Footrot Flats
September 21st 2008 11:42
Okay, this is the kind of post that only a couple of countries understand. Namely Australia and that other little hunk-a-dirt to the east - which is actually where this comes from.
Murray Ball's Footrot Flats was an absolute institution when I was growing up. The comic strip was in every single paper, and everyone had at least one of the books. Plus, the animated movie (Footrot Flats: The Dog's
Seeing as I spent most weekends living at my dad's house when I was a little kid, which was located on a farm - I could relate completely.
The best thing about Flats was the large re-occurring cast of characters you got to know.
The regular bunch was made up of Wal Footrot and his dog - Dog, who was the main character and also had several alter egos: The Scarlet Manuka, The Mitey Iron Paw and the Grey Ghost of The Forest, he was also the mascot of the All Blacks for a couple of seasons.
The dog's missus was Jess, but the toughest dog was the pig-dog Major.
But even Major was no match for Horse - the resident cat.
Wal's best friend and neighbor was his complete opposite, and the dude even had a little magpie living in his hat most of the time (Pew) - which hated Wal of coarse.
I could go on forever, but some of these names might jog your memory -
"Cheeky" Hobson
Rangi
Pongo
Aunt Dolly
Prince Charles
Flash
Cooch's cousin Kathy
"Irish" Murphy
"Elvis, Hunk & Spit" Murphy
"Irish" Murphy's pigs
Cecil the Ram
The Goat
Wal's goose
Footrot Flats takes me right back to my childhood. We had a decent collection of the books too. They've got to be around here somewhere - unless I chucked them out with my MAD magazines...
"What are you gonna do for a face when the monkey wants it's bum back?"
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Comment by Nomad
Awesome Food
Comment by gigli
man, there's nothing like that around anymore