num_pages: 80
description: Good Dog marks the welcome return of alternative cartoonist Graham Chaffee who after his successful 2003 collection of short stories The Most Important Thing and other Stories took a detour to devote himself to the art of tattooing before charging back with his new beautifully conceived graphic novel. Ivan who is plagued by terrible nightmares about chickens and rabbits is a good dog--if only someone would notice. Readers accompany the stray as he navigates dog society weathers pack politics and surveys canine-human interactions. Good Dog's story and pen-and-ink art are deceptively simple but Chaffee uses the approachability of the subject matter as a device to explore topics such as independence security assimilation loyalty and violence. Preteen-and-up dog fanciers especially will warm to the well-meaning Ivan and his exploits with a motley assortment of Scotties Bulldogs and mutts. Chaffee combines illustrative gravitas with cartooning verve and creates a richly textured dog's-eye view of the world. The story is a rousing Jack Londonesque adventure as well as a moral parable.
language: English
title: Good Dog
publisher: Fantagraphics Books