‘Mutts’ Pays Tribute to Elvis Presley’s 1956 Debut LP

Patrick McDonnell has done it again.

McDonnell is the creator of the Mutts comic strip, now in its 30th year of publication. The strip centers on two pals, Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, their “owners,” and all of their friends in the neighborhood in beyond. McDonnell is a huge fan of classical art, modern art, children’s books, children’s toys, comic books, music, and more. The opening panels of his Sunday strips in particular feature reimagined images of those themes.

Today’s strip, about Earl waiting for “my Ozzie” to come home, pays homage to the 1956 debut album by Elvis Presley (the famous photo comes from a concert at the former Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa). That album cover has been recreated often.