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(Last update Tue 2003Dec30:07:38AM PST) The graphics for Episodes 2 and 3 have been reworked . Episodes 4 and 5 are scheduled for remodeling. Episode 28 is the latest.

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The human head sticking out of the lime-green VW Microbus (see Episode 19) belongs to Dick Cheney (see Episode 20).

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Episodes
All frame/panel references in the following text use the numbering scheme defined by the table below. This means that the leftmost frame in the 1st row is referred to as 1a, and so on. Not every strip will have this exact configuration, but I think you get the idea.

1a
 1b
 1c
2a
 2b
 2c
  1. "I, Chihuahua" -- a parody of  the title of  the short story "I, Robot," by the late Isaac Asimov, a prolific writer on a wide range of topics from Shakespeare to Mathematics to Science Fiction. Call me Ishmael" -- If you didn't know that this is the opening sentence of "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, then you should feel ashamed. It's OK. Now you know. This is the opening strip. Taco is the only dog in the house and loving it; he's well-treated by his humanoid keepers and he enjoys a well-ordered, carefree life.
  2. The Hedonist--This strip describes some of the simple pleasures that make Taco's life worthwhile. Hedonism is a philosophical belief that personal pleasure is the greatest good.
  3. The Day "He" Arrived -- Sasha, the pomeranian, is introduced; he is a newcomer that casts a dark shadow over Taco's idyllic existence (note Sasha's shadow on Taco's face in frames 2a and 2b. "Sol" is the astronomical name of the star around which our planet rotates.
  4. The Freudian Slipper--In Russian, the name "Sasha" is considered the diminutive form of the name "Alexander," and is usually a boy's name. This strip was the prototype upon which TDL was based. 
  5. "Pomme de terrian" -- this is a pun (and most likely a crypto-insult by Taco against Sasha), on the word "Pomeranian," by way of the French word for potato--pomme de terre, which, translated literally, is "apple of the earth." "Spitz Family" -- in 1972, Mark Spitz won seven Olympic gold medals for swimming--a feat not matched before or since in any Olympic sport. Mark had a prominent dark mustache, which, in all likelihood, was not shared by his wife, children, and dog, despite the artistic license taken here. "With Apologies to Henny Youngman" -- the "IQ" joke is not original, nor was its source Henny Youngman, but it should have been.
  6. "Hola! Buenos Dias" -- Pangea is the legendary single land mass of ancient time from which the five continents evolved. The dinosaurs shown in frame 2a are supposed to be ancestors of Chihuahuas, which, like Pomeranians, are named after a geographic location--Chihuahua, Mexico, hence they are speaking Spanish (more artistic license--the Spaniards are not native to North America). Sasha is depicted as an amoeba-like creature in the same panel. All of this is wishful thinking on Taco's part.
  7. No hints for this page. You're on your own.
  8. "Since the kid grew out of his high chair" -- implies that the Upwright's teenage son used to drop food morsels as a toddler, making it worthwhile for Taco to hang around. This strip includes the first mention of the hamsters.
  9. "These aren't the droids you'r looking for. Move along" -- these are the words (more or less) put into the mouths of Imperial Storm Troopers by Obiwan Kenobi's Jedi mind trick in "Star Wars." The implication is that the hamsters, like the Jedi, have superior intellects capable of influencing lesser minds by will alone. This, of course, is quite true.
  10. "Larry, Moe, and Shirley" -- a parody of the names of the original 3 Stooges (Drs. Howard, Fine, & Howard). The notion of the hamsters as mentally superior beings is reinforced here--and they are not alone.
  11. Sasha's persona as a canine obsessed with his appearance is established here (hence Narcissus). "Pom-a-granite" is a pun of "pomegranate" (the fruit), composed of "Pom" (short for Pomeranian) + "granite."
  12. Jim G. suggested the name "Upwrights." I originally wanted to name the human caretakers the "Hominids," but ultimately felt this term was a bit too esoteric. The name Hominid refers to the Hominidae family of the Linnaen biological classification system, which includes humans and their closest primate relatives (even some politicians).
  13. Here we underscore Sasha's penchant for taking full advantage of his youth and good looks, much to Taco's disgust.
