Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale

Footrot Flats is the archetypal farming community that everyone knows exists somewhere.

In the cartoon strips – and now in the animated feature film – the day-to-day events of Footrot Flats are chronicled by an extremely intelligent dog with a great sense of his own worth. He is simply known as “Dog”.

Dog is either owned by or owns Wal Footrot. Wal farms 400 acres of swamp between the Ureweras and the sea with the help of Dog. Wal is a good-humoured fellow who smiles readily. The last time was when his mate Cooch got his arm caught down a rabbit burrow while trying to rescue a rabbit. He laughed aloud when the rabbit bit Cooch. That was in 1974.

Cooch Windgrass is Wal's mate, neighbour and right-hand man. He is a native of the ‘Flats’ – his family owns 2000 acres of swamp, tussock, scrub, forest and muc flat. Cooch has two main claims to fame – he can catch flounder with his bare feet and he owns a female bitch called Jess who just happens to be Dog's girlfriend.

There are two women in Wal Footrot's life: his Aunt Dolly who lives in Tauranga and visits occasionally, and Dahlene ‘Cheeky’ Hobson, hairdresser in Raupo (pop 406). In school holidays Wal's niece Pongo and a local kid called Rangi (footy genius) help about the farm.

Across the river which borders Footrot Flats live the Murphys – Irish Murphy and his two sons Hunk and Spit together with their dogs, known as the Murphy Hellhounds, and the fearsome crocopigs.

Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale is a self-contained chapter in the life and times of Wal Footrot and his dog, Dog. We witness Wal's herculean struggle to impress the All Black selector – and Dog's strenuous efforts to come between Wal and Cheeky Hobson, and heated attempts to get in behind the sultry Jess.

Meanwhile…the dastardly Murphys steal Cooch's prize stag…Dog, Jess and the heroic Horse do battle with the forces of evil – the hellhounds, Vernon and his Vermin and the dreaded crocopigs.

Will Wal become an All Black? Where is Cooch's stag? Will Horse prevail over Vernon and his Vermin. Will Jess be devoured by the dreaded crocopigs? What is Dog's real name? Will Wal find eternal happiness with Cheeky Hobson?

It's all there in Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale.

Features:

Audio commentary with Murray Ball and Tom Scott
Interview with Dave Dobbyn
Making of Footrot Flats
Music Videos
Slice Of Heaven
Oughta Be In Love
Oughta Be In Love (P-Money Remix)
Still Gallery