Editing Patrick McDonnell

{{Short description|American illustrator}}
{{about|the American cartoonist|other people with the same name|Patrick McDonnell (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox comics creator

|image=Patrick and Amelie Seaside.JPG
|caption=Patrick McDonnell and his dog Amelie
| birth_date = {{birth date and age |1956|03|17}}
| birth_place = [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| area = Cartoonist, Playwright, Children's book illustrator
| cartoonist = y
| artist = y
| notable works = ''[[Mutts (comic strip)|Mutts]]''
| awards = [[#Awards|see full list]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Karen O'Connell|1983}}<ref name=NYTimes />
| website = {{URL|https://mutts.com}}
}}

'''Patrick McDonnell''' (born March 17, 1956) is a cartoonist, author, and playwright. He is the creator of the daily [[comic strip]] ''[[Mutts (comic strip)|Mutts]]'', which follows the adventures of a dog and a cat, that has been syndicated since 1994.<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/where-the-mild-things-are.html|title=In Person: Where the Mild Things Are|website=The New York Times|last=Gustines|first=George Gene|date=2005-09-25|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> Prior to creating ''Mutts'', he was a prolific magazine illustrator, and would frequently include a dog in the backgrounds of his drawings.<ref name=HNT2003>{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/437745552|author=Hurley-Schubert, Victoria|publisher=Home News Tribune|date=July 21, 2003|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306214917/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/mycentraljersey/doc/437745552.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul%2021,%202003&author=VICTORIA%20HURLEY-SCHUBERT&pub=Home%20News%20Tribune&edition=&startpage=&desc=Middlesex%20County%20cartoonist%27s%20pets%20inspire%20comic%20strip|title=Middlesex County cartoonist's pets inspire comic strip|archive-date=March 6, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2022|id={{ProQuest|437745552}} }} "McDonnell, a 1974 Edison High School, graduate started his career as a magazine illustrator. He always drew a little dog somewhere in the background..."</ref> 

McDonnell's [[picture book]], ''The Gift of Nothing'',<ref name=NYTimes /> was adapted as a musical for the [[Kennedy Center]] stage, as was his picture book about the childhood of [[Jane Goodall]], ''Me . . . Jane'', which won a [[Caldecott Honor]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/content/me-jane|title=Me . . . Jane - Awards and Grants|website=American Library Association|date=January 23, 2012|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> His work has been animated for television commercials, most notably a [[public service announcement]] for the [[NY Philharmonic]]. He is a co-author of ''[[Krazy Kat]]: The Comic Art of [[George Herriman]]'', published in 1986 by [[Abrams Books]].

McDonnell is involved with many animal and environmental charities. His characters have been used by the [[United States Marines]], the [[American Library Association]], and by the [[Humane Society of the United States]]. The ''Mutts'' characters appear on the New Jersey Animal Friendly license plates, which fund state pet population programs.

He won the [[Harvey Award]] for Best Comic Strip eight times, and has been given four [[National Cartoonists Society Awards]].

==Early life==
Patrick Luigi McDonnell was born in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]], the son of an Irish father and an Italian-American mother.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fumettologica.it/2014/09/20-anni-di-mutts-intervista-a-patrick-mcdonnell/2/|last=Fiamma|first=Andrea|title=20 anni di Mutts. Intervista a Patrick McDonnell|publisher=[[Fumettologica]]|date=September 5, 2014|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> Early artistic influences were [[Charles M. Schulz]], [[George Herriman]], and [[E. C. Segar]].<ref name=NYTimes /> McDonnell was raised in [[Edison, New Jersey]] and, after graduating from [[Edison High School (New Jersey)|Edison High School]] in 1974,<ref name=HNT2003/> he attended the [[School of Visual Arts]] in New York on scholarship,<ref name=Conte>{{cite web|author=Conte, Annemarie|url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/his-name-is-earl/|title=His Name is Earl|website=[[New Jersey Monthly]]|date=February 6, 2008|access-date=May 19, 2022}} McDonnell was born in Elizabeth and grew up in Edison.... After graduating from New York's School of Visual Arts in the early 1980s, McDonnell moved to Hoboken, where there was a community of underground cartoonists."</ref> graduating in 1978.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1987/09/28/from-the-publisher|author=Donald J. Barr|title=From the Publisher|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=1987-09-28|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>

