Footrot Flats

From 1978 to 1994, New Zealand cartoonist Murray Ball chronicled the chaotic, heartwarming life of a sheepdog named Dog and his long-suffering owner, Wal Footrot, on a struggling rural farm. Published by Orin Books across 27 issues, the series became a beloved national institution for its sharp, affectionate humor and distinctly Kiwi perspective on rural life. Ball’s expressive, deceptively simple artwork and deeply human (and canine) storytelling captured the quiet dignity and absurdity of farming, making Footrot Flats a landmark of Australasian comics. It remains a touchstone for its authentic, unsentimental portrayal of the bond between a man and his dog.