Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. I love the colorful, changing leaves, the crisp air, and anything pumpkin.
This fall is particularly special as I am celebrating the silver anniversary of MUTTS with the release of a special new book, The Art of Nothing, which comes out this month and is available now for pre-order at the MUTTS Shop. And as you may know, I will be signing and doing a small sketch in each copy of the book ordered at MUTTS.com (through the end of 2019).
This month, I’d like to share with you a brief excerpt from the book’s preface:
With a silver anniversary collection of a daily comic strip, there’s about 10,000 pieces of art to look at. Reviewing these was akin to going through a family album. I’ve spent a lot of quality time with Earl, Mooch, Ozzie, Frank, Millie, Guard Dog, Woofie, Shtinky, Crabby, and the rest of my Mutts gang. They are all a part of me. Ultimately, I chose the art that just intuitively felt right.
Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz said, “A cartoonist is someone who has to draw the same thing day after day without repeating himself.” All daily cartoonists rely on variations of themes, and this book is loosely arranged using them. Since I try to see the world through the eyes of animals, most Mutts themes are quite basic: cats, dogs, rain, snow, the moon, the ocean and what all animals (including us) want: food, naps, and love. And, because all art is personal, other themes explore the language of comics, the high art/low art discourse, the human-animal bond, animal rights, and spirituality.
I’ve said it before, but I have truly enjoyed compiling this anthology of memories and am looking forward to sharing them with all of you, whether you’ve just discovered MUTTS or you’ve been with Mooch and Earl from the very beginning.
Let me know what you think!
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