Among this year’s Harvey Awards Hall of Fame inductees is Mutts creator, cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, who was honored at the Harvey Awards ceremony at New York Comic Con on Friday night.
“I’ve loved comics my whole life,” said McDonnell in a statement. “It’s an honor and a thrill to be inducted into the Hall of Fame named for one of the true masters of our unique art form, Harvey Kurtzman. I greatly appreciate this award.”
McDonnell’s multi-award-winning Mutts comic strip debuted on September 5, 1994 and has appeared in more than 700 newspapers across 20 newspapers for the last three decades. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Mutts follows dog Earl and cat Mooch through interactions with each other, their humans, and animals around their neighborhood.
Following news of McDonnell’s new status as a hall of famer, his collaborators could not help but sing his praises.
“Patrick McDonnell’s Mutts comic strip is integral to the comics pages of hundreds of newspapers and digital content publishers worldwide,” said CJ Kettler, President of King Features Syndicate. “With a circulation of over 70 million, Mutts is woven into the fabric of readers’ daily habits—31 years and counting of humor, heart, and artful storytelling that depicts the lives and inner musings of Mooch, Earl, and whole cast of characters who are proxies for our own beloved pets.
“Patrick is unique in the world of cartooning. In addition to the daily strip and his own books featuring the Mutts characters, Patrick is a fine arts painter who has collaborated with both Jane Goodall and the Dalai Lama, highlighting issues he cares deeply about including wildlife conservancy, animal welfare and environmental stewardship,” Kettler continued. “We are honored to partner with Patrick McDonnell, a champion and brilliant cartoonist who uses his extraordinary talent to entertain, uplift, and advocate for critical social issues.”
Abrams ComicArts editor-in-chief Charles Kochman said, “Charles M. Schulz called Mutts ‘one of the best comic strips of all time.’ Jules Feiffer said, ‘Not since Little Nemo in Slumberland has the comics page been gifted with such a gentle, reverential spirit.’ So who am I to question my heroes?”
He continued, “I first became aware of Patrick McDonnell’s work on the pages of The New York Times when he was doing spot illustrations for Russel Baker’s Observer column. I have also been a regular reader of Mutts since the beginning. But I never dreamed that Patrick and I would work together, and in the process become close friends.”
“Patrick’s work is a legacy rooted in kindness, humility, and compassion,” said Schulz Museum executive director Gina Huntsinger. “His work at the Schulz Museum as a board member and advisor dates back to the very beginning and has been integral to every step of our efforts.”
In addition to the daily strip, McDonnell has also created multiple books, gifts, apparel, and more. He’s collaborated with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the late Dr. Jane Goodall, Eckhart Tolle, and poet Daniel Ladinsky. In 2023, he collaborated with Marvel Comics to create The Super Hero’s Journey, inspired by his love for Marvel superheroes.
“I have had the honor of publishing several books with him on our Abrams ComicArts list—The Art of Nothing, The Super Hero’s Journey, and Breaking the Chain—and each one has been an incredible experience,” said Kochman. “Some people say never meet your heroes, but I disagree. Patrick McDonnell is everything you want in a hero—and in a friend and a cartoonist. ‘The best.’ For sure. ‘Gentle.’ Of course. ‘Reverential.’ 100 percent. But I would also add inspiring.
“It’s one thing to be talented. But it’s even more impressive to inspire others to do better through your work,” he said. “I learned the importance of that from reading Mutts, but also from getting to know Patrick. He leads by example and, as a result, we are better humans because of him.”
“Patrick’s Mutts comic strip grew out of his deep love for the art of the comic strip (especially Peanuts and Krazy Kat) and his love for all animals and our beautiful world,” said Karen O’Connell, Mutts business manager and McDonnell’s wife. “Mutts has taken Patrick on a remarkable journey, both in his life and his work. Through it, he has given a voice to the voiceless and amplified the voices of some of the most compassionate and inspiring people on the planet, bringing their messages to new audiences. And I’m also very lucky. Patrick happens to be a wonderful vegan chef!”
McDonnell has used his platform to raise approximately $200 thousand for local animal shelters and rescue groups and has supported hundreds of animal- and environment-focused nonprofits through direct financial contributions, in-kind donations, and crowdfunding campaigns. The Mutts website cites more than $90 thousand in donations to these important advocacy groups.
“We’re so fortunate that, after more than a decade of delighting a vast audience of comics fans, Patrick McDonnell decided to turn his formidable talent to sharing that same warmth and laughter with the youngest children by producing picture books—all while maintaining his commitment to the rigor of a daily strip,” said Andrea Spooner, Editorial Director of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
“Twenty years later, Patrick has graced us with a treasure trove of over a dozen acclaimed, bestselling and beloved stories that have profoundly impacted a generation of readers with their messages of kindness, gratitude, and compassion. His work creating Mutts had perfected the art of telling a satisfying miniature story in just three panels, enabling him to deftly craft picture books with minimal words and maximum heart,” Spooner continued.
“From the beautiful meditation on friendship in his debut, The Gift of Nothing, to a gleeful celebration of life’s happy accidents in A Perfectly Messed-Up Story, to his breathtaking biographical tribute to the great Jane Goodall in the Caldecott-honor-winning Me… Jane, Patrick’s works simply—yet brilliantly—capture the playfulness of childhood and the joy of living in the now,” she said.
“It’s quite fitting that in the year of his induction into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame, we should also be celebrating the 20-year anniversary of his entry into the children’s book arena with a new edition of The Gift of Nothing, along with a brand-new companion story, The Gift of Everything. Indeed, everything Patrick McDonnell creates is truly a gift—for all ages!”
McDonnell is currently on a national tour. The Gift of Everything and The Gift of Nothing Anniversary Edition are available everywhere books are sold.
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Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from NYCC ’25.
