What do you think?
Rate this book
Mutts #7
What Now: Mutts, Vol. 7
" MUTTS is the real thing, a comic strip that can touch, amuse and astound all at the same time."— Riverfront Times
The comic strip MUTTS has won the National Cartoonists Society's coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award, and its author, Patrick McDonnell, has earned the NCS's Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Award.
What Now? chronicles the humorous happenings of Earl the dog and his feline friend Mooch. As usual, the endearing pair can be counted on for laughs and charming adventures. In this collection, Mooch professes his love . . . for a little pink sock.
"How can I take you seriously with a little pink sock in your mouth?" asks Earl.
"This from a guy who wears a 'Shnoopy' collar," retorts Mooch.
Mooch's affection for his sock is so deep, he sings little songs about it. But the love affair comes to an abrupt end when his pal Earl buries it to try to end the obsession. Fortunately for Mooch, socks come in pairs, and he's soon reunited with "its twin sister."
Earl and Mooch put their comic spin on a wide range of subjects, from napping and poetry to summer vacations and Christmas anticipations. Interspersed with its charming humor are more weighty messages on issues important to McDonnell, such as animal shelters, saving our endangered species, and other animal-protection topics.
What Now? delivers creative style and the charm of yesteryear unlike any other strip on the funny pages today.
The comic strip MUTTS has won the National Cartoonists Society's coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award, and its author, Patrick McDonnell, has earned the NCS's Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Award.
What Now? chronicles the humorous happenings of Earl the dog and his feline friend Mooch. As usual, the endearing pair can be counted on for laughs and charming adventures. In this collection, Mooch professes his love . . . for a little pink sock.
"How can I take you seriously with a little pink sock in your mouth?" asks Earl.
"This from a guy who wears a 'Shnoopy' collar," retorts Mooch.
Mooch's affection for his sock is so deep, he sings little songs about it. But the love affair comes to an abrupt end when his pal Earl buries it to try to end the obsession. Fortunately for Mooch, socks come in pairs, and he's soon reunited with "its twin sister."
Earl and Mooch put their comic spin on a wide range of subjects, from napping and poetry to summer vacations and Christmas anticipations. Interspersed with its charming humor are more weighty messages on issues important to McDonnell, such as animal shelters, saving our endangered species, and other animal-protection topics.
What Now? delivers creative style and the charm of yesteryear unlike any other strip on the funny pages today.
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2001
77 people want to read
About the author
Patrick McDonnell
182 books389 followersPatrick 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 14, 2012
to read my full review, go to http://paneldiscussions.wordpress.com...
If you like Mutts, you’ll want to check out a Mutts graphic novel. Reading one strip in the newspaper a day simply isn’t enough. Reading a large amount of Mutts though has a definite therapeutic effect, as most of the strips use a very genial sense of humor and more often than not end on positive notes. Mutts is a terrific series about love and friendship that’s perfectly acceptable as reading material for children and adults alike.
One other thing I love about Mutts is that it appears to be set in a cosmopolitan area, as most of the human characters who show up are ethnic. This is a very different direction for a newspaper comic to take, as most others involve thoroughly American characters.
If you like Mutts, you’ll want to check out a Mutts graphic novel. Reading one strip in the newspaper a day simply isn’t enough. Reading a large amount of Mutts though has a definite therapeutic effect, as most of the strips use a very genial sense of humor and more often than not end on positive notes. Mutts is a terrific series about love and friendship that’s perfectly acceptable as reading material for children and adults alike.
One other thing I love about Mutts is that it appears to be set in a cosmopolitan area, as most of the human characters who show up are ethnic. This is a very different direction for a newspaper comic to take, as most others involve thoroughly American characters.
June 3, 2017
In this collection, Mooch discovers his true love - little pink sock!
When you're feeling down, grab a cup of hot chocolate, a soft blanket, and a Mutts Compendium.
When you're feeling down, grab a cup of hot chocolate, a soft blanket, and a Mutts Compendium.
March 10, 2024
Features the first appearance of Mooch's little pink sock (my favorite McDonnell riff!). A sweet and classic collection, great for bedtime reading.
November 11, 2009
Few comic strips are as charming as Mutts. Charles Schultz was actually afraid that it was too subtle to be successful, but it has lasted and thrived for several years. The story of a cat, a dog, and the people and creatures they know, the strip deliberately misses on the cruelty of nature, but captures the endearing traits of these animals. Because there is some anthropomorphism, it reflects what humans are like when we are at our best. This collection is lovely. Three are two Shakespeare references. My notes follow.
Patrick McDonnell (writer/artist)
Mutts
Reprint, 2002
King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Pages 9, 28
In a variation on the old gag of replacing words in Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” speech, a cat named Mooch looks at his cat food and must choose if he will be finicky about eating it. He says, “To snub or not to snub—that is the question. . . ” He smells the cat food and continues his statement as he eats: “for another day.” The joke is essentially repeated a few weeks later when Mooch is served his cat food and reveals that he is “torn” about eating it, asking, “To shnub or not to shunb?” (sic). Later that night, now eating his dinner having shown his contempt long enough, he says, “Some decisions are made better in the dark.” These cartoons were found in the collection Mutts: What Now, Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002. The strips reprinted have been stripped of their indicia and publication dates.
Patrick McDonnell (writer/artist)
Mutts
Reprint, 2002
King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Pages 9, 28
In a variation on the old gag of replacing words in Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” speech, a cat named Mooch looks at his cat food and must choose if he will be finicky about eating it. He says, “To snub or not to snub—that is the question. . . ” He smells the cat food and continues his statement as he eats: “for another day.” The joke is essentially repeated a few weeks later when Mooch is served his cat food and reveals that he is “torn” about eating it, asking, “To shnub or not to shunb?” (sic). Later that night, now eating his dinner having shown his contempt long enough, he says, “Some decisions are made better in the dark.” These cartoons were found in the collection Mutts: What Now, Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002. The strips reprinted have been stripped of their indicia and publication dates.
September 23, 2015
More Mutts cartoons, humorous, some stand-alone, some stories, and some variations on a theme.
Features the first time Mooch shows up with his little pink sock. Woofie looking for a Valentine. Mooch caught in the rain and telling the roses they better appreciate it. A bird-watching bird. Sourpuss hating Mondays. A sequence of gags on a poetry club. The annual trip to the sea -- Crabby tells a tale about being swallowed by a whale. Shelter stories featuring a hamster.
Features the first time Mooch shows up with his little pink sock. Woofie looking for a Valentine. Mooch caught in the rain and telling the roses they better appreciate it. A bird-watching bird. Sourpuss hating Mondays. A sequence of gags on a poetry club. The annual trip to the sea -- Crabby tells a tale about being swallowed by a whale. Shelter stories featuring a hamster.
February 6, 2016
Another trip through the year--snowfall to snowfall--with Earl, a lovable dog, Mooch, a cat whose tail has a mind of its own, their assorted owners, and other animals and people. McDonnell can use the same jokes and situations over and over, making them fresh each time.
October 19, 2012
typical Mutts
notes: Mooch finds a pink sock that becomes his favorite possession,
Doozy and friends learn to read
notes: Mooch finds a pink sock that becomes his favorite possession,
Doozy and friends learn to read
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews