Celebrating 30 Years of MUTTS

1996

In May of 1996, we were introduced to Mooch’s girlfriend, Shnelly, a demure house cat depicted as two ears behind a window. This was also the year Patrick started the tradition of the cast going “down the shore” for the summer. It opened the strip up to a whole new locale with characters to explore, including the lovable crab Crabby.

The year ended with a four-week-long holiday fable featuring a lost tabby whom Earl and Mooch named Shtinky Puddin’.

1997

In September, Patrick introduced Woofie, a big golden retriever-type of dog, who jumped up into the strip and proceeded to give it sloppy kisses. He also told the story of Phillipe and Phoebe, the tragic love between a free bird and a caged parakeet during migrating season.

At the end of the year, Patrick drew two stories in a row that would later play a major part in the world of MUTTS. The first was about Mooch falling asleep in a fog and waking up thinking he must be in heaven. The second was about Mooch’s quest to find the perfect gift for Earl. Eight years later these two tales became inspirations for the first to MUTTS children’s books, "Just Like Heaven" and "The Gift of Nothing."

1998

In May, with the help of a common dish towel, Mooch channeled the link to his ancient Egyptian past and became the all-knowing Shphinx. A master of the inshcrutable wise riddle and the unbearable bad pun.

On November 2, 1998 — inspired by the Humane Society of the United States’ National Animal Shelter Awareness Week — Patrick launched the now-beloved series “Shelter Stories.” Over the years Patrick has received many letters from people who say they were moved to adopt or to volunteer as a result of these strips.

1999

In 1999, Shtinky found his calling as a spokeskitten for endangered animals. Being an orange tabby, he identifies most with the wild tiger. These story lines featuring Shtinky try to remind us of the bigger picture. Sourpuss, on the other hand, represents the cat who wants to be left alone. He’s also Patrick’s comic archetype for the negativity we find in so much of today’s entertainment.

At the close of the year, Patrick drew one of his favorite stories, in which Mooch falls down a hole and has a near-death experience. He meets his “first life,” a little Mooch with angel wings. It’s a spiritual journey with a little cat spirit.

2000

In the summer of 2000, Patrick and his wife, Karen, had the opportunity to visit the African countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. It was a transformative experience for Patrick, who that October introduced the first “Mooch Dreams of Africa” strips.

2001

In January, Mooch began his obsession with the Little Pink Sock, which has since become one of the most beloved and iconic “characters” in the strip. It's a symbol for life's little treasures — complete with a song whose melody is left to the reader's imagination.

In November, Earl and Mooch visited a farm to help celebrate National Farm Animals Awareness Week, hosted annually by the Humane Society of the United States to improve the lives of farm animals.

2002

The year started off with Mooch in Earl in Frank and Millie’s big cozy bed, preparing to hibernate through the winter. (But in typical Mooch fashion, the one thing he doesn’t do while hibernating is actually sleep.)

This was also the year that the MUTTS characters began sharing their To-Do lists, inspired by Patrick’s musings about what his own cat’s daily to-do list might look like.

The comic strip from September 11 was drawn to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. 

2003

In 2023 Mooch introduced us to his pet, a snail he affectionately and teasingly named Little Earl. (Though we later learn that to his fellow mollusks, he's known as "Speed-o.")

During Shelter Stories week, we met Chickpea and Chickpea’s Brother for the first time. Many readers took to this feline duo and were quite worried about them when the week ended with the pair still homeless at the shelter. Due to popular demand, Patrick had them successfully adopted as a team the following April.

2004

This year, Mooch introduced the MUTTS Book Club, a punny get-together where he and other animal characters recite from their favorite novels.

And of course, in April, readers rejoiced in the adoption of Chickpea and Chickpea’s Brother, who found their forever home — together. 

2005

Enter Ms. Lulu the Pet Psychic, who in 2005 began advising the pet parents of the MUTTS neighborhood about their furry family members’ unspoken wishes (like more bellyrubs, of course.)

2007

In July 2007, Mooch and Earl took their first trip to Yellowstone. They started with a visit to Old Faithful, and went on to meet many wild animals who call this national park home.

2008

In April, Mooch and Earl appeared in MUTTS’ first week-long “Earth Days” celebration, featuring quotes about expressing love for our precious planet. In August, Patrick published one of the most popular MUTTS strips to date — an illustrated, animal-friendly take on the spiritual poem “Footprints in the Sand.”

