# Why has there never been a Dirty Duck book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841 "2012-05-04T05:45:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/1 "2012-05-04T05:45:50Z")
[Dirty Duck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Duck_(comix_character)) is a comic strip character created by Bobby London in 1970. The character has been appearing regularly for over forty years now. But there has never been a book collection printed. Anyone know why? London owns the character. He’s still making new strips so he presumably has no dislike for the character. He’s published other stuff he’s done. I realize Dirty Duck isn’t the most famous characters in comic strips. But there are characters a lot less famous that have been collected in book form. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/2 "2012-05-04T12:34:19Z")
Probably a lack of popularity. I remember the strip from the **National Lampoon** days, but it didn’t get much notice back then and I don’t think Playboy Press is interested in compiling it. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/3 "2012-05-04T13:37:19Z")
I remember that in the National Lampoon. I thought it was gross. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/4 "2012-05-04T14:18:10Z")
Perhaps he doesn’t own the rights, and whoever does isn’t interested in publishing in book form. Maybe Fantagraphics could get it done, one day. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/5 "2012-05-04T14:52:30Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Probably a lack of popularity. I remember the strip from the **National Lampoon** days, but it didn’t get much notice back then and I don’t think Playboy Press is interested in compiling it. Hard to believe that a strip that’s been running for forty years doesn’t have some popularity. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/6 "2012-05-04T14:58:24Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > Perhaps he doesn’t own the rights, and whoever does isn’t interested in publishing in book form. > > Maybe Fantagraphics could get it done, one day. I’m not 100% certain but I’m pretty sure London owns the rights. He certainly did when the character started out and he’s been able to move the strip between venues with no apparent problems. If anything, the fact that there hasn’t been a collection published indicates London must hold the rights. _National Lampoon_ and _Playboy_ have both published collections of other comic strips from their magazine. It seems unusual they both would have decided to forego publishing a collection of one of their longest running strips. So a likely explanation is that London holds the republication rights. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/7 "2012-05-05T22:56:04Z")
I’d buy it, so there’s one copy right there! All I can guess is that the strip doesn’t have a fan with either the decision making power in a publishing company or the tenacity to get it done. Either that, or London is not interested in making a collection of something he is still working on. When he was married to Shary Flenniken, she seemed to be the real go-getter in that relationship. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/8 "2012-05-05T23:02:55Z")
Apparently, [the rumors are that he’s difficult to work with](http://www.dirtyduck.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/9 "2012-05-05T23:31:14Z")
Bobby London’s _Dirty Duck_ was my second favorite strip in Nat Lamp. My favorite was _Trots And Bonnie_, done by his (then)wife, Shary Flenniken. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/10 "2012-05-05T23:40:14Z")
My favorite DD (from memory) was when he was in the apartment building laundry room, and he ends up eating some girl’s panties. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/11 "2012-05-05T23:47:14Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > My favorite DD (from memory) was when he was in the apartment building laundry room, and he ends up eating some girl’s panties. 😛 Actually, it was Weevil who ate the panties. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/12 "2012-05-05T23:54:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Bobby London’s _Dirty Duck_ was my second favorite strip in Nat Lamp. My favorite was _Trots And Bonnie_, done by his (then)wife, Shary Flenniken. I agree. I am also a big fan of Gahan Wilson’s _Nuts_ (oh, stop sniggering) which was collected. I’d also like to see a collection of Ed Subitzky’s comic strips, although he never did a series. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/13 "2012-05-06T00:00:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’d also like to see a collection of Ed Subitzky’s comic strips, although he never did a series. Didn’t Ed do a one-time strip about the planet with 11 genders and what they had to do on a Saturday night to get laid? > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Actually, it was Weevil who ate the panties. Ah-henh! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/14 "2012-05-06T00:06:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > My favorite was _Trots And Bonnie_, done by his (then)wife, Shary Flenniken. Can’t find that, either. At least a collection that is in print. I find it no end of annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/15 "2012-05-06T04:05:02Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Didn’t Ed do a one-time strip about the planet with 11 genders and what they had to do on a Saturday night to get laid? Twelve actually. [Saturday Night on Antarius](http://farleftside.com/extras/subitzky.html) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/16 "2012-05-06T04:23:08Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Can’t find that, either. At least a collection that is in print. I find it no end of annoying. The collection was only published in France. I don’t know if it was published in the original English or translated. It’s out of print but you can still find a few copies on Amazon France. I saw an interview Flenniken did last October in which she said she’d like to release a _Trots and Bonnie_ collection. But she admitted she’s been saying that for twenty years and it hasn’t happened. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/17 "2012-05-06T13:31:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Hard to believe that a strip that’s been running for forty years doesn’t have some popularity. But is it enough to support publication? There’s no way of knowing since there’s no way to gauge its popularity; it’s been published in venues where it had only to please two people: Bobby London and his editor. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/18 "2012-05-06T13:32:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Twelve actually. [Saturday Night on Antarius](http://farleftside.com/extras/subitzky.html) Thanks, **Little Nemo!** I knew someone would recognize it! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/19 "2012-05-06T13:50:42Z")
I miss the detective in the iron lung. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841/20 "2017-01-01T06:37:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > [Dirty Duck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Duck_(comix_character)) is a comic strip character created by Bobby London in 1970. The character has been appearing regularly for over forty years now. But there has never been a book collection printed. Anyone know why? > > London owns the character. He’s still making new strips so he presumably has no dislike for the character. He’s published other stuff he’s done. > > I realize Dirty Duck isn’t the most famous characters in comic strips. But there are characters a lot less famous that have been collected in book form. [If you wait long enough…](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1631406558/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=Z9F8XVJ776768XFEDPNH&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=a6aaf593-1ba4-4f4e-bdcc-0febe090b8ed&pf_rd_i=desktop) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-dirty-duck-book/620841.md?page=2)