April 15, 2025

BECOMING A DOG PERSON is the debut graphic novel of Donna Almendrala ‘12.  It is the semi-autobiographical story of how Donna adopted a rescue dog named Max, and how he turned her life upside down. Written and illustrated by Donna, it is out now via her Mad Macaques Press. 

“In 2018, my partner and I adopted a rescue dog named Max, a cute small mutt with a spunky personality. I fell in love with Max immediately but his emotional and behavioral issues were more than I bargained for. The experience affected me emotionally and challenged my relationship with myself and with my partner,” said Donna Almendrala ‘12. “I wanted to write about the experience in a semi-autobiographical format, so I wrote our story, changed our character names, and added a touch of magical realism to explore the themes of confidence, leadership, and relationships. While it’s clear that this story is fiction, it’s also still very much my personal experience.”

Donna has long wanted to publish her own graphic novel. In 2020, a graphic novel workshop taught by Paul Karasik at CCS helped her turn her goal into reality.

“On the last day of the workshop, he had us do a manifesting exercise of sorts where we closed our eyes and tried to imagine our graphic novel completed as physical books. He asked us to imagine what it felt like, both the tactile and emotional response, to hold our book,” said Donna Almendrala ‘12. “Thinking forward to this imaginary book gave me a concrete goal for myself because I wanted to know that feeling for real. The mental image motivated me to cross the finish line through the tumultuous years of the pandemic, buying a house, moving, and having two children to complete my first graphic novel.”

Donna Almendrala earned an MFA at The Center for Cartoon Studies in 2012 after she received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and worked at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. A year later, she started her dream job at the PEANUTS studio of legendary cartoonist Charles Schulz. She has contributed to Simon & Schuster’s PEANUTS comic books, the 2018 Eisner winner CELEBRATING PEANUTS, and the Emmy Award-winning animation THE SNOOPY SHOW.  Donna also serves on The Center for Cartoon Studies Board of Trustees. 

Donna continues to create her comics, which have appeared in local publications such as Vermont’s alternative weekly SEVEN DAYS, BAY NATURE, and other small press anthologies. BECOMING A DOG PERSON is her first graphic novel.

You can learn more about Donna’s work at: madmacaques.com/