==Career==
At SVA, McDonnell met a group of [[Underground comix|underground]] cartoonists, such as [[Peter Bagge]] and [[Kazimieras G. Prapuolenis]] (Kaz). Moving to [[Hoboken, New Jersey]], shortly after graduating, McDonnell had some of his earliest professional drawings published in ''[[The Village Voice]]'', and as "Jerseyana" in ''[[New Jersey Monthly]]'' magazine.<ref name=Conte /> His first high-profile ongoing freelance work was providing illustrations for the [[Russell Baker]] ''Observer'' column for ''[[The New York Times Sunday Magazine]]'' from 1978 to 1993. His work on the ''Observer'' column got McDonnell interested in the idea of eventually doing a comic strip.<ref name=NYTimes />

McDonnell created a monthly comic strip, ''Bad Baby'', for ''[[Parents Magazine]]'', which ran for ten years. The ''Bad Baby'' strips were collected and published by [[Ballantine Books]] in 1988.<ref>Fiore, R. "Funnybook Roulette," ''The Comics Journal'' #129 (May 1989), pp. 45-48.</ref> ''Bad Baby'' was adapted into an animated TV movie in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://halcyonstudios.tv/titles/bad-baby|title = Bad Baby|date = 1997|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> During that time he also was a regular contributor to ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', ''[[Reader's Digest]]'', ''[[Forbes]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', and many other national magazines. McDonnell's illustrations for magazines, books, and [[greeting cards]] earned him two [[National Cartoonists Society Awards]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/reubensum.php|title=National Cartoonists Society Awards|date=2006|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>

''[[Mutts (comic strip)|Mutts]]'' became syndicated, distributed by [[King Features Syndicate]], starting in 1994. It won the [[Harvey Award]] for Best Comic Strip in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003. ''[[Peanuts]]'' creator [[Charles M. Schulz]] said of ''Mutts'', "To me, MUTTS is exactly what a comic strip should be."<ref>{{cite book|title=The Best of MUTTS|date=2007-09-01|author=Patrick McDonnell}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mutts.com/pages/our-story|title=Our Story: All About the MUTTS Comic Strip|website=Mutts.com|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}</ref> A book of McDonnell's life and work, ''Mutts: The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell'', was published in 2003 by [[Abrams Books]].

In 2005, McDonnell curated an exhibition — ''"Top Dogs: Comic Canines Before and After [[Snoopy]]"'' — at the [[Charles M. Schulz Museum]] in [[Santa Rosa, California]].<ref>Weidenbaum, Marc. "Exhibition Reviews," ''International Journal of Comic Art'' vol. 7, no. 2 (Fall 2005), pp. 405-407.</ref><ref name=NYTimes /> 

In 2006, the ''Mutts'' characters were featured in the [[United States Marines]]' [[Toys for Tots]] holiday poster, and in 2007 were part of the [[American Library Association]]'s "Read!" poster. The 2007-2008 [[Mazdaspeed]] Team featured ''Mutts''-themed vehicles promoting pet adoption and the work of the [[Humane Society of the United States]]. He also created a set of "humane postage stamps" for the Humane Society.<ref name=NYTimes /> 

In 2009 McDonnell collaborated with author [[Eckhart Tolle]] to create ''[[Guardians of Being]]'', a philosophical book about nature and the present moment.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=MacQueen, Ken|date=October 22, 2009|title=Eckhart Tolle vs. God|magazine=Maclean's}}</ref> In 2011, McDonnell's children's book ''Me... Jane'' was published. It is a story about naturalist [[Jane Goodall]] growing up and her awakening curiosity about the lives of animals around her. A sequence of ''Mutts'' strips led to Goodall's interest in working with McDonnell on the book.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Heintjes|first=Tom|title=Reigning Cat and Dog: An Interview with MUTTS Creator Patrick McDonnell|url=https://www.hoganmag.com/blog/reigning-cat-and-dog-an-interview-with-mutts-creator-patrick-mcdonnell|website=Hogan's Alley: the magazine of the cartoon arts|date=1994|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> ''Me... Jane'' won a [[Caldecott Medal|Caldecott Honor]] in 2012. In 2010, the ''Mutts'' comic strip was appearing in more than 700 newspapers across 20 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/52347-pw-talks-with-patrick-mcdonnell.html|title=PW Talks with Patrick McDonnell|last=Lodge|first=Sally|date=2010-06-05|website=PublishersWeekly.com|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
McDonnell has been a vegetarian since around 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vegetariantimes.com/life-garden/one-on-one-with-patrick-mcdonnell/ |title=One on One with Patrick McDonnell: Life imitates art for this animal-championing artist |last=Ritchie|first=Ryan|website=Vegetarian Times |date=2010-09-11|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> and a [[vegan]] since 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eugeneveg.org/pdf/Interviews/2020/Patrick_Mcdonnell-interview-Final.pdf|title=Interview with Patrick McDonnell, Autumn 2020|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> McDonnell is a member of the board of directors of the [[Humane Society of the United States]], the [[Fund for Animals]],<ref name=NYTimes />  and The [[Charles M. Schulz]] Museum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://schulzmuseum.org/about/board/|title=Board of Directors - Charles M. Schulz Museum|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> 

