Make your own Flat Fido
Well … after we made the Flat Cats in 1988, people liked them so much, the whole world seemed full of flat possibilities. You didn't need a Magic 8 Ball to know something else should get printed and pasted to an easel to increase sales. And at this point, we had cobbled together a national force of independent sales reps — the folks with retail buyer relationships, who visit the shops and write the orders for a 15% commission. They were like, "Guys, love the cat, but we need more to sell. These things are hot!" Nothing was more obvious than a dog, of course. We sent the trademark office in Washington our application for the name "Flat Fido."
Ironically, Seth and I didn't know anything about dogs. Our dad never wanted one in the house because of the odor. So while we were our own target market, we were flummoxed about what breed of dog would sell best, aka, High Stakes Business Decision of the Year.
Manny Denner, the Flat Cat photographer, suggested, "Just call Animals for Advertising, they rent chimps, chickens, birds, reptiles, anything you need. I use 'em all the time." With this service, clients were supplied animals with accompanying trained handlers, at astronomical hourly rates. Their suggestion was to go with Jack Russell Terriers, for their everyday dog vibe. They'd send two, just in case.
On set, at Manny's place in Manhattan, the dog handler chased the dogs around a bit, got their blood flowing, so their tongues hung out all nice and friendly. Manny was on the floor with his Hasselblad, shooting a million frames a second. Mission accomplished with a happy dog that almost appeared to be smiling.
One of the dogs did take a dump on the studio floor, but when you rent Jack Russell Terriers, dog shit pickup is FREE.
Enjoy your new, authentic Flat Fido!
Mitch & your pals at the Q
