Every great dog has a supporting cast. Charlie's includes a devoted hooman, an aunty with a little white Maltese, a grandpa with butter-forward cooking, a 7am chaos agent, a grumpy building Super, the doormen who keep a treat drawer just for him, an uncle with zero willpower, a moody benefactor called Rat King, the warmest restaurant crew on the Upper East Side, and a Friday glam squad.
Official notes from the BoyWoofy writers' room. All characters are drawn with love (even the Super).
#001the real one
the star of the show
Charlie
A mini Australian Shepherd in a permanent black-tie tuxedo, with pale blue eyes that could talk a bank into a loan. Very smart. Jumps on tables and couches. Drinks Evian only, flies first class only, bathes in Les Poochs only, best friends with Puppy, and loves Lamb Lamb and Chicken more than anything except Fluffy. Becomes a land shark when frustrated.
I would like the egg. I have never had the egg. Why have I not had the egg?
Brainsgenius
Puppy eyesweaponized
Patiencethen: shark
In the game: the one you're protecting. He wanders, sniffs everything, begs Uncle for treats and gets the zoomies. Keep his mood up and his tummy in check.
#002the real one
the protector
Fluffy
Charlie's hooman, chauffeur, personal shopper and full-time bodyguard. (Fluffy sometimes says “hooman” instead of “human.” Charlie approves.) Charlie is Fluffy's EVERYTHING. Buys him anything he sniffs at Petco. Orders the Pollo al Limone and a straight vodka martini at Paola's.
Come here, boobies! Who’s the best boy? Not the hoomans. YOU.
Protectivenessmax
Says “hooman”sometimes
Petco budget∞
In the game: that's you. Tap a problem and Fluffy runs to fix it.
#003
the lovable hazard
Grandpa
Visits often, loves Charlie, and leaves a trail of minor emergencies. Loses his dentures, and flushes them down the toilet all the time (it clogs every single time). Drops his pills on the floor (toxic for dogs). Leaves the stove on. Bakes potatoes with heroic amounts of butter, then forgets them in the oven. His eyesight isn't great and Charlie's dark coat makes him hard to spot underfoot. Has also been known to snack on Charlie's kibble.
Where are my TEETH? …Why is the dog smiling?
Eyesight2/10
Butter usage11/10
In the game: pick up his pills fast, turn off the stove, put out the potato fires, plunge the toilet after he flushes his teeth (before the water reaches the Super's ceiling), and tap him to stop before he steps on Charlie.
#004the real Puppy
the walking buddies
Aunty & Puppy
Aunty takes Charlie and Fluffy out for walks around the Upper East Side, always with her own dog, Puppy: a little, silky, snow-white Maltese in a brown leather harness. Charlie in his tuxedo, Puppy in her fluff. They are about the same size, and best friends. Lexington Avenue has never been so well dressed.
Walkies?! Puppy has been waiting by the door all morning!
Walk length"one more block"
Puppy fluffmaximum
In the game: the good guys. They ring at 10am and 4pm. Answer the door and Charlie goes for a walk: safe from everything, and he comes back happy, calm and a little less full.
#005
the 7am chaos agent
The Maid
Arrives at 7:00 AM sharp and wakes up the whole apartment. Throws away things that are definitely not trash. Moves everything else somewhere new and tells no one. Vacuums at full volume right next to the napping puppy. Mops without a wet-floor sign. Nobody knows where Lamb Lamb is. Nobody.
GOOD MORNING!!! Ew, a chicken. TRASH!
Punctuality7:00 sharp
Logic1/10
In the game: she's in from 7 to 11. Rescue Chicken from the trash, find Lamb Lamb, mop her puddles, and tap her to stop the vacuum.
#006
the building grump
The Super
Deeply suspicious of happiness in general, and of Charlie and Fluffy's in particular. Says Charlie barks too much. Says no dogs in the elevator. Promises every repair will happen "next week." It is always next week.
I'll fix the leak. Eventually. Is that a DOG? In MY building?
Complaintsdaily
Repairs done0
In the game: when he knocks, get to the door before he slides a violation notice under it. His "fixed" ceiling leaks anyway.
#007
the lobby welcome committee
The Doormen
The doormen of Charlie's Park Avenue building, and some of his favorite people in the whole world. They light up the second the elevator opens, and Charlie drags Fluffy straight to the front desk for pets, scratches and a treat from the drawer they keep just for him. Coming in or going out, every single time. They also sign for every Petco box, which makes them heroes.
Good morning, Mr. Charlie! Who’s a good boy? Here, don’t tell the Super.
Excitementevery time
Treat draweralways stocked
In the game: the good guys. At 2:30 they bring the Petco delivery up to the door, with a treat for Charlie. And after every walk, Charlie comes home extra happy from his lobby pets.
#008
the pushover
Uncle
Well-meaning, big-hearted, and completely powerless against Charlie's puppy eyes. Charlie knows Uncle is emotionally weak and will give in to anything he asks for. So while Fluffy is keeping Charlie on a diet, Uncle is sneaking him treats. Then he plays with him until Charlie is bouncing off the furniture.
How can I say no to THAT face? Okay, ONE more…
Willpower1/10
Funtoo much
In the game: visits from noon. Treats fill Charlie's tummy meter (overfeed him and it's a tummy ache). Rough play fills the hyper meter (max it and it's ZOOMIES). Tap Uncle to stop him.
