Draw the Dog was launched two months ago by former Disney cartoonist Jim George and his friend, entrepreneur and dog lover Bruce Kasanoff. Every cartoon is inspired by a real dog – owners submit stories via the site – and each cartoon appears to draw itself.
The cartoons range from one about two Great Danes who opened a second-story window only to end up stuck on a porch roof -- requiring the fire department to get them -- to a Border Collie who kept switching its owner’s lights on and off using a remote light switch.
Last week, a reader suggested that Draw the Dog profile the First Dog. He even sketched out the whole setting of the cartoon, and Jim George sat down right away and drew the cartoon. “When we get a good idea from our readers,” says George, “We jump on it. That’s the beauty of interacting directly with your audience.”
The cartoonist’s talent is evident in this cartoon. President Obama is not an easy person to satirize or capture accurately, but George does a great job here. “Bo looks good, too,” adds Kasanoff.
The site’s two co-founders are highly motivated to make people smile, and to capture the often magical relationship between people and dogs. Says Kasanoff, “For whatever reason, dogs seem to bring out the best in most of us. They’re always happy to see you, always accept you for who you are, and nearly always are willing to play.”
News of the site has spread through word of mouth across dog forums and Web sites. Barely two months after its launch, the website has attracted visitors from 49 countries and receives well over 100 submissions per week.
“First Dog” will be on Draw the Dog’s home page starting at 12:01 am Tuesday November 3:
http://www.drawthedog.com
Permission is granted to publish a still image of “First Dog” that can be found here:
http://www.drawthedog.com/
