Today marks 17 years since the release of Disney’s Animation Bolt in the UK: an anniversary I know many wouldn’t pay much attention to, yet one I want to use to use as an excuse to share another instalment of my comfort character diaries. Unlike the previous entries, however, this one isn’t a person I resonate with, nor is it someone I see parts of myself in; and that’s purely down to the fact today’s post isn’t about a fictional human character at all, but instead a rather charming animated dog. And whilst this may be a shorter read than those that came before it, it does still hold a similiar significance in the world of my comfort character series.
Bolt was released in cinemas the same year we brought our own puppy home – and if I’m being entirely honest this is where the great attachment to this ‘superdog’ stemmed from. The emphasis was never about Bolt saving the day, but rather him finding his way. His way back home. Back to Penny. In a setting that showed his true superpowers came from love, trust and family, as opposed to the special effects he’d been immersed into on set.
Watching his journey across the states with his newfound friends Mittens and Rhino, brings to light his journey of becoming a real dog. We watch as he learns how to beg, play with toys, and simply learn how to enjoy life away from the cameras and make-believe world. The overarching theme throughout of course, was this pure love and dedication he has towards Penny which was never in doubt. For Bolt, Penny will always be his person. And for Penny, Bolt will always be her dog. Much alike the way I felt towards my childhood dog.
Let’s preface this by stating I was a huge dog lover as a child, and a solid 90% of the films, shows, and books I’d watch and read were of those featuring dogs. So you could probably imagine the excitement of a dog-obsessed child getting their first puppy. We loved our walks, our play times, and our down times too. So when I watch the interactions between Penny and Bolt, I’m always taken back to those early years with my dog. We’d run around the garden on a sunny day, play fetch in the living room, and take so many ‘selfie’ photos for the scrapbook. So for me, those animated scenes feel almost like memories.
Perhaps even more so because trusty, smiley-faced Mr Carrot (the squeaky dog toy), who was Bolt’s favourite, ended up being Benji’s too! I purchased this plush toy from the Disney Store years after the film’s release, and almost instantly my (then adult) dog took a shining to it. Mr Carrot was so loved, right up to its final playtime, and is one of the items I held onto after Benji passed. This does now make watching puppy Bolt playing with his carrot a tough one to watch emotionally.
And so, for me, Bolt will always be my favourite animated dog as the connection I feel towards him is so reminiscent of the one I shared with Benji. He would’ve been there whenever I needed cheering up, whenever I needed a hug, and whenever I needed a friend. He was, and will always be my ‘good boy’.
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