Watusi the Talking Dog began as a comic not just about a talking dog character (though it was that, too), but also about a method of improvised storytelling: contributors would draw one panel at a time, building a story in a (more or less) logical manner, without worrying about the whole story or becoming frustrated by a blank page. I came up with the idea for this jam comics after I had the chance to teach cartooning workshops to jr hi school students, and wanted to come up with a more “hands on” activity for them, a way to complete a comic during a short class session. Fortuitously, this technique also caught on with other cartoonists I know, who have generously collaborated on stories by passing pages through the mail. It’s true, I’ve been doing Watusi comics so long that mail was still used as a way to communicate!
These often unpredictable jam comics had Watusi solving such dilemmas as a missed bus, a broken toaster, and a rainy day … and he met leprechauns, lookalikes, aliens, and firefighters, too! Some issues shared a theme, contained longer stories or had other special features; check out the catalog page for an issue-by-issue listing of the special features in each one.
These talented creators have contributed to issues of Watusi the Talking Dog over the years (links may or may not still be active):
- Alorrah: #43
- Michelle Arcand: #15
- T. Avery: #24, 29, 43
- Suzanne Baumann: #16
- Sean Bieri: #15
- David Bitterbaum: #43
- Larry Blake: #15, 17, 21
- James Bland: #5
- Pam Bliss: #8, 17
- Larry Boaz: #15
- Drew Boynton: #1-2, 4, 7, 9, 13, 15-16, 20-23, 26, 29, 40, 43, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1-2
- Rick Bradford: #5, 18
- Thayer Bray: #43
- Charles Brown: #1
- James Bruntz: #3
- Nathan Burns-Spring: #43
- Michael Carroll: #4, 16, 22-23
- Hector Casanova: #6, 9, 13
- Tom Cherry: #2, 5-6, 9-10, 13, 15, 17-25, 27, 29-30, 36, 38, 40, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1-2
- Rob Childers: #1, 5
- Michelangelo Cicerone: #18
- Elisa M. Cimons: #4
- Jonathan Collins: #9, 13
- Joel Cooper: #18
- Matt Corrigan: #2-6, 9-11, 13, 15-19, 21-24, 40
- Nate Corrigan: #9-10, 13, 16-17, 19, 21, 40
- Tim Corrigan: #3-4
- Cathy Craig: #4
- Zac Crockett: #18
- Kel Crum: #16, 18-20, 24
- Duane Cunningham: #15
- Joyce Curran: #22-23
- Ryan Curran: #11-12, 22-23
- Angela Curtis: #18
- Matt Dembicki: #4, 20
- Carson Demmans: #30
- Millard Draudt: #17
- Pat Drewry: #11
- Owen Egan: #18, 22-23, 29
- Jenel Farrell: #1
- Matt Feazell: #4, 15-17
- Paul Foresta Jr.: #5
- Travis Fox: #6, 9, 13
- Chris Garrett: #22-23
- Shawn Geabhart: #24, 43
- Greg Gildersleeve: #16, 22-23
- Charlee Glinka: #30
- Mike Goetz: #1
- Johnny Gonzales: #9-10, 13, 18
- Jimmy Gownley: #15
- Wendy Griswold: #1, 5, 8, 21
- Jennifer Hachigian: #4, 22-23
- Mike Hall: #3
- Dennis B. Harrell: #2-3, 5, 10, 18
- Daniel Heredia: #40
- Bill Hook: Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1
- Larned Justin: #2, 5-6, 8-9, 13, 16, 19-24, 26, 29, 40
- Steve Keeter: #5
- Paige Kellenberger: Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #2
- Kemmer: #38
- Emily Kircher: #43
- Brian Kirk: #24
- Craig Klotz: #43
- Dan Lauer: #2, 9, 13, 18, 22-23
- Mike Leuszler: #1, 17, 21, 29
- Matt Levin: #4, 15, 24, 28, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1
- Mike Lucas: #9, 13
- Jeff Manley: #16
- Ivan Martin: #29, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1-2
- Rusty Mathis: #2, 6, 9, 13, 20, 27, 38
- David McGhee: #22-23, 30
- Billy McKay: #9, 13, 15, 19, 34, 40
- Terri McKay: #15, 19
- Jose “Nino” Mesarina: #20
- Christoph Meyer: #16
- Doug Meyer: #4
- Mark Morehouse: #18, 22-23, 29, 38, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1
- Michael Munshaw: #3, 9, 13, 24
- Michael R. Neno: #8
- Carrie O’Brien: #25
- Keith O’Brien: #9-10, 13, 15, 18-20, 22-25, 28-29, 38, 41
- Jonathan Parrish: #5
- Brian Payne: #15, 21, 29
- Skywalker Payne: #21
- Steve Peters: #4, 10, 40
- Erin Pfannenstiel: #30
- Joel Pfannenstiel: #29, 38
- Mark Plaid: #21
- Brien Wayne Powell: #5, 10, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28-29, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #2
- Alan Rankin: #18
- Scott Roberts: #4
- Ed Schultheis: #30
- Dan Shattuck: #5
- Steve Skeates: #5, 40
- Jerry Smith: #16
- Joyce Steiner: Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #2
- Mike Sullivan: #35, 43, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1-2
- Steve Swope: #43
- Kelly T. : #43
- Ray Tomczak: #4
- Martin Tomlinson: #43
- Aaron Trudgeon: #18, 21, 29
- Robert Upton: #27
- Erica Well: #19
- R.R. Werner: #19
- James West: #4
- Adrienne Westmark: #21
- Steve Willhite: #1, 3, 5, 15, 22-23
- Eric Wilmoth: #4
- J.B. Winter: #1-3, 5, 7, 9, 13-14, 18, 20-21, 26, 30, 33, 40, Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse #1-2
- Jim Wolf: #4
- Jonah Wolk: #43
- Joshua Wolk: #43
- Natalie Wolk: #43
- Michelle Young: #43
- Randy Zimmerman: #4
- Students from Dale Martin’s cartooning workshops: #7, 11, 12
- Students from Steve Peters’ cartooning workshops: #10
- Students from Therese Vogel’s cartooning workshops: #20
Watusi the Talking Dog 