# Pluggers > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pluggers > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pluggers.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluggers > Source revision: 1294939248 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American comic strip Pluggers Author(s) Jeff MacNelly (1993–1997) Gary Brookins (1997–2020) Rick McKee (2020–present) Current status/schedule Current strip Launch date 1993; 33 years ago (1993) Syndicate(s) Tribune Content Agency Genre(s) Humor, Gag-a-day ***Pluggers*** is a [comic panel](/source/Comic_strip#Cartoon_panels) created by [Jeff MacNelly](/source/Jeff_MacNelly) (creator of *[Shoe](/source/Shoe_(comic_strip))*) in 1993 that relies on reader submissions (referred to as "Pluggerisms") for the premise of each day's panel. In the context of this strip, "pluggers" are generally defined as rural, [blue-collar](/source/Blue-collar) workers who live a typical working-class American lifestyle, accompanied by a mentality characteristic of the [G.I.](/source/G.I._Generation) and [Baby Boomer](/source/Baby_Boomer) generations. In the comic, pluggers are portrayed in the form of [anthropomorphic](/source/Anthropomorphic) animals, most often a plump bear, dog, chicken, or rhinoceros, sometimes a kangaroo or a cat. ## Publication history Editorial cartoonist [Gary Brookins](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gary_Brookins&action=edit&redlink=1) took over in 1997, three years prior to creator Jeff MacNelly's death from [lymphoma](/source/Lymphoma) in 2000. Brookins retired in 2020, and his assistant [Rick McKee](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_McKee&action=edit&redlink=1) took over, still maintaining a similar style to MacNelly's originals. *Pluggers* is syndicated by [Tribune Content Agency](/source/Tribune_Content_Agency)[1] in 60 newspapers, mostly in the Southern, Midwestern, Plains, and Rocky Mountain states. ## Characters Most episodes of the comic focus on illustrating personality traits and aspects of the lifestyles of people who are identified as pluggers, and there are no continuing storylines. Consequently, the names and occupations of the anthropomorphic animal characters are rarely mentioned. ### Recurring characters - Andy Bear is a father of three who works as a foreman and estimator at a construction company. He is married to Sheila Roo.[2] - Sheila Roo is an aerobics instructor from Australia and the wife of Andy Bear.[2] - Carl Rhinowski, a rhinoceros construction worker.[2] - Earl Houndstooth, a dog, is married to Henrietta Beak.[3] - Henrietta Beak, a hen, works at [Costco](/source/Costco)[4] and is married to Earl Houndstooth.[3] - Doreen, who works at Costco with Henrietta.[4] ### Past characters - Hamilton Ivory, an elephant and Andy's technophobic employer.[2] - Ginger, a canine café owner.[2] - Alan Litigator, a lawyer and alligator.[2] - Moose K. MacMoose III, a wealthy, retired moose.[2] - Dingo, a bear cub.[2] - DeeDee Doo, a hair stylist who, being a bird, actually has no hair of her own.[2] - Arthur Goldwyn, a salesman lion.[2] - Shayla, a kangaroo and Sheila Roo's daughter from a previous marriage.[5] - Merv Cooney, a raccoon and Andy's best friend and a tow-trucker.[5] - Debbie "Star" Lemonjelli, a black poodle and Hamilton's assistant.[5] ## Criticism of strip The blog [Comics Curmudgeon](/source/Comics_Curmudgeon) often pokes fun at the comic and its implied [populist](/source/Populism) stance,[6] on one occasion referring to it as a "folksy bit of lower-middle-class reactionary [agitprop](/source/Agitprop)."[7] In 1996 [Dave Eggers](/source/Dave_Eggers) from [Salon.com](/source/Salon.com) criticized the strip for lionizing the working class despite being written by a committee of "current and former CEOs", and objected to "the self-important and vaguely [jingoistic](/source/Jingoism) way the creators promote the cartoon".[8] Gary Brookins himself argues that "Pluggers are self-deprecating and have a healthy sense of humor about themselves. They represent the majority of us who don't live for the latest trend, who keep plugging along without fanfare and try to balance work, play and family life."[9] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-tca_1-0)** ["Pluggers comics by Gary Brookins"](https://tribunecontentagency.com/premium-content/comics/pluggers/). *Tribune Content Agency*. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-characters_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-characters_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-characters_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-characters_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-characters_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-characters_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-characters_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-characters_2-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-characters_2-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-characters_2-9) ["Cast of Characters"](https://web.archive.org/web/19970208084918/http://www.pluggers.com/cast.html). Pluggers.com. 1996-06-24. Archived from [the original](https://www.pluggers.com/cast.html) on February 8, 1997. Retrieved 2013-10-11. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tvtropes_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tvtropes_3-1) ["ComicStrip/Pluggers"](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicStrip/Pluggers?from=Main.Pluggers). Television Tropes and Idioms. Retrieved 2013-10-11. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-costco_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-costco_4-1) [Brookins, Gary](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gary_Brookins&action=edit&redlink=1) ([w](/source/Script_(comics)), [a](/source/Artist)). *Pluggers*. June 10, 2014, [Universal Uclick](/source/Universal_Uclick). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-book_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-book_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-book_5-2) [MacNelly, Jeff](/source/Jeff_MacNelly) (October 1995). *Pluggers: Calm in the Face of Disaster*. Hyperion. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0786880294](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0786880294). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Pluggers – The Comics Curmudgeon"](http://joshreads.com/?cat=57). Joshreads.com. Retrieved 2021-09-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Wednesday, Oct 07, 2009 (2009-10-07). ["Behold Plug-Niggurath, goat with a thousand puns! – The Comics Curmudgeon"](http://joshreads.com/?p=4641). Joshreads.com. Retrieved 2021-09-09.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Eggers, Dave](/source/Dave_Eggers) (1996-07-10). ["Crude Caricatures: A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist goes slumming"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100721065413/http://www.salon.com/media/media960710.html). *[Salon.com](/source/Salon.com)*. Archived from [the original](http://www1.salon.com/media/media960710.html) on 2010-07-21. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Lifestyles Columnists Mike Peters"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081011223738/https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/columnists/mpeters/stories/DN-NSL_comicscol_0730liv.ART.State.Edition1.3e6ddf7.html). 2006-10-29. Archived from [the original](https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/columnists/mpeters/stories/DN-NSL_comicscol_0730liv.ART.State.Edition1.3e6ddf7.html) on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2021-09-09. ## External links - [*Pluggers* on *GoComics*](http://www.gocomics.com/pluggers/) v t e Tribune Content Agency comics Chicago Tribune Syndicate Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate Tribune Media Services Current 9 to 5 Animal Crackers Bliss Bottom Liners Bound and Gagged Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! Broom-Hilda Dick Tracy Gasoline Alley Gil Thorp Half Full Love Is... The Middletons Pluggers Historical The Adventures of Smilin' Jack Aggie Mack Beyond Mars Bobby Make-Believe Brenda Starr, Reporter Ching Chow Conrad Dondi Friday Foster The Gumps Harold Teen Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet Little Joe Little Lulu Little Orphan Annie Mary Perkins, On Stage Moon Mullins Motley's Crew The Neighbors Old Doc Yak The Pink Panther Rick O'Shay Smitty Smokey Stover Spy vs. Spy Sylvia Tales of the Green Beret The Teenie Weenies Terry and the Pirates Tiny Tim Winnie Winkle The World's Greatest Superheroes --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pluggers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluggers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluggers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.