled final panel, but overall, it was a very satisfying story.
November 10, 2013
Enjoyed the artwork and simple story, but felt like the end was so...non-ending? Like this had been prematurely published before Good Dog pt. 5 was completed, I found myself flipping the final page and staring at the blank back of the book going, "Oh...?"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews