Alley Cats

Christopher Miller September 9, 2009 Favourite target of a well-hurled bootjack, alley cats are one of the most punished cartoon creatures.

THE ARCHETYPAL CARTOON CAT is scrawny, disheveled, and black, though (except for anonymous bit players whose sole function is to bring bad luck) not entirely black, but black with white jowls. That’s how Rube Goldberg drew cats. It’s how Ernie Bushmiller drew them, to say nothing of George McManus (Bringing Up Father), F. Opper (Happy Hooligan), Fred Willard (Moon Mullins), Milt Gross (Dave’s Delicatessen) and C. L. Sherman (Pete), to name a few. It’s the color scheme of Krazy Kat, Felix the Cat, the Cat in the Hat. In reality, such cats are uncommon—have they …

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Winter

ISSUE 42 Winter 2011

online content:

also in this issue:

  • Getting Plowed

    by Selena Ross In this exclusive investigative report from Montreal, Maisonneuve exposes the bid-rigging, violence and sabotage at the heart of an unlikely racket: snow removal.
  • In the House of the Lord

    by Andrea Bennett The Jackson Avenue Housing Co-operative and the religious battle raging in one of Canada's poorest neighbourhoods.
  • After Jack

    by Nick Taylor-Vaisey Last May, Jack Layton led the NDP to the greatest victory in party history. Now that he's gone, will the party be able to maintain its momentum?
  • [see full issue contents]