Introducing Duke Barkin, Transporter

Hot Houndette

Basset Hound Duke Barkin is a transporter for the Man. In Hot Houndette, Duke picks up a suspiciously lively package that turns out to be the beautiful and slippery Mai Daisi, on the run from Big Bad Bob’s Gator Show and Puppy Park.
Duke has one inviolable rule: never open the package. But when a duffel bag full of hot houndette wiggles into the pristine interior of his BMW, Duke will have to question his methods, and maybe even take a little detour. Combine that with a trio of TV has-beens and a hungry gator, and Duke is going to have to use all of his moves to save the day.

This is the first part of Duke Barkin # 1, Hot Houndette, written by me (MK Swanson) and illustrated by Joseph Rawlins.

This comic book was inspired by the tireless transporters of Suncoast Basset Rescue, a charitable organization that provides aid and comfort to embattled bassets from all over the state of Florida.

I am looking for an illustrator to complete the book, or to re-vision it and illustrate it from the beginning, as my previous illustrator is not available.

Some of the inspirations for the script include:
  • "The Transporter"
  • "The Dukes of Hazzard"
  • Several well-known beer and taco commercials starring dogs
  • Mel's Diner in Sanford
  • My own bassets, Clarabelle, Brute, Bluebelle, and Chance, other beloved dogs like Horatio and Nanook, and the benighted pups I have pulled from shelters and transported.