We are adding two new recurring features this month to the Newshletter: Q&A with Patrick and Fan Club members as well as a Mutts Meditation, which is a close look at a Mutts strip and what it means. We encourage you to check out these explorations of Mutts and follow the articles to Muttscomics.com where they are continued. This issue is rounded out with an assortment of great news, such as Patrick’s commencement speech at the Center for Cartoon Studies, new Muttscomics features, and tips for a better life for you and your pets!

See you in the funny pages!

The Muttscomics Team

The Center for Cartoon Studies, in White River Junction, VT., is the brainchild of cartoonist James Sturm. He founded CCS to provide the highest quality of education to students interested in creating visual stories.

On May 19, Patrick gave the commencement speech for the inaugural graduating class. It was a cool, misty day, and family and friends gathered to participate in the celebrations. After having brunch at the Tip Top Café, the graduating class gathered at the Schulz Library for some last minute discussions prior to assembling at the Opera House for the graduation. Afterwards, everyone got together at the school’s main building for some root beers and to see the exhibition of thesis projects. In all, it was a wonderful, magical experience.

To commemorate the occasion, Patrick drew a week-long series of Mutts strips (sent to you last week if you subscribe to the daily email). The publication dates were 5/14-5/19). Here’s an example (click for purchase information):

If you have a serious interest in becoming a cartoonist, and are able to spend two dedicated years in Vermont to hone your skills, we recommend this course! Or, if you have some time in the summer, considering taking a summer workshop.

We decided to create a new running feature in the newsletter that might help Patrick in answering his fan mail. We’ve asked Fan Club Members to submit questions that they and other fans would be interested in knowing. Each month Patrick will personally answer a fan club member’s question in the MUTTS newsletter. If you’d like to get in on the action, please join the official MUTTS fan club. MUTTS Fan Club members get great, exclusive shtuff—long-sleeve tee, title panel print, button, membership card, 10% discount on future purchases, and a cool handbook.

Can I please rescue Guard Dog and give him a loving and happy home with my husband, my 9 kitties and me?

Question submitted by: M.A. Strang

In 1995, when I introduced Guard Dog, I thought this big rough bull dog could be somewhat of the ‘bad guy’ to the innocent Earl and Mooch. Leaning on some cartoon clichés, I drew a chain around his neck to make him appear tougher. I stared at that drawing and thought of the horrible lives these poor innocent chained dogs endure. My ‘villain’ became a tragic character and, hopefully, a light to shine in this dark area of the human/animal relationship. (Read More)

“Mutts Meditations” is a new and continuing feature of the Muttscomics Newshletter. Each issue we will choose a strip and offer a personal “meditation” on its meaning. We invite our readers to submit ideas for meditations. Please send any feedback or ideas to rich@muttscomics.com. We have no hard and fast rules, but your ideas must: a) relate to a specific strip; b) allow for personal experience related to the strip; c) offer an insight into your personal interpretation that is backed up by reason and facts.

This article was submitted by Rich Mansfield, Muttscomics Team Memeber. Frank Mendelson, owner of donkeys and knower of stuff, contributed the research.

I’m not an anthropologist or philosopher or psychologist or even a poet, but I know love when I see it. And I can say without hesitation that my dog loves me. Unconditionally. Do I need more than that to be truly happy? If you’re like me and you read Mutts regularly, then you will probably answer as Ozzie, Earl and I do: “No.”

One of the things you have to love about Mutts is that it starts you to thinking about the fundamental things of life. The strip we are considering today (Sunday, April 29, 2007) started a cranial chain reaction in me that goes something like this: a) I have a dog to which I’m very attached, b) my dog makes me happy, c) how come? This strip took me out of my own little world with my own little dog (Matty is his name) and made me wonder about the long, long history of humans and canines. Twelve thousand years is a long time for a beautiful friendship. I wanted to know what is so special about dogs and humans living together. So, I took a look see on the internet and I found that, as in any strong friendship, dogs and humans have profoundly influenced each other’s characters and behaviors and maybe even genetics. (Read More)

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat month and appropriately named! As numerous kittens enter the shelters at this time of year, adult cats are also desperately hoping for homes. Shelters are overcrowded at this time of year and in need of loving adopters. If you are thinking about adopting an adult cat, or kitten, your local shelters have a good variety of feline friends waiting to meet you! And for the proud guardians of kitties, get our Saving the World One Kitty at a Time tee and mug!

Here are some valuable tips for adopting.

If you can’t adopt, why not make a phone call to encourage a friend to?
One Call Saves One Life

The "dog days" of summer can be dangerous for pets — especially those left inside cars. Every year, many dogs die after being locked in cars while their guardians shop, or run quick errands. Even with the car windows partially rolled down, and left in the shade, cars can heat up MUCH quicker than you think!

Visit My Dog Is Cool to find out the scientific facts, educate fellow dog-loving motorists, and even download a sign that you can distribute to local merchants.

Last month, we encouraged Tiger supporters around the globe to submit their photos for a large mosaic that will be unveiled to world leaders at the Conference on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Our own MUTTS characters, Shtinky and Noodles, just had to get in on the action. To see their contribution (or add your own) to the amazing tiger mosaic, please visit the World Wildlife Organization. Hint: To find Shtinky and Noodles amongst the 22,000+ entries, type in photo ID # 13186.

We know Mutts fans want to be in the know about all the latest Mutts news. With that in mind, we’ve created lots of ways for you to be able to read your Mutts headlines and share them with others.

RSS feed
Muttscomics.com now has an RSS feed so that anyone with a newsreader can add our feed and get all the latest Mutts news. You can subscribe through any newsreader, like Yahoo or Bloglines, and we are working on making updates available right in your email. (Not familiar to RSS? Read this to learn how to subscribe.) You don’t have to do a thing to update, when we post a new article, it will automatically be sent to you.

Click here to subscribe right now!

News Widget
Why keep all that Mutts goodness to yourself? Put this wonderful widget right on your own website, blog, or MySpace page and let others in on all that latest news. Available for Blogger, Google, MySpace, Friendster, Xanga, and YOUR OWN DESKTOP (currently, for Windows users only, but we’re working on that).

Get the MUTTS widget!

Headline Animator
A smaller way of keeping the latest Mutts news at your fingertips. Available for MySpace, Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and in plain old HTML to post on your own website.

Get your own here.

Sharing the Love
Some Muttscomics.com readers may have noticed the addition of some little symbols to the end of each news story. They are links to popular content-sharing and bookmarking sites, Del.ici.ous, Digg, and Furl. If you think an article is worth sharing, bookmark it and post it to one of these sites and let others in on the news! You can also tag us as a fave at Technorati and join our Flickr group. And if you’re on MySpace, send us some love… we’ll friend you right back.

Annie (pictured) is one of the MANY photos and stories that we received in our Shelter Stories Call For Entries. Annie was formerly a stray who now enjoys belly rubs, singing to her guardian, and being spoiled rotten! We’ll have news soon on a gallery showcasing some of your pets in the near future…we promise!

Online postings of pet photos or stories does not indicate that a pet has been selected for inclusion in an upcoming MUTTS book or project. If your pet is selected, we will contact you directly in the near future.