August 4, 2017

Nicole Georges (The Center for Cartoon Studies fellow ’12-13) was always talked about her pets in her comics. And she obviously bonds with and loves them. In her second graphic novel, Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home (Mariner Books), she discusses her dog Beija, a shar-pei/corgi mix, who has appeared in many of her comics over the years. Her first graphic novel was Calling Dr. Laura.

Andy Shaw, Grovel: “I’m not even really a pet person but this documentation of a relationship is so honest and moving that you can’t help but warm to this amazing relationship between woman and dog.”

Etleka Lehoczky, NPR Books: “[Georges] reminds us that we must always strive to live up to our pets: Even the neurotic, troublesome ones are always going to be more than we really deserve.”

Geeks Out: “the real story here is Georges herself, who is treated like a dog for much of her life by those who are supposed to love her…”

Kirkus Review: “…there’s an inference that Georges might not have known how to raise a dog right because she herself hadn’t been raised right…”

Library Journal: “…[a] prickly, moving account of growing up with a misbehaving mutt…”

Madeline Raynor, Entertainment Weekly: “Georges turns to vets, dog whisperers, and a pet psychic to cure Beija, but ultimately, she figures out that a relationship full of compassion is what this pooch needs.”

Robert Kirby, The Comics Journal: “It’s a love that sustains them both through housing problems, bad relationships, and the general life upheavals that punctuate Georges’ maturation from teenager to adult.”

Sam, Cherry Blossoms & Maple Syrup: “ Fetch is both funny as it is heartbreaking, and if you are an animal lover and owner it will probably make you cry. “

Shelf Awareness: “Nicole Georges didn’t know what she was getting herself into when she adopted Beija the dog at 16, but their friendship changed everything.”

Fetch and Nicole’s current dog, Ponyo

Post by Angela Boyle.