Footrot Flats Book 2

ISBN: 978-1-85286-366-1

Footrot Flats was one of the most successful comic strips of modern times, but it seems to have passed from sight with staggering rapidity. Created by Murray Ball from his New Zealand farm, it ran from 1975 to 1994 in newspapers on four continents. Thereafter new material was released in book form until 2000, resulting in 27 daily strip collections, 8 volumes of Sunday pages, and 5 pocket books, plus ancillary publications. There was a stage musical, a theme park and a truly superb animated film Footrot Flats: The Dog’s Tail Tale.

My previous review contains more background if you want it (and I’m sure that search engine thingy could fill in any blanks for fact-fans), but as I’ve just found a few books I’ve been missing online, I thought I’d remind you what a wonderful resource it is if you need further doses of farm-fresh, dryly ironic and sheepishly sentimental comedy from a master draughtsman and born cartoonist.

Wallace Footrot Cadwallader is a big, bluff, regular bloke: likes his food; loves Sport. He owns a small sheep farm (the eponymous Footrot Flats) best described as “400 acres of swamp between Ureweras and the Sea”. With his farm hand Cooch Windgrass, and a sheepdog who calls himself “Dog” he makes a fair go of it.

Dog is still the star, but by book 2 other unique characters have begun to make their mark. Especial favourites include Major the Pig Dog (I won’t explain: he has to seen to be believed) and Horse, the rough-hewn stone god of self-reliant farm-cats. Ego-pricking and male bluster-busting are provided by the wiry but formidable Aunty Dolly, and a kind of glamour by the local hairdresser and all-around floozie (at least according to the insecure and probably jealous Dog) Darlene Hobson.

Dry, surreal and wonderfully self-deprecating, the humour comes from perfectly realised characters, human and not, plus the tough life of a bachelor farmer in a landscape that likes to amuse itself at our expense. If the New Zealand tourist board knew the natural horrors daily depicted in this wonderful cartoon gem, they’d have packed it in years ago.

Murray Ball is one of those gifted few who can actually draw funnily. Combined with his sharp, incisive world-view the result is pure, acerbic magic. Once again I’m reviewing a 1990s Titan edition, but the same material is readily available from a number of publishers and retailers.

Like Wal, I’m no quitter! You probably need a good laugh, brilliantly drawn, so I’m going to keep on banging on bout Footrot Flats. Go on. Fetch!

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