Patrick McDonnell: podcast appearances and interviews

Patrick McDonnell, born on March 17, 1956, is a cartoonist, author, and playwright. He is best known for creating the daily comic strip Mutts, which has been syndicated since 1994 and features the adventures of a dog and a cat. Before establishing Mutts, McDonnell was a prolific magazine illustrator, often including a dog in the backgrounds of his drawings. His picture book The Gift of Nothing was adapted as a musical for the Kennedy Center, and his book about the childhood of Jane Goodall titled Me . . . Jane, received a Caldecott Honor in 2012. McDonnell’s work has been animated for television commercials, including a public service announcement for the New York Philharmonic. He is also a co-author of Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman, published in 1986 by Abrams Books. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved with various animal and environmental charities. His characters have been used by organizations such as the United States Marines, the American Library Association, and the Humane Society of the United States. The characters from Mutts appear on the New Jersey Animal Friendly license plates, which support state pet population programs. McDonnell has received multiple awards including eight Harvey Awards for Best Comic Strip and four National Cartoonists Society Awards, recognizing his contributions to cartooning and his dedication to animal and environmental causes.