History ComicStrip / FootrotFlats

* FatBastard: 'Hunk" Murphy, who gets his nickname from his massive bulk, is the dumbest and cruellest member of the Murphy clan; given to acts like [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals pulling the wings off butterflies]]. Unfortunately for Wal and co., his bulk belies his StoutStrength.

* [[ScaryBlackMan Scary Black Men]]: The Maori bikers are probably the New Zealandic equivalent of this trope.

''Footrot Flats'' is a comic strip from New Zealand, by Murray Ball, about the life and times of a farmer's dog, known simply as The Dog, his owner and his friends, and the various animals that live in and around the farm. The comic has [[https://www.footrotflats.com/ an official website.]]

The characters include:

* Cooch Windgrass: Wal's neighbour, [[TheLancer best friend and right hand man]]. A FriendToAllLivingThings whose farm is rather overgrown, and his house has a large tree growing through the middle. He farms goats, which are the perpetual bane of Wal and the dog, and owns Jess, the dog's girlfriend.
* Aunt Dolly: Wal's aunt, the dog's original owner, who runs a home for cats and owns a Welsh Corgi named Prince Charles. Something of a [[MyBelovedSmother overbearing mother figure]] for Wallace, though she often helps him out on the farm, and the dog has a grudge against her for giving him his name.
* Horse: A [[KillerRabbit tough]], [[CatsAreMean mean]], [[MadeOfIron near-indestructible]] stray cat that acts as an enemy, sometimes ally and sometimes point of interest to the dog. [[WriteWhoYouKnow Based on a real cat]].

In 1986 there was a feature-length animated film adaptation, ''Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale''.

* BringTheAnchorAlong: When Jess the bitch is in heat, the Dog will often take off while still chained to his water tank/kennel; taking the water tank with him.

* EditorialSynaesthesia: Whenever Jess is in heat (read nearly all the time) she gives off little hearts.
* EmbarrassingFirstName: 'The Dog' is so embarrassed by the name given to him by Aunt Dolly, that [[WithholdingTheirName he actively prevents anyone from learning it]], and holds a grudge against her for giving him that name.

* VisibleOdor: When Jess is in heat, she exudes little hearts.

--->'''The Dog:''' Oh no! A weta snatched a baby duckling! Wal's not here. What would he do?" '''''"YA &#^%@& WETA!!!"'''''

* HelloNurse:

* KissingCousins: Cooch has a pretty poorly hidden attraction to his cousin Kathy ([[HelloNurse and it's hard to blame him]]). In a surprising twist, [[spoiler:they actually get together near the end of the strip]].

''Footrot Flats'' is a comic strip from New Zealand, by Murray Ball, about the life and times of a farmer's dog, known simply as The Dog, his owner and his friends, and the various animals that live in and around the farm. The comic itself does not exist on-line, but more detail can be found at [[http://www.oneil.com.au/footrot/index.html an unofficial site]].

* WeaponTombstone: In a strip about erosion, the Dog finds a chainsaw washed down from the hill country in the recent floods. He plants it blade down in the silt and scratches 'R.I.P.' beneath it (with much better penmanship than the Dog usually manages).

* BerserkButton: The Dog will go to amazing lengths to make sure his name remains secret. At a dog show, he sticks himself halfway into a loud speaker trying to get the mouthy beggar inside. Once, to stop Aunt Dolly from saying it, he actually [[{{Squick}} sticks his tongue inside her mouth]], [[CrowningMomentofFunny much to their mutual disgust and horror]].

* [[ABoyAndHisX A Farmer And His Dog]] (went to mow a meadow...)

** Best exemplified in one strip, where he collects a bee swarm for Wal by ''tugging on the branch and dropping it into a cardboard box''. There's no smoke, he's clad in his usual clothes, and

* ClingyJealousGirl: At times, the Dog is [[TastesLikeDiabetes positively saccharine]] in his love and devotion to Wal, at the same time the amount of effort he invests in his {{Zany Scheme}}s to drive away [[LoveInterest Cheeky Hobson]] at times rivals what he goes through to keep his name secret.
* CutPhoneLines: In one strip, the Dog climbs the telephone pole and cuts the wires while Cheeky is on the phone attempting to invite Wal to a home cokked meal at her place.

* VisibleOdour: When Jess is in heat, she exudes little hearts.

* CoveyorBeltODoom: The Dog ends up on a conveyor belt that is moving towards a swinging circular sawblade, three very vicious, very evil dogs surrounding the sides, ensuring he doesn't escape. He does, of course.

* AllGirlsLovePonies: The Dog hopes that Pongo will ''grow into'' the pony stage soon, so she will leave him alone.