Know It All

Richie Rich, the richest kid in the world, had a dog named Dollar. It was a “dollarmatian,” like a dalmation but with dollar signs instead of spots.

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The Chihuahua that said “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” in Taco Bell commercials weighed 8 pounds and was 11 inches tall.

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Scooby Doo had a cousin named Scooby Dum and a brother named Yabba Doo. He had a nephew named Scrappy Doo.

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When the sheepdog Hot Dog first appeared in Archie Comics in 1968, he belonged to Archie. In the next comic book, and all thereafter, Hot Dog was Jughead’s pet.

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Do you know who says “Take a bite out of crime?” See answer at end.

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In the 1959 Disney movie, “The Shaggy Dog” Tommy Kirk (born 1941) plays Wilby Daniels, a young boy who changes into a sheepdog. In the sequel, “The Shaggy D.A.” (1976) Dean Jones (born 1933) plays an older Wilby, now a lawyer who changes into a sheepdog.

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The character of Lassie started as a short story published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1938. The first of many Lassie movies was “Lassie Come Home” (1943) starring Roddy McDowall (1928-1998). The television series “Lassie” (1954-1974) aired for 20 years.

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Three dogs have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — Lassie, Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart.

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“My Life as a Dog” (2000) is an autobiography of Moose, the Jack Russell Terrier that played Eddie on “Frasier” (1993-2004). The book is a canine perspective on life, actually written by Brian Hargrove (born 1956).

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Artist Brad Anderson (born 1924) created the Marmaduke comic strip in 1954. He based the comic dog on a 170-pound Great Dane he had as a child named Marmaladee.

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Snoopy’s favorite drink is root beer.

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Actor John Ritter (1948-2003) did the voice of Clifford the Big Red Dog in “Clifford’s Really Big Movie” (2004).

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Higgins (1959–1975), the dog that starred as the original Benji in the 1974 movie “Benji,” was adopted from the Burbank Animal Shelter when he was a puppy.

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Terry (1933-1944), the dog that played Toto, broke her foot during the filming of “The Wizard of Oz” (1939).

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Before the Jetsons adopted their dog Astro, he belonged to a millionaire named Mr. Gottrockets.

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In 1902, Buster Brown and his dog Tige debuted in a Sunday comic strip in the New York Herald. A few years later, the characters became mascots of the Brown Shoe Company. Midgets and little boys dressed like Buster Brown traveled the country with dogs dressed like Tige urging kids to buy Buster Brown shoes.

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Answer: McGruff the Crime Dog. Created in 1980, McGruff is the mascot for the National Crime Prevention Council to build crime awareness among children.

Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend and Wednesday editions of the Daily Journal. Questions? Comments? Email knowitall(at)smdailyjournal.com or call 344-5200 ext. 114.