Top Dog - Marmaduke at 50 (Hardcover, 1st Balantine Books ed)

“My daily panel is like a gag, but the Sunday strip is like a little adventure. . . . And with Marmaduke, anything can become an adventure.”
–Brad Anderson

America’s most playful pooch has been delighting fans since 1954. The lovably rambunctious Great Dane currently appears in more than 660 newspapers, in 20 different countries worldwide. Now, in honor of this top dog’s 50th anniversary, Brad Anderson has hand picked his favorite cartoon strips from the last five decades for this beautifully designed volume that will have everyone drooling.

Marmaduke epitomizes the overgrown lap dog, with an irascible streak and a penchant for mischief that is tempered with a deep sense of love and responsibility for his family. In stature and in character, this horse-sized hound stands head and shoulders above the rest. Marmaduke strikes a chord because, quite simply, he is a real dog. Creator Brad Anderson modeled Marmaduke on his parents’ boxer, Bruno. Originally just a big dog, Marmaduke immediately appealed to newspaper readers in part because the emotions he expressed were so very human. The cartoon canine’s antics and mishaps are both hilarious and remarkably familiar to anyone with a dog.

Marmaduke is also instilled with Anderson’s own deep commitment to community and family. Marmaduke and Anderson have long been supporters–and Marmaduke, their “spokesdog”–of the Delta Society’s Pet Partners Program, in which volunteers and their pets visit sick and elderly in hospitals and care centers. The comic strip is not only a welcome respite, it’s also a helping hand, connecting people in hospitals and care facilities with animals, both real and drawn.

This wonderful collection proves that whether Marmaduke is rescuing a stray kitten, seeing the kids off to school, or visiting senior citizens in the park, he always does it in a way that makes millions of fans smile. Nothing’s bigger than Marmaduke’s heart, including those giant paws.