McDonnell and his wife Karen O'Connell — whom he met in the late 1970s while both members of the [[punk band]] Steel Tips — reside in Princeton, [[New Jersey]],<ref name=NYTimes /> with their dog Amelie, and their cat, Willie Lebowsky. Their [[Jack Russell Terrier]], Earl, who was the inspiration and constant muse for the ''Mutts'' character of the same name, died in November 2007 after living with McDonnell for over 18 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/homegarden/homestories/2008/04/mutts_creator.html|author=Smith, Joan Lowell|title=Parting is sweet sorrow for 'Mutts' creator|date=2008-04-02|publisher=The Star-Ledger|access-date=May 19, 2022}} "Earl, the Jack Russell terrier who was both companion and inspiration for "Mutts" creator Patrick McDonnell, died in November at age 19."</ref>

== Awards ==
* [[Helen Hayes Award]] for ''The Gift of Nothing'' musical (at The Kennedy Center) – Best Adaptation 2015<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/04/07/mutts-patrick-mcdonnell-grateful-for-gift-of-nothings-new-helen-hayes-award/|title='Mutts': Patrick McDonnell 'grateful' for 'Gift of Nothing's' new Helen Hayes Award|author=Michael Cavna|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 7, 2015|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Bob Clampett]] Humanitarian Award, 2011, given at the [[Eisner Awards]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas|author=M. Keith Booker|publisher=ABC-CLIO|date=Oct 28, 2014|page=1662}}</ref> 
* PETA Humanitarian Award 2001
* [[National Cartoonists Society]]'s [[Reuben Award]] for Cartoonist of the Year 1999<ref>Evry, Ron. "Newswatch: McDonnell Wins Reuben Award, Chris Ware Takes Comic Book Division, Cartoonists Salute Charles Schulz in New York," ''The Comics Journal'', #224 (June 2000), pp. 19-20.</ref><ref name=NYTimes /> 
* National Cartoonists Society's Award for Comic Strip of the Year 1999<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/reubensum.php|title=National Cartoonists Society Awards|website=Hahn Library|date=2006|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>   
* National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award (nominee) 1997 and 1998
* Germany's [[Max & Moritz Prize]] for Best International Comic Strip 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/max96.php|title=1996 Max & Moritz Prizes|website=Hahn Library|date=1996|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Swedish Academy of Comic Art]]'s Adamson Statuette 1997
* [[Harvey Award]] for Best Comic Strip (for ''[[Mutts (comic strip)|Mutts]]'') 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010
* [[Ark (charity)|Ark Trust]] [[Genesis Award]] 1997, 1999 
* [[National Cartoonists Society Division Awards|National Cartoonists Society Award for Greeting Cards]] 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/reubensum.php|title=National Cartoonists Society Awards|website=Hahn Library|date=2006|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
* National Cartoonists Society Award for Magazine and Book Illustration 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/reubensum.php|title=National Cartoonists Society Awards|website=Hahn Library|date=2006|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
=== ''Mutts'' ===
==== Collections ====
* ''MUTTS'' (1996)<ref>Spurgeon, Tom. "Objective Opinions: Firing Line: Mutts, Patrick McDonnell,"''The Comics Journal'' #189 (Aug. 1996), p. 53.</ref>
* ''Cats & Dogs'' (1997)
* ''More Shtuff'' (1998)
*''Mutts Little Big Book'' (1998)
*''MUTTS Sundays'' (1999) — large format, in color
* ''Yesh!'' (1999)<ref>Worcester, Kent. "Firing Line: Mutts IV: Yesh!: Patrick McDonnell, ''The Comics Journal'' #212 (May 1999), p. 36.)</ref>
* ''Our MUTTS ''(2000)
* ''A Little Look-See ''(2001)
*''Sunday Mornings: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2001) — large format, in color
* ''What Now (''2002)
* ''I Want To Be The Kitty! ''(2003)
*''Mutts: The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell'' (2003)<ref name=NYTimes />
* ''Dog-Eared ''(2004)
*''Sunday Afternoons: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2004) — large format, in color
*''Sunday Evenings: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2005) — large format, in color
* ''Who Let The Cat Out? ''(2005)
* ''Everyday MUTTS: A Comic Strip Treasury'' (2006) (Sundays in color)
* ''Animal Friendly: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2007) (Sundays in color)
*''The Best of Mutts'' (2007) — retrospective
* ''Call of The Wild: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2008) (Sundays in color)
*''Mutts: Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. '' (2008) — collection of over 100 ''Shelter Stories'' comics accompanied by photos and vignettes of adopted pets
* ''Stop and Smell the Roses: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2009) (Sundays in color)
* ''Earl & Mooch: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2010) (Sundays in color)
* ''Our Little Kat King: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2011) (Sundays in color)
* ''Bonk!: A MUTTS Treasury ''(2012) (Sundays in color)
* ''Cat Crazy: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2013) (Sundays in color)
* ''Living the Dream: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2014) (Sundays in color)
* ''Playtime: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2015) (Sundays in color)
* ''Year of Yesh: A MUTTS Treasury'' (2016) (Sundays in color)
* ''#LoveMutts Treasury'' (2017) (Sundays in color)
* ''You Have Those Wild Eyes Again, Mooch: A New Mutts Treasury'' (2018) (Sundays in color)
* ''The Art of Nothing: 25 Years of MUTTS and the Art of Patrick McDonnell'' (Harry N. Abrams, 2019)
* ''Hot Dogs, Hot Cats: A Mutts Treasury'' (2020) (Sundays in color)
* ''MUTTS Moments'' (2021)
* ''Walking Home'' (2022)
* ''Treats'' (2024)

