Footrot Flats is a comic strip from New Zealand, by Murray Ball, about the life and times of a farmer's dog, known simply as The Dog, his owner and his friends, and the various animals that live in and around the farm. The comic itself does not exist on-line, but more detail can be found at an unofficial site.The characters include:
Wallace 'Wal' Footrot: The Dog's owner, a no-nonsense farmer, amateur rugby player and more or less The Everyman (at least for farmers). Runs a large farm on his own with a large variety of animals, including sheep, cattle, pigs, chickens, ducks and geese. And at least one goat and one turkey, which is more than enough.
Cooch Windgrass: Wal's neighbour, best friend and right hand man. A Friend to All Living Things whose farm is rather overgrown, and his house has a large tree growing through the middle. He farms goats, which are the perpetual bane of Wal and the dog, and owns Jess, the dog's girlfriend.
Aunt Dolly: Wal's aunt, the dog's original owner, who runs a home for cats and owns a Welsh Corgi named Prince Charles. Something of a overbearing mother figure for Wallace, though she often helps him out on the farm, and the dog has a grudge against her for giving him his name.
Alien Lunch: Happens as Wal is scoffing down the lunch Cooch made him in the back country. Wal remarks that he loves freshwater crayfish only for Cooch to remark "Yeah, but how do you feel about them cave wetas?"
All Bikers Are Hells Angels: Horse's girlfriend belongs to a bikie gang, and his ferocity endears him to them.
The Dog wishes he was this, but can only build up the courage when burglars touch his food.
Animals Lack Attributes: Zig Zagged. The trope applies to most of the animal characters, except for Cecil the ram, who has very prominent testicles. Jess the dog and Dolores the sow also have mammaries when nursing.
Everything's Messier with Pigs: Wal's many farm animals include pigs. His neighbors the Murphys have slightlycompletely feral ones, known and feared as 'Croco Pigs'.
The Faceless: Cooch's cousin Kathy never has her full face appear.
Full Boar Action: Major, Wal's other dog, is bred and trained to help hunt feral pigs.
Gag Boobs: Dolores 'Cheeky' Hobson, we are looking at you.
A Handful for an Eye: Rangi does this to Lex Murphy in one strip. Not having any sand available, he improvises by using a handful of dried sheep droppings.
Odd Name Out: 'Irish' Murphy's three dogs are named Tiger, Wolf and Creampuff.
Pet the Dog: Horse when with lost kittens - not to mention his own children.
Porky Pig Pronunciation: The Dog, within the introductory sections of each issue, due to uncertainty about spelling. Rather good handwriting for a dog though.
Rugby Is Slaughter: Wal's dreams of rugby glory in always end with him a bloodied heap being trampled into the mud. Even that one time he scored a Try after being on the field for 10 seconds.
Scary Black Men: The Maori bikers are probably the New Zealandic equivalent of this trope.
Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale provides examples of:
My Life Flashed Before My Eyes: Early in the film, the Dog starts drowning, prompting a flashback to his first day on the farm and his first encounters with Wal, Major, the Murphys, Jess, Cooch, and Pew.
Not Now, We're Too Busy Crying Over You: In the Dog's flashback, Wal's reaction to the new puppy going missing. He's too busy telling Cooch what a great little fellow the Dog was to notice that the reason for Cooch's visit is that he's found the Dog and brought him back.
Third Person Flashback: The Dog's flashback is in third-person — and includes Wal waking up, getting dressed, spotting Aunt Dolly's car approaching, and rushing around clearing up... none of which the Dog (who was in the car with Aunt Dolly) was there for.
.The characters include:
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