Watusi the Talking Dog is a comic not so much about a character (though it is that, too) as it is about a method of storytelling, and a desire to produce an all-ages comic. The idea for these jam comics came about after Dale Martin 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. Contributors 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. Fortuitously, this technique has also caught on with other cartoonists, who have collaborated on stories by passing pages through the mail.
These often unpredictable jam comics have shown Watusi solving such dilemmas as a missed bus, a broken toaster, and a rainy day ... and he’s met leprechauns, lookalikes, aliens, and firefighters, too! Some issues share a theme, contain longer stories or have other special features. Check out the catalog for details.
The CURRENT ISSUE (#24) is available by mail for $1.00 ppd. from
Dale Martin / P.O. Box 442612 / Lawrence, KS 66044-8941
It’s Watusi’s latest Halloween collection of jam strips by talented cartoonists like Tom Cherry, Larned Justin, Matt Corrigan, Tom Avery, Matt Levin and others! Plus, a four-page Watusi comic Dale did with no help whatsoever!
Also, if you’re so inclined, you can read the earlier issues of Watusi’s comic - back issues are always available: issues #1-23 can be ordered for $1.00 + 1 stamp each (the catalog page has an issue-by-issue listing of the special features in each issue). Be sure to check out Watusi’s interactive comic strip, too!