#009
the fan club
The Crew at Paola's
The warm, welcoming team at Paola's Osteria in Carnegie Hill, where Charlie and Fluffy have dinner together. Everyone knows them. Fluffy's Pollo al Limone with mash and a straight vodka martini is on its way before the menus come out, and Charlie (with his Evian) is treated as the guest of honor he believes he is.
Every Friday, Charlie visits Canine Styles on Lexington Avenue (between 81st and 82nd), the dog emporium that has been grooming Upper East Side pups since 1959. Brush out, Les Poochs bath and crème rinse, hand blow-out, scissor cut. He goes in a dog and comes out a cloud.
Mr. Charlie, your chair is ready. Les Poochs, as always?
Around sixty, silver-haired, a Yale man with impeccable manners and a phone permanently attached to his ear. Rat King is Charlie and Fluffy’s great benefactor: the bankroll behind the Petco runs, the Hermès, the Evian. He also loves to pet Charlie, for about four seconds, before he has to take a call.
He is emotionally unreliable and he hurts Fluffy’s feelings. He cancels, shows up unannounced, then swings from “here’s $20,000, buy him something nice” to “I’m never giving you a dollar again, I’m blocking you” in the same afternoon. Nobody knows what Rat King will do next. Including Rat King.
Hold on, I have to take this. …Here’s twenty thousand dollars. Don’t make it weird.
Generositysometimes
Reliability1/10
Phone callsalways
In the game: he drops by unannounced in the afternoon (or texts to cancel). Tap him to ask nicely and the slot machine spins: $20,000, $5,000, “I have to take this,” or “I’m blocking you.”
#012the real one
the safe place
The Blanket
Dark brown fleece covered in white hearts, with a border of little orange cartoon dog heads. Charlie's favorite. Wherever it goes down, Charlie curls up on it and the world gets quiet. Its only enemy is the Maid's washing machine.
Coziness10/10
In the game: drop it and Charlie naps on it, safe from everything. A full nap heals a heart and calms the zoomies.
the setting
The Apartment
A two-bedroom on Park Avenue: Fluffy's room, a guest room (Grandpa's favorite), a big living room with the couch Charlie isn't supposed to be on, a dining room with the table Charlie isn't supposed to be on, and a kitchen where most of the trouble starts.
The front doorWhere the Super knocks, Grandpa arrives, Uncle bursts in, Aunty and Puppy ring for walkies, the doormen bring up the Petco delivery, and the Maid appears at 7:00 AM sharp.
The living roomThe couch, the rug, the coffee table, and Charlie's dog bed (which he ignores in favor of the couch).
The kitchenThe stove Grandpa leaves on, the oven with the buttery potato, Charlie's bowls, and the trash can Chicken keeps ending up in.
The bedroomsFluffy's room, and the guest room, where Grandpa's dentures turn up in the strangest places.
The bathroomOff the guest room. Grandpa's favorite place to flush his teeth. Fluffy keeps a plunger handy.
the writers' room
New Ideas
Where the cast could go next: new game levels, stories and features. Starting points, not promises (unlike the Super, we mean it).
Game level
Dinner Service at Paola's
Get Charlie through a full dinner as the perfect guest of honor: say hi to the crew, keep him off the next table's bread, and get Fluffy's martini to the table unspilled.
Game level
The Elevator Standoff
A stealth level in the lobby. Sneak Charlie from the front door to the elevator while the Super patrols with his clipboard. Hide behind plants. Distract him with a repair request. The doormen are on your side: they hold the elevator and slip Charlie a treat for the ride up.
Game level
Where Did She Put It?
After the Maid "tidies," find Lamb Lamb, Chicken, the TV remote, Grandpa's teeth and a brand-new Hermès collar before Charlie loses it. Against the clock.
Game level
Walkies with Aunty
A side-scrolling stroll down Lexington with Aunty, Puppy and Charlie: dodge hot-dog carts, collect hellos from neighbors, and keep Puppy from rolling in anything.
Game level
Spa Day Dash
Get Charlie from Park Avenue to Canine Styles by his Friday appointment, then keep him clean all the way home. Puddles, pigeons and Puppy are all trying to ruin the blow-out.
Game mode
Uncle Babysits
Fluffy is out for the evening and Uncle is in charge. You can only help by text message. Can you talk him out of the third bag of treats?
Game level
First Class to LA
Airport security, a calm boarding to seat 1A, Evian at cruising altitude, and a landing that ends with sand between Charlie's paws on the beach.
Story
A Week at Sea
Charlie finally crosses the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2: the Deck 12 kennels, a lamppost and a fire hydrant that feel just like home, a ship portrait, and an ocean that is very, very big for a Manhattan dog.
Story
Egg Day
The egg maker arrives. Charlie meets his first egg (cooked plain). The whole cast gathers in the kitchen. Grandpa wants to add butter. Fluffy says no.
Game level
Fan Day at the Met
Kids line up at the Met fountains to pet Charlie. Keep the line moving, keep Charlie calm, and don't let him jump in the fountain.
Story
The Super's Soft Side?
One day the Super is caught giving Charlie a secret pat in the lobby. He denies everything. Next week, he says, he'll deny it again.
Got an idea for Charlie's next adventure? Send it to Charlie on Instagram.
