Comic Strip Lane (Detours Ahead)
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Dick Tracy, Mutts, Macanudo, Moomin, Marmaduke, and 2025 Eisner Award nominations and a bunch of cartoonists associated with the aforementioned.
Mike and McDonnell Return (briefly?)
Today ends Eric Costello‘s seven month “guest writer” stint on Dick Tracy as Mike Curtis returns as the credited writer beginning Sunday, May 18, 2025 (no “guest writer” insert). We’ll see how long Mike’s health allows him to remain. Also last Sunday’s Dick Tracy, May 11, 2025, was credited to former Dick Tracy artist Shelley Pleger. I don’t know Shelley’s and Charles Ettinger‘s style well enough to positively say that was a production error or not, but the elongated faces tell me it was Ettinger not Pleger art. Anyone have an opinion?
Above the Ettinger May 4, 2025 Dick Tracy title panel and the Pleger May 11, 2025 Dick Tracy title panel.
Another return, for the second time this year, is a new (as far as I know) Mutts strip by Patrick McDonnell.
Something I only noticed today is that the Comics Kingdom Mutts doesn’t carry the “Buy a print of this comic” offer as the other King Features comics do. McDonnell is reserving that option for fans to himself.
Macanudo-mation!
Canada’s Mercury Filmworks and French-Danish studio Sun Creature are teaming up to co-produce Macanudo: The Series (pictured), a 26 x 11-minute animated adaptation of a same-name comic strip created by Argentinian cartoonist Ricardo Liniers Siri (a.k.a. Liniers) that first debuted in 2002.
Aimed at the six to 11 demo, this 2D-animated concept focuses on besties Henrietta and Martincito, who have figured out how to channel the power of “Macanudo” to experience the magical side of everyday life in Nuevo Aires. They set out on a mission to share this ability with others—accompanied by a talking cat, an imaginary monster and plenty of quirky, philosophical banter.
Hopefully creator Liniers has input to keep the project close to his vision.
“The cultural zeitgeist right now calls for optimism, and Macanudo is about finding the magic in everyday life,” [King Features president C.J. Kettler] tells Kidscreen
Moomin trolls Mankind
In 1954, the Finnish artist Tove Jansson was commissioned by the Evening News in London to draw comic strips about the Moomintrolls.
Unlike the novels and picture books, the Moomin comic strips were created for adults and can be described as satire. Jansson uses the compact format to comment on society, including the art world. The growing conflict in her own life, between the Moomintrolls and her artwork, is brought into focus in the comic strips.
The Conversation discusses how Tove Jansson used her Moomins comic strip to critique the financial and creative pressures of being an artist.
Tove Jansson’s Moomin comic strips for the Evening News use satire to explore artistic creation, the role of the artist, and the art world.
This is part of a series of articles celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Moomins.
Marmaduke
Closer to home:
Marmaduke’s comic strip and movies have tons of fans. After all, it’s hard not to fall for the giant yet humble and sweet dog. While you might have had a great time reading and watching the pooch’s stories and adventures, have you ever wondered about his breed? If so, you learn about Marmaduke’s dog breed and his origins here.
Parul Singh for Dog Time explains What Breed of Dog is Marmaduke.
Spoiler Alert:
Marmaduke is a Great Dane.
We are given a profile of Brad Anderson, the cartoonist behind the comic panel:
American cartoonist Bradley Jay Anderson was the mind behind the goofy yet lovable dog character for the newspaper strip. He continued to work on Marmaduke till he passed away on August 30, 2015. He was 91 at the time.
Meritorious
While the Eisner Awards are centered on comic books there are a few categories where comic strips are eligible. The San Diego Comic-Con has announced the 2025 nominees for their various divisions and, as usual, some comic strips and comic strip cartoonists have been named.
Best Publication for Early Readers nominations include
Night Stories, by Liniers (Astra Books)
Poetry Comics, by Grant Snider (Chronicle Books)
Best Humor Publication nominations include
Adulthood is a Gift! by Sarah Andersen (Andrews McMeel)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint nominations include
Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story, by Patrick McDonnell (Abrams ComicArts)
Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist’s Perspective of the Japanese American Experience, by Kelly Goto and Sam Goto (Chin Music Press)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips are
All In Line, by Saul Steinberg (New York Review Books)
Frank Johnson, Secret Pioneer of American Comics, vol. 1, edited by Chris Byrne and Keith Mayerson (Fantagraphics)
Stan Mack’s Real-Life Funnies: The Collected Conceits, Delusions, and Hijinks of New Yorkers from 1974 to 1995, by Stan Mack, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Thorn: The Complete Proto-BONE College Strips 1982–1986, and Other Early Drawings, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
Best Comics-Related Book nominations include
Kate Carew: America’s First Great Woman Cartoonist, by Eddie Campbell with Christine Chambers (Fantagraphics)
Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund, by Caitlin McGurk (Fantagraphics)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work nominations include
Singular Sensations: A Cultural History of One-Panel Comics in the United States, by Michelle Ann Abate (Rutgers University Press)
Best Webcomic nominations are
The Accidental Undergrad, by Christian Giroux, https://solrad.co/tag/the-accidental-undergrad (Fieldmouse Press)
Life After Life, by Joshua Barkman, https://falseknees.com/comics/24ink1.html (False Knees)
Motherlover, by Lindsay Ishihiro, https://motherlovercomic.com (Iron Circus)
Practical Defence Against Piracy, by Tony Cliff, https://www.delilahdirk.com/dd4/dd4-p188.html
Rigsby WI, by S. E. Case, https://rigsbywi.com (Iron Circus)
feature image from Over The Hedge by M. Fry and T. Lewis for May 18, 2025
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