God the Dyslexic Dog

(Bliss on Tap, 2004-2005)
™ and © Bliss on Tap

At the time of Creation, God had a dog. And he was good.

Untold eons later, God’s best friend has taken mortal form in the early 20th century, as one of the groundbreaking Doctor Ivan Pavlov’s test subjects, no less. But the poor pooch can’t remember who he is, only that he has a bigger purpose than to drool at the sound of a bell. Seemingly abandoned by his master and persecuted by an oddly tyrannical Pavlov, one can readily form one’s own religious analogies.

Or one could just enjoy this epic, yet down-to-earth, comic as the unusual but enjoyable tale it was meant to be. Brian and Philip Phillipson’s hook, a canine as a pseudo-messiah figure, is absurdly brilliant but isn’t played up for laughs. Instead, it’s surprisingly straightforward. Veteran comics artist Alex Niño is a surprising but welcome choice to illustrate this. Few creators of such stature ever deign to draw a completely unknown title, but his textured lines and dramatic layouts give this the grandiose feel for which its premise calls.

— Jim Johnson

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