You Have Those Wild Eyes Again, Mooch: A New MUTTS Treasury

Mutts #Treasury 13

by Patrick McDonnell

Sometimes you’ve just got to run around like a lunatic and wreak havoc for a few minutes.

It’s that time of year again, when Mooch gets those wild eyes and anything can happen. In this newest collection of Mutts comics, Earl and Mooch go to the beach for summer vacation, welcome back new and old friends, and show us the rewards of loving an animal. Both humorous and heartfelt, this collection also touches on spaying, adoption, and endangered species.
 

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Comic Strips, Animals, Comics, Graphic Novels Manga

208 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2018

About the author

Patrick McDonnell’s comic strip, MUTTS, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries. MUTTS has received numerous awards for its artistry and its animal and environmental themes. These include the NCS Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year, seven Harveys and the Eisner Humanitarian Award. Charles Schulz called MUTTS “One of the best comics strips of all time.”

BREAKING THE CHAIN: THE GUARD DOG STORY, a collection of his newsworthy story centered freeing MUTTS chained dog, Guard Dog, will be published in fall 2024.
McDonnell’s latest book is THE SUPER HERO’S JOURNEY, a graphic novel love letter to Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby. It was on 11 ‘best of’ lists for 2023.

THE ART OF NOTHING, an oeuvre of McDonnell’s work, comprehensively celebrates Patrick’s comic strip career. McDonnell is also the author of New York Times bestselling picture books, including THE GIFT OF NOTHING and the Caldecott Honor winning ME...JANE (a childhood biography of Dr. Jane Goodall). Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. In addition, he has collaborated with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle on GUARDIANS OF BEING and with poet Daniel Ladinsky on DARLING I LOVE YOU. HEART TO HEART: A CONVERSATION ON LOVE AND HOPE FOR OUR PRECIOUS PLANET is a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has said “It is my hope that this book will open the eyes, minds and hearts of all people.”

In 2021, Ohio State University hosted Side Effects, a major exhibition of his large scale canvases. There will be a year-long retrospective of McDonnell’s comic strips, book illustrations and paintings at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum opening in January 2025.

McDonnell was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years as well as The Fund for Animals, and continues to serve as a director for The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.

You can sign up for the MUTTS daily email at mutts.com.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, cute and heartwarming as always! Just another great book!

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another year of Mutts. Mooch gets those wild eyes and has to do wild things -- anything can happen (except Earl getting them, too). The annual seaside vacation, the spring dance, a riff on Charles Schultz's observation that a cartoonist has to do the same thing over and over without repeating himself, a time travel sequence, and more, including a number of one-shots.

[kaitlphere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the comic strips in this collection worked for me but most of them were only quaint. Mooch's dialogue is written with a lisp that I found distracting.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've randomly enjoyed Mutts in the funny pages, but it genius really shines through in rapid fire strip after strip treasury format.

[FRANZETTI Nicolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet as needed

Every time I read those stories I smile, laugh and cry. Some are so adorable and so fun. Then come the one related to earth that I can't disagree. But the shelter ones make me cry while I worry for all those poor animals,while at the same time wishing I could adopt them all. Love them all and not feel lonely either with them.

[kaotickitten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Mutts. I don’t like lighthearted comics that try to add political jokes in their repertoire. I understand trying to be current, but the world has enough going on that comics and graphic novels don’t need to get preachy. If I wanted that I would grab a political or conscience book.

This didn’t have the light hearted feel other Mutts comics do. It felt more like they had lost their mojo. Others may like it. But I am sick of hearing the words “fake news”. It seemed that over half the pages had those words on them. If not that than some way that made the jokes seem old or preaching not religious but world matters. You don’t go to a regular comic for that but editorial comic. This also seemed to try and take a lot of old puns and make them fit the characters. It was lazy in my opinion.

Skip this one and pick up an older version of these comics.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a huge comic strip reader, but as a cat owner, I knew immediately that this treasury of Mutts comics would be PERFECT... everyone with a cat knows the "wild eyes." And yes. It's perfect. Mooch is the best character, as always. <3 Great collection!

[Lyle Blosser · Rating 3 out of 5]

McDonnell continues to eloquently express the lives of Earl and Mooch and their fellow creatures with humor and affection.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it’s wholesome, sweet and pleasant to read but nothing exciting.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of fun for fans of this comic strip which runs in newspapers. Covers all 4 seasons along with some holidays. Also includes some great quotes about animals.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

These had me laughing out loud and quoting them all week. :)

[mantareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to like this book a lot as a kid

[Foggygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impulse buy on my part but a good impulse.

[Lynn Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem I spotted in library. Used to love Mutts and Mooch. Needed a laugh.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another collection of cartoons about Mooch the cat and his friend Earl the dog.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few modern comic strips with real heart. The only modern comic strip that does puns brilliantly.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've tried MUTTS before and I think it's just not for me. We have a dog so these should be funny, but it just reads as over the top schmaltz to me.

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irresistible.

[Julie Kirby · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, page 75. Repetitive, poorly drawn. One of the characters has an unfortunate lisp . . . Skip.

[zoagli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is as cute as the others, but somehow it’s less laugh-out-loud funny.