Talking About Comics with Bookstore Dogs

As a bookseller at the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, I see a lot of books – and people – come and go. That’s why the occasional dog visitor is so welcome, and their opinions (about comics, in particular) are so highly sought-after. Fortunately, I was able to snag a few minutes with some great dogs and get their must-read comics.

Gracie

“I’d have to go with Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Although the dog representation is not great, and it definitely doesn’t pass the Beethoven Test (is there more than one dog? Do the dogs hang out, away from humans? Do they get to eat one entire bacon?), the art style is beautiful, and Bechdel’s storytelling is incredible. I have faith she’ll improve  her dog count in the future.”

Jazz

“I have eaten almost every book that has ever been near me. But I didn’t eat Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Seconds. Mostly because the cover was too hard, but also because it was really cool-looking and I liked the part about eating.”

Theodore

“I’m a big old dog, and as such, I find myself drawn to tiny books and short comics. Reza Farazmand’s Poorly Drawn Lines, a collection of his webcomics, was pretty great. I almost peed on it, and then I was like, ‘You know what? No. This book is for reading.’”

Mr Frankie

Mr Frankie chose not to give me a quote, because he is very serious and formal, but he did casually bite a copy of Jillian Tamaki’s SuperMutant Magic Academy on his way out of the bookstore, and I think that counts for something.

Backpack Dog

“As I’m sure you surmised from the fact that I’m in a backpack, I am a very highly-educated dog. I thoroughly enjoyed Jim Ottaviani and Leland Purvis’s The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded, both because it made me feel smart to read about such a smart man and because I sleep on it.”

Bonus: Bliss, the Devil Cat

“I hate everything. But I hated Kate Beaton’s Step Aside, Pops less.”