Dignity

The reason why Lolcats are funny but their canine equivalents aren't is all a matter of dignity. Dogs don't really have any, they are so eager to please that they will happily put themselves through all sorts of indignity to please their masters. Cats, on the other hand, won't. So when they are snapped doing something ridiculous it's several times funnier than it would be if they were doing it willingly.

Of course, cats can't actually blush. But they do a good line in washing themselves and ignoring you until you stop laughing at them.

Fierce

Originally published 11 January 2010

Ooooo! Doesn't Jones look fierce in this strip? This is another hangover from the way I used to draw the cats in the 80s - nowadays I don't bother to draw the entire eye and then add lids. Instead I use a technique I've borrowed from Dexter's Laboratory - when Jones gets annoyed her eyes go all horn-rimmed.

Nowadays in this situation I'd draw her with her eyes wide open, anyway. She'd just be playing. Here she seems to have too much intent…

Perspective

Oooo. Treasure this. I don't use perspective very often, preferring to use a more straight on approach of the kind used by Schulz and Herge.

Close up of a bunch of toy plastic cows... the kind you'd get with a toy farm set. Pull back to reveal Ted and Dougal. Dougal frowns, puzzled.
TED: ...OK, one last time. These are small, and the ones out there are far away. Small... Far away...
Dougal smiles and shakes his head, uncomprehending.
TED: Ah, forget it...

Father Ted Series 2, Episode 1: "Hell" by Graham Lineman and Arthur Matthews