Once upon a time there was a duplex where a young bachelor named Eno and his dog, Fang, shared an ultra-macho haven of beer, snacks, power tools and male-bonding. Suddenly, their lives turned co-ed when Gina and her poodle, Mitzi, moved into the other half of their building, putting Eno and Fang’s chauvinistic natures at odds.
Such is the foundation of The Duplex, a new comic strip debuting in The Record-Bee this weekend. It replaces Phoebe And Her Unicorn.
The Duplex is a dichotomy of bath salts and sports balms, with only a 4-inch slab of drywall separating the two. The strip is the brainchild of longtime cartoonist Glenn McCoy, winner of National Cartoonist Society awards in a record five categories: Gag Cartoons (1996, 2002, 2005, 2009); Editorial Cartoons (1997); Newspaper Panel (2010); Greeting Card (2002, 2003, 2004, 2011); and Newspaper Strip for The Duplex (2004 and 2011).
His editorial cartoons have been reprinted in The New York Times, USA Today and Newsweek, and appear frequently on CNN. They also have been collected in two books, “Pot Shots” and “Pot Shots 2,” both dealing with Bill Clinton’s years in office.
McCoy was born in St. Louis and began drawing at age 4 under the tutelage of both his grandfather and his older brother, Gary. Weaned on “Peanuts” paperbacks, he acquired an early interest in cartooning and pursued that interest as the cartoonist for his grade school, high school and college newspapers.
He graduated in 1988 from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and graphic design. After receiving his degree, McCoy landed a job as editorial cartoonist for the Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat in his current hometown of Belleville.
In 1990, he won a national talent search called “Create the Comics of the ‘90s.” Soon after, he began doing gag cartoons for some of the top magazines around the country. In 1993 The Duplex was launched by Universal Uclick, and in 1999 Universal began syndicating his editorial cartoons. Two book collections of The Duplex cartoons have been published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.
The protagonists in the strip are Eno Camino, his dog Fang and buddy Elvin. While it may be said that some guys “have it all,” it’s also said that Eno Camino has absolutely none of it. A dud with the ladies and a slacker on the job, Eno weathers all of life’s obstacles with a daily dose of humor, though it comes often at his own expense. With his best friend, Fang, at his side and a couple of cold brewskies in the fridge, Eno attempts to make the most of his limited existence — but without raising expectations too high.
Eno resides in both the deep and shallow ends of the philosophical pool simultaneously. Eno’s four-legged roommate and friend, Fang is the “The Duplex’s” voice of reason. Unfortunately, no one is listening. As a loyal sidekick, Fang is ever-present to help Eno in times of need, as well as to provide timely analysis on precisely where he went wrong. A fan of cold beer and TV like his “master,” Fang dutifully assists Eno in holding court on the couch and passing judgment on all before them.
Elvin is Eno’s best human friend, and his greatest admirer. After all, Elvin has gone to extreme lengths to model his own life after Eno. From drinking beer on any occasion to letting oneself go in the physique department, Eno has served as Elvin’s inspiration to underachieve — and they have each made the grade.
The female other half of the eponymous duplex, Gina and Mitzi are what Eno and Fang could be with education, ambition, tact and deodorant. As a result, they play the unlikely role of antagonists. Ironically, the boys seem more comfortable in their interactions with these girls than with any other individuals. However, because these get-togethers often occur at Gina and Mitzi’s, it’s likely that the ladies have nowhere else to run to escape.
In addition to The Duplex, his editorial cartoons and magazine cartoons, McCoy has designed and written for several animation studios including Dreamworks SKG, Film Roman and Disney. He has written and/or illustrated several children’s books.
