Hank the Cowdog
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Hank the Cowdog is the protagonist and title character of a popular series of children's humorous mystery novels, written by John R. Erickson, and illustrated by Gerald L. Holmes.
The series began in 1982 with a couple of short stories about the proud but bumbling Hank, the self-styled "Head of Ranch Security". Over 40 books have since been written featuring Hank, his timid sidekick Drover, his sworn enemy Pete the Barncat, and their adventures on the M-Cross ranch in the northern Texas Panhandle. Every book in the series has been recorded in an audio book format, making it the longest-running popular children's audio book series.[citation needed] The books all include songs sung by Hank and other characters, these are all performed on the tapes by Erickson. It has received various awards and acclaims, lauded by Publishers Weekly and USA Today.
The Hank the Cowdog books are supported by various libraries and teaching programs, and related lesson plans, which usually incorporate the books with cassette tapes, are available through Maverick Books (the series' original publisher). The first six books have been translated into Spanish by the Argentine publisher Editorial Sudamericana. Series of his books are also translated into Persian and are popular in Iran.[citation needed]
In the mid-1980's, the first book was also adapted into an animated segment for the CBS Storybreak.
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[edit] Main Characters Descriptions
- Hank (Head of ranch security): Hank is the main character and protaganist of the series. He is a cowdog on a ranch in Texas and the self proclaimed 'Head of Ranch Security', a role which he takes very seriously. Being the narriator of the story, the reader hears everything from Hank's perspective. Often Hank will lose track of what he is talking about and ramble on about something else until he picks up his main point again. There have been a few occasions when Hank has abandoned his role on the ranch when he feels unappreciated but generally when push comes to shove Hank will always do the right thing, regardless of his own fears or misgivings.
- Drover (sidekick): Drover is a "little white mutt with a stub tail" that often complains of a bad leg when put under pressure. Hank tends to think of Drover as lazy, since Hank often finds him "sleeping on the job". Drover doesn't take the role of ranch security nearly as seriously as Hank does, but does make attempts, if only to impress Hank. In instances where there is imminent danger Drover will always complain of his bad leg and usually slip away at great speed when Hank is not looking. However, in the few instances where Hank is not there and Drover is the only one to protect the ranch from an attack by coyotes, he does stands his ground and faces his fear.
- Pete (the Barncat): Pete is Hank's daily enemy. There will almost always be some conflict between the two near the beginning of each story. As far as Hank is concerned Pete is just "your typical dumb cat". However, Pete shows himself time and again to be greatly manipulative of Hank. In a case where Hank suffered from "eye-crosserosis", Pete began to bother Hank and threatened to steal Hank's milk and egg (which the cowboys gave him). Hank did not take kindly to that so when Pete walked away Hank began to followed him, intending to beat him up. As Pete approached where he was heading, the creek, he confronted Hank and told him that he would go take Hank's food since Hank wouldn't be able to make it back to the ranch with "eye-crosserosis". Pete then slipped away back to the ranch leaving Hank unable to do anything about it. Since Hank is the narrator, Pete's plans are not always seen until they reach fruition, and even then, Hank will not easily admit to being tricked by a "dumb cat".
- The Coyote Brothers (Rip, Snort and Scraunch): The coyotes roam free in the forests and canyons and are a constant danger to the ranch. Whenever Hank encounters the "cannables", as he calls them, he is often being faced with the prospect of being eaten. Hank usually has to talk his way out of situations with coyotes since, even though he rarely admits it, he is no match for a coyote in combat. The brothers Rip and Snort enjoy singing, getting into fights and being tough, though they are not very intelligent as they often get tricked out of a meal by Hank.
- Wallace and Junior (the Buzzards): Wallace and Junior are buzzards which show up when Hank is away from the ranch and in a situation where something is dead or in real danger of dying. Wallace (Junior's father) says he's a "grouch and proud of it". He doesn't particularly like Hank and wouldn't mind Hank as his next meal. Even though Wallace is a grouch, he is always good intentioned for the care of his son. Junior (Wallace's Son) has a stutter when he speaks. He considers Hank and his companions his friends whenever they meet. Hank and Junior are on good terms and have been known to sing songs together, to Wallace's protest though.
- Beulah (the collie): She is Hank's one true love who lives down the road at another ranch. Hank often dreams about her and whenever in grave danger his thoughts turn back to her as well. Beulah is good friends with Hank but is in love with Plato, a bird dog which lives on the same ranch as her. Hank doesn't understand why Beulah loves a bird dog but ultimately resigns that "women are impossible to understand".
