History ComicStrip / Mutts

* Catchphrase: Quite a few.

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* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler:Guard Dog]]'s new name is Sparky, which was Creator/CharlesMSchulz's nickname.

** In 2018, the characters began BreakingTheFourthWall much more frequently.

** PlayedForLaughs in [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-011018/ this strip]]. It's [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield never straight-up said where Earl and Mooch live]], but it's certainly not Antarctica. This doesn't stop a penguin from showing up there on an unusually cold day.

* ToiletHumour: Surprisingly for a comic focusing on animals, the comic averts this for the most part, only going far as to have the occasional mention of Mooch's litter box or Earl running over to a tree or pole (implying he wants to mark his territory).

* AnimalsFearNeutering: In a rare aversion for a work featuring animals, all the dogs and cats (yes, even the males) are happily willing to get their sexual organs removed for the sake of Spay Day and even ''they'' know about the overpopulation issue.

* CrossOver: When ComicStrip/{{Blondie}} celebrated the Blumsteads' 60th Anniversary in 2005 Earl and Mooch could be seen with other King Features characters on Blondie and Dagwood's front lawn. In the ''Mutts'' comic for that day Ozzie receives an invite to the gala as Earl trips up the oddly familiar looking Mailman.

* ViewerGenderConfusion: Many pets or animals seen, with some exceptions, lack TertiarySexualCharacteristics, something that the comic tries to avoid, leaving readers to rely on context clues or characters' speech.

* ShoutOut:
** In many Sunday strips, the title panel will sometimes contain [[http://www.muttscomics.com/title.aspx a reference of some sort.]]
** [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-071007/ While in Yellowstone, Earl and Mooch encounter a grizzly bear]]. Mooch asks him, "Where's [[Franchise/WinnieThePooh Piglet]]?"
** A RunningGag is Sourpuss's [[ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} hatred of Mondays]].
** One storyline has a bird named Bella [[InterspeciesRomance falling in love]] with a bat named Edward. [[Literature/{{Twilight}} You do the math]].
** One storyline has Mooch introducing Earl meeting four beetles clearly based on Music/TheBeatles.
** One "Shelter Stories" storyline called "Shelters Rock" featured a hound dog named [[Music/ElvisPresley Elvis]], two terriers named the Berry Brothers, two cats named [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand Mick and Keith]], a pair of moptopped dogs [[Music/TheBeatles John and Paul]], and a dog named [[Music/IggyPop Iggy]]. WaxingLyrical ensues.
** [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-083111/ This strip]] contains a reference to ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''.
** [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-101710/ This strip]] has a bird encountering [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} a house with a bunch of balloons tied to it]].
** [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-101810/ When he and Mooch encounter a scarecrow]], Earl says that he heard [[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz all he wants is a brain]]. Mooch's response is, "For what?"
** Another reference to ''The Wizard of Oz'' appears in [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-102614/ this Halloween strip]], which features Millie as Dorothy, Frank as the Tin Man, Ozzie as the Scarecrow, Earl as the Cowardly Lion, and Mooch as Toto.
-->'''Mooch:''' ''(to Earl)'' Where the heck are we off to!?!
** Yet another reference to ''The Wizard of Oz'' comes up when Earl and Mooch [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-102718/ meet a witch]] - Mooch asks her if she's a good witch or a bad witch.
-->'''Earl:''' What's a GOOD witch?
-->'''Mooch:''' Hmmm... a tuna sand-'''[[{{Pun}} WITCH]]''' is pretty nice.
** It might just be a coincidence, but one "Shelter Story" focused on a pair of cats named [[Series/FullHouse Danny and Joey]].

* AllJustADream: [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-042905/ One strip in a "Shelter Story" about a dog named Andy]] has Andy, after getting adopted, being afraid to open his eyes the next morning because he's worried that the previous day was just a dream and that he's still in the shelter. Eventually, he works up the courage to open his eyes... and discovers that, indeed, it was not a dream.

