Dogwood Orgins

 Origins

Dogwood

Dogwood began like many stories and comics I assume, as bits and pieces from one idea being carried to another and another and combined with new bits until becoming what it now is. The same can be said for many of the main characters. Dogwood actually has several earlier incarnations, two poems for a poetry class I took, and several failed short stories, and an earlier attempt at launching it as a webcomic that I never uploaded. (It was only a single strip that rather sucked.) It is inspired by Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes", Schultz's "Peanuts", Hart's "B.C" and "Wizard of Id", Davis's "Garfield", Larson's "The Far Side". As well as Carl Bark's and Don Rosa's "Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck comics", Floyd Gottferdson's "Mickey Mouse", Breathed's Bloom County ; and finally Matthew Taranto's Brawl in the Family Webcomic.

Family Involvement

Zippy and Rocket (who's real name is now Roger) began as names for two of my "puffles", pets from the online game Club Penguin. Rest in peace. I have to thank my cousins (Chad's Kids) for introducing me to Club Penguin and leading me to start drawing puffles. I just carried the names (and fur colors) from one idea to the next. Fenton, who is based my Dad Flete, had an earlier incarnation named Rojo. (Spanish for red, funny considering my Dad went to Chile on a mission) The yet to be seen Molly Scruffy is based on my own mother, Gina. Kind and loving. Bandit Nibbly is based on my dog Bandit who we had to sell when we moved.

Other Character Origins

Maxwell appeared somewhere along the line and I think I got his name from the game Scribblenauts. Felix Scruffy and Louis McFry come from an older idea, but are mostly the same. Rocket isn't based on anyone particular, except his anxiety is based on my and my brother Dallin's problems with it. He's probably mostly based on me. Marty McFry gets his name from Martin Crane from "Frasier" and Marty McFly from "Back to the Future" Both he and Zippy are part fictionalized versions of me as well as part Calvin and Hobbes, (both have traits from both) and Wallace from "Wallace and Gromit" Pickles' and Smokey's originate from when I first started drawing pangolins and raccoons. Both Farley and Kwedge are based on Nintendo characters, Farley being based off Tom Nook as well as "The Office"'s Dwight K. Schrute (minus the affairs). He actually comes form an idea I had for an Animal Crossing "spiritual successor". And Kwedge after the man, the myth, the legend Waluigi . I actually don't remember where I got the barrel from. Either Donkey Kong Country or Plants vs Zombies. Toby Scruffy actually comes the Toby Maguire Spider-man "Pizza-time" memes. Memes also inspired the "Farley on Valentines Day" strip, which is fittingly, strip number 14. I actually have an idea I may implement that was based off another idea I had, which is based on a cartoon by the Youtube animator TerminalMontage who's work I really enjoy.