- Madame Moonshine: Psychic owl that believes she is a witch and has done a few supernatural things throughout the series. She has a very peculiar nature, saying that she does not believe in witches, nor does she believe in dogs, even when talking to Hank. Her biggest parts occur in book 2 and book 11.
- High Loper: Loper is Sally May's husband and manager of the ranch where Hank lives. He's more ranch-man than a manager, however, and more at home on a horse than anywhere else.
- Sally May: High Loper's wife, Little Alfred's and Baby Molly's mother, chief of the chicken coop, and manager of the vegetable and flower gardens, Sally May has plenty to keep her busy. Hank tries her patience and occationally has "misunderstandings" which usually leave Sally May throwing rocks and Hank running away. Sally May thinks Hank stinks and generally does not like to be near him but in instances where Hank has saved her or done somthing particularly heroic she will show her affection for Hank.
- Slim Chance: Slim is a cowboy and a bachelor from the top of his hat to the tip of his spurs. Sort of a human version of Hank, Slim and the Head of Ranch Security spend many adventures (and misadventures) together. Once they even spent Christmas Eve with each other.
- Alfred: Sally May's and Loper's little boy. Hank is sworn by his sacred Cowdog Oath "to protect and defend all innocent children against all manner of monsters and evil things." In between rescue missions, battles with Hooking Bulls, and other deadly creatures, Hank and Little Alfred share a special kind of communication. Time and time again, Alfred seems to know just what Hank wants. Hank explains that there is a special time early in a childs life when they can communicate to animals, and that Alfred should cherish it.
- Plato: Has "eyes as big as plates" and is the love interest of Beulah the collie. A cheerful fellow, he is greatly disliked by Hank, but the two unite in book 26: The Case of the Missing Collie.
[edit] List of books
- The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
- The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
- It's a Dog's Life
- Murder in the Middle Pasture
- Faded Love
- Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
- The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob
- The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse
- The Case of the Halloween Ghost
- Every Dog Has His Day
- Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest
- The Case of the Fiddle Playing Fox
- The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve
- Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business
- The Case of the Missing Cat
- Lost in the Blinded Blizzard
- The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog
- The Case of the Hooking Bull
- The Case of the Midnight Rustler
- The Phantom in the Mirror
- The Case of the Vampire Cat
- The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting
- Moonlight Madness
- The Case of the Black-Hooded Hangmans
- The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado
- The Case of the Kidnapped Collie
- The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster
- The Mopwater Files
- The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
- The Case of the Haystack Kitties
- The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook
- The Garbage Monster from Outer Space
- The Case of the Measled Cowboy
- Slim's Good-bye
- The Case of the Saddle House Robbery
- The Case of the Raging Rottweiler
- The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game
- The Fling
- The Secret Laundry Monster Files
- The Case of the Missing Bird Dog
- The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree
- The Case of the Burrowing Robot
- The Case of the Twisted Kitty
- The Dungeon of Doom
- The Case of the Falling Sky
- The Case of the Tricky Trap
- The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies
- The Case of the Monkey Burglar
- The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup
- The Case of the Most Ancient Bone
[edit] Audio Only Stories
A1: The Homeless Pooch
A2: The Watermelon Patch Mystery
A3: The Kitty Cheater
[edit] Trivia
- In almost every story, Hank gives some false scientific information. For example, in the second volume of the series, Hank comes down with a "case" of "eye crosserosis". In the third volume, Hank is led to believe that he has been poisoned with "soap hydrophobia," making him appear rabid.
- In most of the stories Hank mentions Beulah the Collie, his one true love, but Beulah loves a bird dog named Plato.
- All but two books begin with the phrase "It's me again, Hank the Cowdog." (Neither one is the first in the series.) The exceptions are #21: The Case of the Vampire Cat that begins with "It's me again, Harry the Hogdog." (He said this to "make sure we were paying attention.") The other is #40: The Case of the Missing Bird Dog that begins with "On the morning of November 1, at precisely nine o'clock in the morning, I noticed that something very strange was occurring on my ranch."
- The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog begins with "It's me again, Hank the Cowdog" even though it is Hank for the first time.
- Drover's mother died of a bad diet probably lead to starvation.
- In July of 2007, the 50th Hank the Cowdog book will make its debut 24 years after The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog was let loose on the shelves. The book will be the longest in the series (almost twice as long as a traditional book).