COMICSDogs of C-Kennel by Mick and Mason Mastroianni

About Mick and Mason Mastroianni

Mick Mastroianni was born in 1982 in upstate New York. An active child with a passion for cartooning, he was an artist and a dog lover. After high school, Mick traveled to Orlando, Fla., to become a stuntman and precision driver. His efforts landed him a role in an independent film and several TV spots, including a national commercial with Derek Jeter. 

While attending stunt school, Mick's passion for dogs led him to volunteer at the Orlando SPCA. Having grown up reading B.C., Garfield and Mother Goose and Grimm books in bed every night, an idea for a comic strip began taking shape in his head. For a year, Mick developed the characters and wrote gags, filling several notebooks with Dogs of C-Kennel comic strips. 

Missing home and family, Mick returned to New York to attend college. With his grandfather Johnny Hart as his mentor, Mick continued to round out his characters and ideas. And in February 2007, Creators Syndicate began featuring Dogs of C-Kennel on their web-site as a comic strip in development.
When Hart passed away, Mick's brother, Mason Mastroianni, returned home to take over the duties as B.C. head writer and cartoonist. Mick asked Mason to come on board as illustrator and to help further develop the look of Dogs of C-Kennel. 

Besides writing Dogs of C-Kennel, Mick is head writer for Wizard of Id and a contributing writer for B.C. Mick currently resides in Binghamton, N.Y., where he has earned awards for his paintings and works of sculpture at Broome Community College. (Photo credit - David Folkman)

Mason Mastroianni has always been passionate about art. Born with one of those rare artistic gifts, Mason was seldom seen without pen and paper as a child. Growing up, Mason worked to hone and test his talent by entering and winning many local and state art competitions.

Mason attended illustration courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and then enrolled in The DAVE School (Digital Animation and Visual Effects) in Orlando, Fla. Upon graduation, he took a position as a CG animator in Minneapolis, Minn. Mason’s work at Wet Cement Productions earned the company an Emmy award for computer graphic animation.

When approached by his brother, Mick Mastroianni, to come on board to illustrate Dogs of C-Kennel, Mason was up to the task. Mason's talent has brought a look of professionalism to the strip and new depth and dimension to the characters.

When not illustrating Dogs of C-Kennel, Mason is head writer and cartoonist for B.C. and a contributing editor for Wizard of Id. Mason currently resides in Binghamton, N.Y., where he donates his time and talent to many local organizations. Working in conjunction with Binghamton-area hospitals, Mason speaks to school-children about healthy eating habits. Through the National Cartoonist Society and USO cartoonist tours, Mason spends time with the troops at home and abroad.