Pooch Cafe

By Paul Gilligan

"Pooch Café" is the story of a cheese-loving, squirrel-fearing, kibble-desiring, break dancing, toilet-drinking mutt named Poncho.

Dogs, like certain barflies, want to go where everybody knows their name (other than the vet’s office). So they gather at the Pooch Café to compare notes on such weighty issues as avoiding baths, zebra-flavored kibble, toilet breath, and the construction of a giant catapult with which to hurl all the Earth’s cats into the sun. Don’t look for it out on the main street—its actual location is a canine top secret that was only compromised that one time they got a pizza delivered.

See more of creator Paul Gilligan's work in his graphic novel, "Boy vs. Shark," available now.

Daily

Sunday

Daily & Sunday

Digital

Strip

Available in Color

Available in Spanish

Animals

Men

Pets

Women

Editor's Picks

A comic strip featuring a conversation between a person and a dog. The person explains the importance of keeping the dog's fur clean and free from matting, while the dog expresses confusion about the need for grooming. The second panel shows the person emphasizing the dog's protection from the outside, while the dog questions why it should be kept away.

A cartoon depicting a vacuum cleaner humorously announcing its intent to start a

Cartoon featuring aliens and a dog, discussing a cookbook in a humorous context. One alien expresses confusion about the nature of the

Cartoon scene featuring a character with a bowl of food, encouraging others to debase themselves and eat dirt, while two other characters, a princess and a superhero, look on. The image conveys humor and absurdity in a playful context.

Cartoon depicting two dogs discussing Christmas gifts, with one dog sharing a humorous idea of giving tickets for free dog services, while a man and a child unwrap presents near a decorated Christmas tree. The scene captures festive holiday spirit and playful dog humor.

A cartoon scene featuring a bird and a cow. The bird, holding a weapon, declares revenge while the cow looks on. The background includes a wooden structure, adding a playful context to the scene. This humorous comic strip captures a moment of comedic tension between the characters.

A humorous cartoon depicting a woman questioning a boy about a chewed slipper found in the garbage, while a ghostly figure and a dog look on. The scene captures playful mischief in a home setting, highlighting themes of responsibility and comedy.

Three cartoon animals, including two dogs and a cat, engage in humorous dialogue about kindness and pet adoption. One dog sings a playful song, while another expresses confusion about kindness being a verb. The third animal shares a joke about a frozen dog, leading to a lighthearted moment. The final panel emphasizes the importance of adopting pets.

About Paul Gilligan

Paul Gilligan’s affair with art began in 1970, in kindergarten, when he figured out that he stunk at sports and that art was his only other option for impressing chicks. Weaned on Mad magazine, superhero comics, and “Bloom County,” Gilligan attended Toronto’s Sheridan College for animation and illustration and took comedy writing at the Film Institute in Ottawa.

He joined The Ottawa Citizen newspaper as its on-staff illustrator, where he won awards in both illustration and design, and also found work in advertising, editorial cartooning, storyboarding, comic books, and animation and finally set up shop in downtown Toronto as a freelancer, where his roster of illustration clients included Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Disney, and Wired. During this time he created a number of strips, the culmination of which was “Pooch Café.”

"Pooch Café" became an instant hit with readers and has grown to 300 newspapers over the past 10 years, being nominated for the National Cartoonists Society’s best comic strip in 2008. A stuffed version of Poncho has been visiting fans across the globe for the past two years, Ringtales is animating 30-second shorts of the Pooch gang’s adventures, and there is a feature-length CGI movie in the works at Sony Animation.

Gilligan does not currently own a dog, but he skulks around dog parks doing research and is an avid viewer of "Dogs With Jobs" and "Scooby Doo" reruns.

Portrait of a man with short, curly hair, wearing a black shirt, set against a light wooden background. The image is circular and features a minimalist style.

Cast

Cartoon character with a playful expression, featuring a black and white design, jumping joyfully with stars around it, set against a circular background.

Poncho

The scrappy but lovable little mutt has been spending a lot more time down at the Pooch Café since his beloved master moved them into a house with 7 cats, fancy curtains, and toilet bowls filled with water that’s springtime-blue. Fortunately, he’s got his doggy pals to help him through.

Cartoon character of a playful dog with a quirky expression, standing upright with a light-colored body and distinctive ears, set against a circular background.

Boomer

Poncho's best dog buddy. He's been around a bit longer and likes to show Poncho the ropes (and the garbage cans, and the mulch piles), but his brain is small and spring-loaded, often sending him into hyperactive rants. And when he gets a few cups of coffee in him, look out.

Cartoon illustration of a surprised pink dog character with long ears and a wide-eyed expression, set against a circular white background.

Poopoo

An emasculated male Bichon Frise with a pink bow in his hair and serious self-image issues.

Cartoon illustration of a blue dog-like character with a large, round head and a playful expression, standing in a circular frame.

Hudson

An upbeat, super-happy purebred hound who is humble about his lineage and is so over-trained that he is incapable of resisting any command that’s given to him.

Fish

Trapped in a world 12 inches wide, Fish is often the voice of reason and morality for Poncho, being that he's unexpectedly well-versed in science, theology, human nature, and knows how to speak “cat.”

Illustration of a young boy holding a stick, wearing a black shirt and blue pants, with a thoughtful expression. The image is set against a circular background.

Chazz

Poncho's master. Poncho would do just about anything to help keep his position as 'man's best friend' secure. Chazz is frequently caught between the interests of Poncho and his “crazy cat lady” wife, Carmen.

Illustration of a cartoon character with short black hair and a thoughtful expression, wearing an orange outfit, set against a circular background.

Carmen

Chazz's wife. Outwardly she treats Poncho pretty well, but Poncho knows that she's a cat person, and must therefore be a force of pure evil. He licks her toothbrush while she’s out to make himself feel better.