Puss 'n' Boots (Sparky comics)

Puss 'n' Boots were a character pair, cat and dog (billed, oddly enough, as "They Fight Like Cat And Dog") in the "Sparky" comic, in issue number 1 in 1972. Obviously inspired by Tom and Jerry and other madcap American cartoons, and drawn by John Geering of Bananaman fame, the occasional script was written by the later Dandy editor Morris Heggie. Puss was a black humanoid Feline who strongly resembled a cuter version of Korky the Cat, whereas Boots was a tan-coloured humanoid Dog. Every week would involve one of the two playing a trick on the other, then the other getting his revenge, which would lead to a fight with varying results. The stories not only depended on accentuated and very graphic artwork, but flowery and descriptive insults which added to the mayhem that made the strip. Regular characters included Puss' baby nephew 'Baggles' and Boot's Uncle, an overmuscled Australian imbecile.

After the "Sparky" folded for good, having previously merged with the "Topper", they fled to the "Dandy" appearing in 1993. After a long hiatus they reappeared in the "Dandy" for two spells in the early 2000s, the second spell being less successful, as John Geering had died in 1999 and artistic duty was taken over by Barrie Appleby who drew Cuddles and Dimples. The characters were dropped when the comic was revamped in October 2004. As well as receiving a double page each month in "Classics from the Comics", since 2008 new strips have begun appearing in the "Dandy". Their names are an obvious pun on the play "Puss In Boots". Prior to 1993 when they appeared in the "Dandy", the strip was named 'Mutt & Moggy'. These strips started in around 1990, and the characters were coloured differently. Puss 'n' Boots appear in the Dandy Annual 2009 but this time drawn by Nigel Parkinson.