  14. The most prominent hamster--Larry--plays the starring role here. Larry is a chinchilla-style Siberian dwarf hamster, which are beautiful animals, but rather temperamental. The hamsters have formed something of an alliance with Taco. Their relationship with Sasha is tenuous at best.
  15. Taco continues to tease Sasha, questioning his (Sasha's) credentials, both as a dog and a male.
  16. Thanks to Jay H. for the photos of his cat Ashtyn. I took some liberties with his (Ashtyn's) coloring to enhance web graphic visibility.
  17. Sasha digs Sasha. What else can we say?
  18. Taco likes to relax. Sasha--still a pup--loves to run around and play. Can this relationship be saved? Taco assumes a Brando-as-Dogfather pose. Pisces--the fish-sign of the zodiac--is Latin for fish/fishes. Luca Brazzi was Don Corleone's right-hand man, who eventually "slept with the fishes."
  19. Naturally, Sasha has a designer (Gucci) collar. Dogs love to stick their heads out of moving vehicles, hence their jubilation in traveling in a weathered VW bus (lots of windows). Barnaby Wild sounds like "Born to be Wild." Pretty clever stuff, huh?
  20. Time out from the road trip to celebrate Halloween. That's three fingers, George--not four! The Dr. Evil character is from the Austin Powers movies, and what better way to represent President Cheney, Halliburton's chief representative in the Executive Branch?
  21. The road trip continues, but the destination is the local veterinarian. You're going to put that thermometer WHERE?
  22. Frame 2b shows Sasha patting Taco on the back. This is a smokescreen for his applying a sign onto Taco's back (see Frame 2c).
  23. The real Taco did weigh in at 19-1/2 pounds during his last physical. He blames this on a glandular disorder.
    •  Jennifer Beals was the star of Flashdance--a 1983 movie in which legwarmers played a significant role.
    • The title of this episode--Avoirdupois--refers the weight system that we Americans use, e.g., a system composed of ounces, pounds, and tons. An alternative is the Troy system, which is used to measure gems and precious metals. The Troy system also has ounces and pounds, but a Troy ounce (at 480 grains) is heavier than an Avoirdupois ounce (at 437.5 grains). Since there are only 12 Troy ounces in a Troy pound, the Avoirdupois pound (which has 16 ounces or 7,000 grains) is heavier than the Troy pound at 5,760 grains. So, an ounce of gold (measured in Troy ounces) is heavier than an ounce of lead (measured in Avoirdupois ounces), but a pound of gold (a Troy pound) weighs less than a pound of lead (an Avoirdupois pound).
  24. Sasha's anger management problem becomes more apparent in this strip. Wildlife is (perhaps too) abundant in this area, and wild turkey overpopulation is becoming a problem. Sasha thinks that he is the cure.
  25. Lots of action in this send-up of "The Matrix." "Neo," played by Keanu Reeve, is  "Matrix's"  main character. He wears sunglasses, black clothing, and does a lot of slow-motion, aerial fighting. Baseballs are used in here as a non-lethal substitute for bullets, since they are obtainable in the yard and are easily discernible in a small web graphic. Sasha doesn't fare well against the turkey. Leslie S. contributed "Neo-phyte." Jim G. contributed "Get stuffed."
  26. If you haven't seen "Fight Club," please run out and do so immediately before reading this strip. Sasha and Taco really like the movie, but the hamsters think it a bit short on substance. You may, of course, perform your own field study in order to render an educated judgement. Frames 2a and 2b address the 1st and 2nd "rules of Fight/Turkey Club," respectively. Frame 2c parodies the movie's parodies of the old Reader's Digest series describing an arbitrary man's various body parts:
    • Reader's Digest: "I am Joe's Colon."
    • Fight Club: "I am Jack's raging bile duct."
    • This Dog's Life: "I am Taco's twisted sense of humor."
  27. Winter Solstice -- even though there are repeated mentions of Christmas, a Santa Claus outfit, and the neighbors' gefilte fish, I have tried to keep this strip's references to the holiday season as secular as possible, hence the title.
  28. Xmas = Extra Mass -- both of the boys have picked up some extra weight over the holidays. "You had me at jello" is a reference to a line from the movie "Jerry Maguire"--"You had me at hello." This is the first TDL strip that is composed of two independent 3-panel strips. Some time interval passes between the top strip, where Sasha is inviting Taco to eat, and the bottom strip, where Taco and Sasha are lying gorged and bloated. In proper Cartesian form, Taco notes that dogs exist, therefore they eat. A serious philosophical issue is raised here: do dogs have free will? Taco asserts that they do not.



 

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