Most of us view the name, “Spot”, as the stereotypical dog name. And yet, how many 
people have you ever known whose dog’s name was “Spot”? I certainly know of no such dog owner. And yet, most seem to think this pet name is overused and unoriginal, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why that is. Even when doing a quick review of pop-culture, I know of no famous dog with the name Spot — unless you count the varied zoo animals which Cal Worthington (of Worthington Ford dealership fame) would ride in his commercials, but I’m pretty sure only So Cal residents would be familiar with that relatively obscure reference from my childhood. So, how did the name, “Spot”, get its spotty reputation? Anyone out there got any idea or theory? Care to share?
Frank Grau Illustration
A Daily Art Blog
Frank Grau Illustration 
Hi Frank,
Love the illustration – you are a very talented man indeed!
Re Spot, I always thought it was based on the Eric Hill “Spot” books: http://www.funwithspot.com/
They were part of my childhood and now part of my children’s childhood, and are distributed worldwide and translated into 60 languages, so I guess the association of the name Spot with a dog has permeated the collective consciousness! Particularly in Britain, which is where they were originally published.
That’s my theory anyway!
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Thanks, Jennifer — Sounds like a good theory to me.
Thanks for visiting!
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