Patrick McDonnell's long-running comic strip Mutts has become a fixture of newspapers all over the country, and now it's getting a feature-length graphic novel spinoff. IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story.
Check out the slideshow gallery below to see an emotionally charged excerpt from this newly released graphic novel:
Breaking the Chain is written and illustrated by McDonnell and published by Abrams ComicArts. The book focuses on Mutts supporting character Guard Dog, who finds himself abandoned by his owner and left to die while chained up. Luckily, he's got a few helpful friends in Mooch, Earl, and a kindly neighborhood girl named Doozy.
"Animal welfare is a central theme in MUTTS. I wanted to show the world through the eyes of animals as best as I could, and for the MUTTS reader to experience that bond we share with them," McDonnell tells IGN. "When I first created the chained dog character, whom was originally known as Guard Dog, he was meant to be a foil for my main characters, Earl and Mooch. The goal was to create a hard-edged nemesis to counter their easy-going ways. I played with some ideas in my sketchbook, a big gruff dog with a spiked collar. But when I added the chain, it startled me. Guard Dog was not a bully, but a tragic character."
McDonnell continues, "Over the years, Guard Dog remained tethered outside, reminding people that it was unjust to chain a dog. Many people implored me to free him, while others, some in the animal community, said that he served a purpose in his current situation. So I introduced Doozy, a little girl who befriended Guard Dog and offered him kindness. The years rolled on and it became apparent that it was time for Guard Dog to have a proper home. That led to a seven-week story centered on his journey to freedom. I can say for sure that I didn’t realize how happy it would make everyone, including me, that he now has a name (Sparky, after Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz) and a home of his own - with the little girl, Doozy, who first befriended him nearly 20 years ago."
McDonnell is also partnering with the Sidewalk Angels Foundation, an animal welfare charity run by Marisol Thomas and her husband, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas. McDonnell designed a T-shirt for Sidewalk Angels, with all proceeds to benefit the organization. Rob Thomas provided the following statement to IGN:
Our love for [our dog] Tyler was a catalyst for us to create an animal welfare nonprofit called Sidewalk Angels Foundation. Our focus is to help those who have no voice—like Tyler, and like Patrick McDonnell’s beloved character Guard Dog “Sparky”. Sidewalk Angels Foundation’s focus has always been animal rescue and advocacy, helping those who have “no voice”.
Since its inception, the Foundation has aided in massive rescue operations and the large medical expenses incurred during these rescues, building proper shelter facilities, low cost spay and neuter programs, and adoptions helping animals find their forever homes.
We are committed to fighting against cruelty and to help “Break the Chain” for so many dogs like Sparky and our Tyler.
Collaborating with Team MUTTS on a special t-shirt that features Sparky wearing his very own Sidewalk Angels wings is a dream come true. We hope that through this beautiful artwork we can raise awareness and show how one person can truly make a difference.
Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story is available in stores now. You can order a copy on Amazon.
For more comic book goodness, check out our exclusive preview of DuckTales #1 and see all the Mike Mignola artwork featured in Pinocchio: The Illuminated Edition.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