2010

In July, Shtinky Puddin’ appeared in a week’s worth of comic strips honoring his hero, Dr. Jane Goodall. The strips celebrated the 50th anniversary of the day Dr. Goodall began her research at what is now Gombe Stream National Park.

This November's Shelter Stories featured the heartbreaking and hopeful tale of “Anne,” a puppy mill breeder dog who found a home and a happy ending at the end of the week-long series.

2011

Patrick introduced his first MUTTS Comic “Cons” series in July of 2011. Timed for the kick-off of Comic-Con season, this series featureed unlikely protagonists — like “The Invisible Cat” and “Dr. Shtrange” — in tribute to the classic comic superheroes that have inspired Patrick throughout the years.

The following month, Shtinky Puddin’ (aka “Jules”) had his first dreams of India. In this week-long series, he met a tiger, a peacock, an elephant, and other magnificent wild creatures.

2013

In November, Millie announced to her husband Frank: “This year, we’re having a vegan Thanksgiving!” Despite plenty of grumbling, Frank ultimately enjoyed the meal and even asked for more. Afterward, in a field, one turkey said to another: “It’s nice not to be wanted.”

2014

Sourpuss, the surly scaredy-cat, stepped behind the news anchor desk in January 2014 to bring us a breaking story: “It’s Monday.” Since then, Sourpruss has resumed his anchor role on various occasions, sometimes with the help of furry co-hosts.

2015

In May, Patrick used his first Shelter Series week of the year to share updates about former Shelter Stories animals, including two dogs, a pair of bonded cats, a chicken, a hamster, and a feline foster fail. Spoiler alert: They all found their forever homes!

That fall, the MUTTS cast — animals and humans alike — began keeping Gratitude Journals.

2016

In February, Patrick drew a Shelter Stories series based on real-life animals at Animal Care Centers of NYC, one of the largest municipal shelters in the country. He met these animals while filming a segment with the PBS show ShelterMe.

2017

In collaboration with poet Daniel Ladinsky, Patrick released the book "Darling, I Love You" in January 2017. The following month, a selection of poems and illustrations from the book appeared in the MUTTS strip around the week of Valentine’s Day.

2018

A Sunday strip, published October 14, 2018, featured a colorful autumn image of Ozzie and Earl in the woods, along with a quote from Ram Dass: “We’re all just walking each other home.” This strip became an instant favorite among MUTTS readers.

2019

Patrick had the privilege to meet the legendary artist Joe Sinnott, known since the 1960s for inking Marvel’s "Fantastic Four" series and many other beloved comics. During their visit, he took Joe up on an offer to ink a MUTTS Sunday page, and it inspired Patrick to do an homage to two classic Marvel covers.

2020

In February, Mooch discovered Shtinky hiding "down under" in the bed covers, heartbroken for the animals who perished in the 2019-2020 Australian wildfires. Shortly after, Shtinky took to the city streets with picket signs that read: "Save the Koalas. Save the Planet. Save That Thought."

That summer, Patrick made good on a promise he'd previously made to readers (and to himself) — that Butchie and his Fatty Snax Deli would go vegan. This transition happened in June, after Butchie visited a farm sanctuary and looked into the eyes of a pig, a cow, and a chicken. In doing research ahead of this storyline, Patrick learned that Butchie would not be unique, as there are already vegan butcher shops around the world. This reassured Patrick that it was realistic to have Butchie make the switch.

2023

On January 22, Mooch and Earl appeared in a Sunday strip featuring a quote from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The title panel for this strip is an homage to the cover of "Heart to Heart," the collaborative book from Patrick and the Dalai Lama, which was released two days later.

On October 1, the furry duo appeared in another Sunday strip modeled after Patrick's graphic novel "The Super Hero's Journey," published on September 26, 2023.

In late 2023, Patrick created a long-awaited tale nearly three decades in the making: Guard Dog’s freedom story. This seven-week tale showed Guard Dog being abandoned by his owner and left alone to suffer, then discovered by his animal friends Mooch and Earl — and ultimately rescued by Doozy and Ozzie. On November 30, Ozzie broke the chain for good. On December 14, Doozy adopted Guard Dog — marking the end of a long life of neglect and the beginning of one filled with love. The next day, Doozy revealed the pup’s new name: Sparky, a nod to one of Patrick’s greatest artistic inspirations, Charles Schulz.