Marmaduke is a newspaper comic strip revolving around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke, drawn by Brad Anderson from November 15, 1954 to 2015.
Publication history
The strip was created by writer Phil Leeming
and artist Brad Anderson, and sold to the John F. Dille Co. (later known as the National Newspaper Syndicate) in 1954.
[ Anderson entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed October 14, 2018.] Anderson said he drew on Laurel and Hardy routines for his ideas.
Anderson illustrated the strip, writing it with help from Phil Leeming (1955–1962) and later Dorothy Leeming (1963–1969), and, after August 2, 2004, Anderson's son Paul.
The strip on Sundays also has a side feature called "Dog Gone Funny", in which one or more panels are devoted to dog anecdotes submitted by the fans.
Brad Anderson died on August 30, 2015, at the age of 91,
Characters
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Marmaduke – a messy but lovable Great Dane owned by the Winslow family; he is large even for his breed, and has regularly been drawn as apparently measuring 40 inches (102 cm) and upwards at the withers.
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Phil – patriarch of the Winslow family
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Dottie – matriarch of the Winslow family
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Barbie
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Billy
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Mr. and Mrs. Snyder – the Winslows' neighbors
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King Tut – A Siamese cat, based on Brad Anderson's pet, who is Marmaduke's nemesis
Reception
Brad Anderson won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Newspaper Panel Cartoon in 1978,
[ Marmaduke , bio at United Feature Syndicate website] and the George Arents Pioneer Medal for Syracuse University alumni in 1999.
[ ARENTS AWARD WINNERS , Syracuse University Magazine 1999: "The strip ... now syndicated in more than 600 newspapers worldwide."]
As of 2015, Marmaduke continues to be widely syndicated,[ Our readers show their loyalties, Chicago Sun Times, October 1, 1986]
Criticism
The strip's longevity and perceived monotony
[ Laughing at, not with, the comics, Troy Reimink, Grand Rapids Press: "The daily comic strip strikes me as such a moldy, arcane form of entertainment, based on tired jokes repeated ad nauseam until the end of time. We get it: Garfield likes lasagna. Marmaduke is big."] have been noted by publications such as
The Onion[ Some Old Man Still Churning Out Marmaduke, The Onion, March 14, 2008] and have made it the butt of jokes.
[: "Marmaduke has arguably spent 50 years retelling the same two jokes – Marmaduke is a dog with some human qualities, and Marmaduke is gargantuan – but the Star's attempt to drop it in 1999 sparked a reader revolt."] It has become "a hot source of retro-ironic-subversive humor."
For example, a blog called "Joe Mathlete Explains Today's Marmaduke"
the strip to offer an alternative explanation for what is happening in the drawing.
[ NPR Story about Marmaduke Explained: " Let's be clear. No one thinks Marmaduke is funny. ... However, someone explaining Marmaduke – that's funny."] Another blog called "Marmaduke Can Vote" gives each panel a political slant,
while another called "Poignant Marmaduke" changes all the captions to make the comics sad.
Additionally, "The Marmaduke Project" re-imagines Marmaduke in other forms.
The Comic Strip Doctor, David Malki of Wondermark included Marmaduke for analysis of strips he disliked, alongside Heathcliff, Family Circus, and Dennis the Menace.
Adaptations
Animated series
Ruby-Spears produced
Marmaduke segments for the 1980
animated series Heathcliff, whose title character was also based on a comic strip character. In this animated version, the male characters were voiced by
Paul Winchell and the females were voiced by
Russi Taylor.
Films
A live-action
Marmaduke movie, in which the Winslows and their dog move from
Kansas to
California, was released on June 4, 2010 and received generally negative reviews from critics. The film featured
Owen Wilson as the voice of Marmaduke,
Lee Pace as Phil Winslow,
Judy Greer as Debbie Winslow, Caroline Sunshine as Barbara Winslow, and Finley Jacobsen as Brian Winslow.
It was announced on the Andrews McMeel website that an animated film adaptation of Marmaduke was planned to be released sometime in 2022.
- General
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Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. .
External links
