There is a popular myth that cats have a bad reputation when compared to dogs. However, despite foul rumors of cats all over the world being dispatched with violence, it is still peculiar to have a feline mural effaced. The suspects remain unknown and the artist of the mural had to come back to paint another piece of wall art.

King of Cats by Joachim
Photo taken from www.chichester.co.uk

Thus, from “The King Of Cats” to “The Watchdog” mural artist Joachim has painted two separate murals in Chichester,( in the South Coast of England), due to this mysterious mural disappearance. Before it vanished, “The King Of Cats”, was an eighteen foot mural, located on a wall in North Pallant, Chichester, England. This mural reigned until it was sent beyond the veil beneath layers of white paint.

Apparently there had been a petition of those who lived in the area, and about 62 denizens had simply declared the cat mural an anti-social behavior inducing artwork. The cat had suddenly become something like a living entity, capable of ripping itself off the wall at will ,(in the witching hour of the dark outside, of course), and stirring up wickedness with clawed paws. These residents petitioned the Chichester Council to have the mural removed, thus, it was painted over,(too bad later 92% of the citizenry polled desired “The King Of Cats” to make a hearty yet catlike stealthy reappearance).

The original mural was of an eighteen foot cat with an almost insect like bulbous back end raised on four skinny legs. The coat was depicted in black with white lines. The cat possessed a stately feline head that hosted a small yellow gold crown.

After the cat was painted over due to the bizarre allegations that it somehow encouraged anti social behavior, another mural took its’ place. Joachim the artist of the first mural, got on a plane and returned to South England, to Chichester, to repaint a different mural. Known as “The Watchdog “, the mural with the same black coat and white lines as the cat, was intended to”watch out”, for any anti social behavior, (as claimed by Joachim’s manager Rosh Boroumand). The “Watchdog” faces the opposite direction and has a long wolfish snout, with two neat rows of visible white teeth that cartoonishly grin,(without the normal sharp dog teeth, some watchdog!). The cherry on top so to speak is the round and red clown like nose perched on the dog’s muzzle.

The Watchdog By Joachim Nov 2018

Interestingly enough, Joachim is going to add a mouse to his menagerie of two animal murals. Disney has sought him to be the artist to render the 90th anniversary Mickey Mouse. Joachim is an artist and street muralist from Belgium. He also had shows in Brussels and London that sold out.

Referenced in this article was the highly informative and well written piece by Donna of graffitistreet.com titled  “Can A Mural Of A Cat Attract Anti-Social Behavior?


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