Fu-Dog

Fu-Dog - A gargoyle beast originally part of the Xanadu Clan in China, at some unspecified point in time, and later a member of the Manhattan Clan.

History

Fu-Dog hatched at an unspecified point in time. When Brooklyn visits Xanadu during his Timedancer adventures, however, Fu-Dog joins with him as his first companion. Fu-Dog is fiercely loyal to Brooklyn. The two of them will visit 2198 together, and jointly battle the Space-Spawn as part of Samson’s resistance movement. Later they will visit feudal Japan and many other locales and times. Like Katana, Nashville, and Tachi, Fu-Dog will become a part of the Manhattan Clan after Brooklyn returns to the Eyrie Building.

Characteristics

Greg Weisman has described Fu-Dog as "big, strong, fast and darn smart for an animal. The ultimate wachdog." No other details known, though it is very likely Fu-Dog will greatly resemble the Fu-Dogs of Chinese architecture.

Real World Background

"Fu-dogs", in the real world, are statues of strange beasts found in China, sometimes also known as "Fu-lions". They are believed to be protector-figures, and therefore function quite effectively as a Chinese equivalent to gargoyles. Fu-dog’s name obviously reflects this, indicating that in the Gargoyles Universe, Fu-dogs were inspired by local gargoyle beasts in the same way that the architectural gargoyles on the castles and cathedrals of medieval Europe were inspired by gargoyles living in those regions. In the real world, the fu-dog is believed to be a combination of travellers' descriptions of lions (which are not native to China) and common breeds of dogs.