** Sid is a goldfish living in the stereotypical goldfish bowl, which he does complain about.

* BigDamnHero: [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-122096/ When Earl, Mooch and Shtinky are stuck out in a snowstorm]] on December 20th, an old man - presumably Santa Claus - shows up to take them home.

* FauxHorrific: For the Mutts Halloween Book Club, Mooch reads "scary" books such as ''Literature/TheExorcist'', ''Literature/TheRaven'', and ''Literature/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth''. But the book club's other members don't become frightened until he announces that they're going to read the complete two-thousand-plus page health care reform bill.

* GreenAesop: The main theme of the strip.

* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Shnelly's ears (and sometimes paws) appear. No more. Despite persistent wooing from Mooch.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Probably not intentional but some of the more {{Anvilicious}} moments may have this effect.

* GentleGiant: The Guard Dog.

* BigFriendlyDog: Woofie, the dog that "wuvs" everything. Also, Guard Dog when he's not on duty.

** The animals (most notably Earl and Mooch) acted more animal-like compared to their AnthropomorphicZigZag in later comics.

* SickEpisode: Sometimes Mooch would get a cold and Earl would try to help him, though this happens less nowadays in favor of the "Hibernation" storylines.

** [[https://mutts.com/product/strip-040207 "Stop and smell the roses...]] [[BaitAndSwitchComment and the trees and the rocks and the telephone poles and the..."]]

** Earl and Mooch often complain about humans eating meat even though they don't have a problem eating meat themselves nor do they think about it that much, which is justified as [[FurryReminder they ''are'' animals]].

* BigFriendlyDog: Woofie, the dog that "wuvs" everything.

-->'''Mooch:''' (after getting hit by a shoe) My, that ''was'' a really big shoo!

* IResembleThatRemark: Frank is insulted that Millie considers him "a lazy, do-nothing cat-hating coach potato" and plans to prove her wrong by going through the effort of building a pet door for Mooch... and then mutters that as an extra bonus, having done so he'll "never again have to get up to let that furball out!"

** Guard Dog

* CrossOver: When ComicStrip/{{Blondie}} celebrated the Blumsteads' 60th Anniversary in 2005 Earl and Mooch could be seen with other King Features characters on Blondie and Dagwood's front lawn. In the ''Mutts'' comic for that day we see their owner getting an invite to the gala as Earl trips up the oddly familiar looking Mailman.

* AnthropomorphicShift: WordOfGod deliberately tries to avert this as much as possible, saying he does not want his comic to be about [[FunnyAnimal humans in animal costumes]] that act like humans as opposed to the animals that they're based on. Unfortunately, the anthropomorphism has taken its toll onto many animal characters, as to be expected, and remains as a permanent part of the comic.
** Shtinky was originally portrayed as a regular tabby kitten who walked on four legs. Soon after his concern about the world he lives in, he became bipedal and acted more human-like, to the point where he's rarely ever seen four-legged.

* SpeechImpairedAnimal: Mooch talks with a speech impediment that makes words like "yes" turn into "yesh".

* SuperiorSpecies: Animals in relation to [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans]].
* ThoughtBubbleSpeech: The pets gain these when humans are present, though it's common for them to speak in the presence of humans. Sid almost exclusively communicates through thought bubbles.

* CatapultNightmare: In the [[http://muttscomics.com/strip.aspx?m=05&d=19&y=13 strip for May 19th, 2013]] Mooch wakes up from a multilevel dream (having a dream about having a dream, which is about having a dream, etc.) in shock. He says to his owner "Now I've dreamed everything!"

* FangThpeak: Mooch.

* FungusHumongous: In the [[http://muttscomics.com/strip.aspx?m=05&d=05&y=13 strip for May 5th, 2013]], Earl and Mooch walk among mushrooms taller than a human being.

''Mutts'' is a newspaper comic created by Patrick [=McDonnell=]; it launched on September 5, 1994, and is still running today. The comic centers around a dog (Earl) and a cat (Mooch), their humans, and the many humans and animals in their neighborhood.

The official site can be found [[http://www.muttscomics.com/ here]].

** Implied in a strip when Mooch is badly beaten up because he accidentally tried to "milk" a dalmatian thinking he was a cow.