==== ''Mutts'' children's books ====
*''The Gift of Nothing'' (2005) — ''New York Times'' bestseller
*''Just Like Heaven: A Mutts Children's Book'' (2006)
*''Hug Time'' (2007) — ''New York Times'' bestseller
*''Wag!'' (2009)

=== Other children's books===
*''Art'' (2006)
*''South'' (2008)
*''[[Me... Jane|Me . . . Jane]]'' (2011)<ref>both the publisher and Caldecott refer to it with the spaces between the dots</ref>
* ''The Monsters' Monster'' (2012)
* ''A Perfectly Messed-Up Story'' (2014)
* (written by [[Mac Barnett]]) ''The Skunk'' (Roaring Brook Press, 2015)
* ''Thank You and Good Night'' (2015)
* ''Tek: The Modern Cave Boy'' (2016)
* ''The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's the Hard Way'' (2017)

===Other===
* ''Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman'' (1986) (with Karen O'Connell and Georgia Riley de Havenon). New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. {{ISBN|0-8109-2313-0}}.
*''Bad Baby'' (1988). New York: Ballantine (a Fawcett Columbine book) — collection of ''Bad Baby'' strips from ''Parent Magazine''; foreword by [[Elizabeth Crow]]
*''[[Guardians of Being]]'' (2009) (Words by [[Eckhart Tolle]])
* (with poet [[Daniel Ladinsky]]) ''Darling I Love You: Poems from the Hearts of Our Glorious Mutts and All Our Animal Friends'' (2017)
* The Super Hero’s Journey (2023)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-10 |title=An Evening with Patrick McDonnell: The Super Hero's Journey |url=https://www.cartoonart.org/calendar/2023/11/10/an-evening-with-patrick-mcdonnell |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Cartoon Art Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Further reading ==
* Huestis, Peter. "Patrick McDonnell," ''The Comics Journal'' #197 (July 1997), pp. 66–80.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://mutts.com Official ''Mutts'' website]

{{commons category-inline}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell, Patrick}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American comic strip cartoonists]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:American comics artists]]
[[Category:American humorists]]
[[Category:American children's writers]]
[[Category:American children's book illustrators]]
[[Category:People from Edison, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Artists from Elizabeth, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Artists from Hoboken, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Reuben Award winners]]
[[Category:School of Visual Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Edison High School (New Jersey) alumni]]
[[Category:Caldecott Honor winners]]
[[Category:Writers who illustrated their own writing]]