(October 10, 2025) At this year’s New York Comic Con, the Harvey Awards announced that they are inducting MUTTS cartoonist Patrick McDonnell into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. This award celebrates McDonnell’s lifelong dedication to the comics medium. He has entertained readers around the world with his beloved syndicated comic strip, which has appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries for 30 years. Charles Schulz called MUTTS “One of the best comics strips of all time.”
The prolific creator has collaborated with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr. Jane Goodall, Eckhart Tolle, and poet Daniel Ladinsky. The Super Hero’s Journey, inspired by McDonnell’s childhood and his love for the Marvel super heroes, was released in 2023 and was honored to be on several best graphic novels of the year lists. McDonnell’s 2024 Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story (Abrams ComicArts), detailing his beloved Guard Dog character’s unchaining and adoption by a loving family, earned widespread praise from animal welfare advocates, celebrities, and fans around the globe. His large-scale paintings have been exhibited in solo painting shows such as Side Effects: Paintings by Patrick McDonnell and The Super Hero’s Journey, which have been showcased at Ohio State University’s Urban Arts Space and the Arts Council of Princeton, respectively.
“What’s the highest compliment I can pay Patrick McDonnell? He keeps coming up with ideas I wish I had thought of myself… To me, MUTTS is exactly what a comic strip should be. It’s hard to believe that after 100 years of comics, Patrick would come up with a new and perfect little dog. I like everything about MUTTS.” — Charles M. Schulz
“Patrick McDonnell’s MUTTS comic strip is integral to the comics pages of hundreds of newspapers and digital content publishers worldwide,” said CJ Kettler, President of King Features Syndicate. “With a circulation of over 70 million, MUTTS is woven into the fabric of readers’ daily habits—31 years and counting of humor, heart, and artful storytelling that depicts the lives and inner musings of Mooch, Earl, and whole cast of characters who are proxies for our own beloved pets. Patrick is unique in the world of cartooning. In addition to the daily strip and his own books featuring the Mutts characters, Patrick is a fine arts painter who has collaborated with both Jane Goodall and the Dalai Lama, highlighting issues he cares deeply about including wildlife conservancy, animal welfare and environmental stewardship. We are honored to partner with Patrick McDonnell, a champion and brilliant cartoonist who uses his extraordinary talent to entertain, uplift, and advocate for critical social issues.”
“Charles M. Schulz called MUTTS ‘one of the best comic strips of all time.’ Jules Feiffer said, ‘Not since Little Nemo in Slumberland has the comics page been gifted with such a gentle, reverential spirit.’ So who am I to question my heroes?” said Charles Kochman, Editor-in-Chief of Abrams ComicArts. “I first became aware of Patrick McDonnell’s work on the pages of The New York Times when he was doing spot illustrations for Russel Baker’s Observer column. I have also been a regular reader of MUTTS since the beginning. But I never dreamed that Patrick and I would work together, and in the process become close friends. I have had the honor of publishing several books with him on our Abrams ComicArts list—The Art of Nothing, The Super Hero’s Journey, and Breaking the Chain—and each one has been an incredible experience. Some people say never meet your heroes, but I disagree. Patrick McDonnell is everything you want in a hero—and in a friend and a cartoonist. ‘The best.’ For sure. ‘Gentle.’ Of course. ‘Reverential.’ 100%. But I would also add inspiring. It’s one thing to be talented. But it’s even more impressive to inspire others to do better through your work. I learned the importance of that from reading MUTTS, but also from getting to know Patrick. He leads by example and, as a result, we are better humans because of him.”
McDonnell has also produced over a dozen picture books, including New York Times bestsellers The Gift of Nothing and Me . . . Jane (a Caldecott Honor biography of Jane Goodall). Both were adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center. He has collaborated on books with author Eckhart Tolle (Guardians of Being), poet Daniel Ladinsky (Darling, I Love You), and His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Heart to Heart). This year will see the West Coast premier of The Gift of Nothing – A Musical for Children of All Ages at the Marin Theater in Mill Valley, California. This production originally debuted at the Kennedy Center. This week, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers published McDonnell’s latest picture book, The Gift of Everything, which features MUTTS’ Mooch the cat searching for the perfect gift for Earl the dog.
“We’re so fortunate that, after more than a decade of delighting a vast audience of comics fans, Patrick McDonnell decided to turn his formidable talent to sharing that same warmth and laughter with the youngest children by producing picture books—all while maintaining his commitment to the rigor of a daily strip,” said Andrea Spooner, Editorial Director of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. “Twenty years later, Patrick has graced us with a treasure trove of over a dozen acclaimed, bestselling and beloved stories that have profoundly impacted a generation of readers with their messages of kindness, gratitude, and compassion. His work creating MUTTS had perfected the art of telling a satisfying miniature story in just three panels, enabling him to deftly craft picture books with minimal words and maximum heart. From the beautiful meditation on friendship in his debut, The Gift of Nothing, to a gleeful celebration of life’s happy accidents in A Perfectly Messed-Up Story, to his breathtaking biographical tribute to the great Jane Goodall in the Caldecott-honor-winning Me… Jane, Patrick’s works simply—yet brilliantly—capture the playfulness of childhood and the joy of living in the now. It’s quite fitting that in the year of his induction into the Harvey Award Hall of Fame, we should also be celebrating the twenty-year anniversary of his entry into the children’s book arena with a new edition of The Gift of Nothing, along with a brand-new companion story, The Gift of Everything. Indeed, everything Patrick McDonnell creates is truly a gift—for all ages!”
Gina Huntsinger, the executive director of The Schulz Museum adds, “Patrick’s work is a legacy rooted in kindness, humility, and compassion. His work at the Schulz Museum as a board member and advisor dates back to the very beginning and has been integral to every step of our efforts.”
“Patrick’s MUTTS comic strip grew out of his deep love for the art of the comic strip (especially Peanuts and Krazy Kat) and his love for all animals and our beautiful world,” added Karen O’Connell, MUTTS Business Manager and McDonnell’s wife. “MUTTS has taken Patrick on a remarkable journey, both in his life and his work. Through it, he has given a voice to the voiceless and amplified the voices of some of the most compassionate and inspiring people on the planet, bringing their messages to new audiences. And I’m also very lucky. Patrick happens to be a wonderful vegan chef!”
Fans can find McDonnell on his ongoing National tour here, and The Gift of Everything and The Gift of Nothing Anniversary Edition are available now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. To subscribe to the Daily MUTTS, visit MUTTS.COM or follow MUTTS on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Patrick McDonnell’s award-winning comic strip, MUTTS, has appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries for 30 years. Charles Schulz called it “One of the best comics strips of all time.” Patrick is the author of several New York Times bestselling picture books, including The Gift of Nothing, and the Caldecott Honor winning Me…Jane, the biography of a young Jane Goodall. Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. He has collaborated on books with the Dalai Lama, Eckhart Tolle and Marvel Comics. Patrick was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years and currently serves on the boards of The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust. He lives in New Jersey.
About Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards:
Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993), creator of MAD, was a cartoonist and pop culture icon. Among the most influential American satirists, he was known for his visionary abilities that encompassed author, artist, designer, and editor, and combined those skills in some capacity in almost every project he was involved in. The Harvey Awards, presented annually since 1988, are named in his honor and aim to recognize the achievements among creators and their books in the publishing industry.
