Commercial Sighting: Ikea

This BT gets caught in a quick-changing matrix of entertainment center options. He's just sitting there, looking cute and minding his own business, when all of a sudden he falls through a trap door and disappears into particle-board and allen-wrench-assembly oblivion. Don't worry though, the apparent wormhole in the time-space continuum lands him back safely into the arms of his pet parent, but apparently not without consequences. What horrors did he experience in Småland? What seemed like mere seconds to us may have been eons to that traumatized dog. You'll note that as soon as the woman holding him sits down he makes a beeline out of the room.

Movie Sighting: Tron Legacy

I was dragged along to see the new Tron movie by my boyfriend. Since I'm the one with the Netflix account and I often get unusual foreign and/or period drama pieces, I suppose it was my turn to sit through a movie I really had no interest in seeing. Actually, it was better than I thought it would be (the soundtrack by Daft Punk was really energizing), but what really was a pleasant surprise was Marv, the main character's Boston Terrier rescue. He only makes short appearances in the beginning of the film which is a shame because it would be interesting to see what kind of illuminated doggy outfit they could have made for his persona on the Grid.

Although I have not seen the original Tron film, I've been told I'm not missing much. Tron Legacy stands well on its own, but I wonder if the original film might have also been made better with the inclusion of a Mugsy dog.

A Monarch of Mugsy Dog Art?

If I were to bestow the title of "King of BT Art" to anyone, I believe Brian Rubenacker would be the most qualified to receive it. Although his work does feature other breeds, the Boston Terrier is clearly near and dear to his heart as they grace so much of his oeuvre. My personal favorites are the technicolor versions:

His "pop precocious" artwork also features the intersection of various styles and interests, so if you need to purchase a gift for the BT-owning cigar-afficianado, golfer, yogini, or vintage monster film enthusiast who has everything, it's worth checking his shop to see what he has to offer.

If you happen to know someone who is fanatical about both Star Wars and his/her Boston Terrier fur child, you are in luck. For the person who has ever found himself wishing he had a print of a light sabre-wielding, Force-using Mugsy dog to hang over his couch — be troubled no longer!

Book Cover Sighting: Paper + Craft

While at the art supply store the other day, I noticed a book with a Mugsy dog bedecked with a handmade party hat on its cover. The book is Paper + Craft published by Chronicle Books. It features a number of sweet, whimsical projects to make out of paper. If you're at all familiar with Etsy, you'll notice many themes common to the more promoted shops from that site included in this book, for example the ever-present mustache and bunting. There are some great ideas here for party decor and ways to spruce up your gift packages too. The Boston Terrier on the cover does make at least one more appearance in the book, so while browsing through at your local bookstore, be sure to keep an eye our for him!

Introduction & Welcome

Ever since Mugsy (see sidebar) joined our family, I started to notice Boston Terriers emerging from the woodwork; they appear in commercials, magazine ads, books, artwork, craft, movies, etc. They seem to be everywhere. I'm not entirely sure if they've just generally increased in popularity since the time period when we adopted him, or if as a result of having him I just began to really take note of their appearance. It always makes me smile to see them and brings back fond memories of our first Boston Terrier. As a result of his influence and the affection I still hold for him, I tend to refer to dogs of his breed as "Mugsy dogs," hence the title of this blog. While Mugsy has passed on, his mantle of canine silliness has been bequeathed to our two younger Boston Terriers, Kali and Tigger.

This blog is a place for me to highlight all of my sightings of various Mugsy dogs in popular culture, media of all kinds, art, and craft. If you happen to also love this wonderful breed, I hope you'll drop by from time to time to see what new Mugsy dog sightings I've documented, and if you have sighted some Mugsy dogs yourself please feel free to comment and let me know about them.