Mr. Winkle (1995?–November 2017)[1] was a very small dog of uncertain breed. His appearance made him a minor marketing phenomenon and an international cult figure representing homeless animals.[2][3][4]
Life
Mr. Winkle was rescued as a stray in Bakersfield, California, by Lara Jo Regan, a magazine photographer who remained his owner until the dog's death. She has published numerous calendars, books, and cards published featuring photos of Mr. Winkle in various settings, costumes, and poses.[5]
After a long retirement, Mr. Winkle died of kidney failure in November 2017.[6]
In media
Mr. Winkle was the subject of many national and international newspaper and magazine articles and appeared on various television shows, including the September 1, 2002 episode of Sex and the City. Regan's book tours with Mr. Winkle from 2001 to 2005 – drew over 500 fans at each location,[5] inspiring the producer of Sex and the City to incorporate him into an episode where he upstages the character Carrie Bradshaw at her first book signing.[citation needed]
Mr. Winkle appeared on the cover of Pet Life, Animal Wellness[7] and Time for Kids.[8]Time also named Mr. Winkle "Best Internet Celebrity of 2002" in their online supplement "On."[9][verification needed] By 2006, mrwinkle.com had garnered over 65 million hits.[10] Mr. Winkle came to be known as the first animal celebrity meme whose fame was sparked by internet culture.[11][12] By 2009, Regan had created over 150 "What is Mr. Winkle" photographic characters as well as an extensive fine art series of her muse, collected in the form of published works and art prints. A major museum retrospective of Regan's Mr. Winkle photographs took place from July 7, 2012, to October 7, 2012, at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in Salt Lake City.[12]
