Marmaduke (comic strip)

A very long-running comic strip created in 1954 and still run to this day by one Brad Anderson. Originally, Anderson was aided by Phil Leeming and later Dorothy Leeming, but he has held the strip solo since 1969.

Marmaduke is a monstrous Great Dane owned by Phil and Dottie, a stereotypical fifties husband and wife, and their kids, Barbara and Billy. Most of the "jokes" center on Marmaduke being big and/or thinking he's human. The strip seems to exist mainly as the target of Snark Bait anymore, mainly on the repetitive nature that the strip seems to be locked in.

Incredibly, a live action/CGI Marmaduke movie was released in June 2010, with Owen Wilson voicing the title character.

Tropes present:

 * Animated Adaptation: The 1980 Heathcliff TV series (the Ruby-Spears version, not the Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats version) featured animated Marmaduke segments as well.
 * Big Friendly Dog: Marmaduke.
 * Canis Major: Guess who?
 * Hot Mom: Surprisingly, Dottie, in a 1950s-frazzled-housewife sort of way.
 * Live Action Adaptation
 * Print Long Runners: 50+ years.
 * Square-Cube Law: Bent over and thoroughly violated. Much like owner-man.
 * Suddenly Voiced: In The Movie.