How to Start Reading Savage Chickens Cartoons

Updated

Savage Chickens is Doug Savage's long-running cartoon series drawn on sticky notes, and the fastest way to start is to open the "Where to Start" page on savagechickens.com. It explains why he draws chickens, introduces the characters, and links to popular cartoons. From there you can browse by category, read the newest entries on the homepage, or subscribe to get the daily cartoon by email through Patreon.

Start With the "Where to Start" Page

The site's own navigation points new readers to a Where to Start section. According to the site, it covers:

  • Why Doug Savage draws chickens
  • An introduction to the characters
  • A selection of popular cartoons

This is the intended entry point if you want context before diving into the archive, which runs to thousands of cartoons.

Browse the Archive by Category or Tag

The site organizes cartoons in two main ways:

Method What it gives you Example from the site
Categories Broad themed groups Cartoons, Chickenless, Road Comics, PROD3000, Zombie Chicken, Cat Adventures
Tags Specific topics across categories Marriage, Robot, Technology, Dating, Management

Categories include large collections such as Cartoons (5,594 entries), Chickenless (1,158), and Cat Adventures (362), alongside smaller ones like Poet-Bot, Tammy Tofu, and Useless Mutants. Tags let you follow a subject rather than a series — for instance, "Robot" or "Productivity."

Read the Latest Cartoons on the Homepage

The homepage shows the most recent entries with their dates, comment counts, and categories. Recent examples include:

  • Unexpected (October 2, 2026) — tagged Expectations, Marriage, Proposal, Question
  • Keybot (October 1, 2026) — tagged Robot, Technology, Innovation
  • Stupid (September 30, 2026) — tagged Dating, Relationships
  • Everything You Do (September 29, 2026) — tagged Management, Human Resources

Each entry links to its tags and category, so you can jump from a single cartoon into a related thread. A "Previous Entries" link moves you backward through the archive.

Check the Current Top Ten

The homepage sidebar lists a Current Top Ten of popular cartoons. At the time of the site snapshot these were:

  1. Apprehension
  2. Near Future
  3. The Brink
  4. For Everything
  5. The Bad Dream
  6. Cat Magic
  7. Nicer
  8. This Easter
  9. Happy Place
  10. The Greatest Book Ever

This is a quick way to sample the strips other readers return to most.

Get the Daily Cartoon by Email

The site offers a daily cartoon sent to your inbox via Patreon. The homepage links to a Subscribe page for this. Note that the site describes this as a Patreon subscription — check the Patreon page for current terms, since the site itself does not list pricing details here.

Explore Beyond the Cartoons

If you want more than the strips, the site also links to:

  • Books — including a "latest book" promoted on the homepage
  • Store — mugs, t-shirts, and other merchandise (the homepage highlights a Savage Chickens coffee mug)
  • Licensing — for reuse of the cartoons
  • News and Events — updates and appearances
  • About Doug and The Characters — background on the creator and cast

Doug Savage also points readers to www.dougsavage.com for his other work.

A Practical Reading Order

If you just want to get going:

  1. Read Where to Start for context and character introductions.
  2. Skim the Current Top Ten for a feel of the humor.
  3. Pick a category that matches your interest (work humor, robots, cats, zombies) and browse.
  4. Follow a tag if a specific topic clicks.
  5. Subscribe via Patreon if you want a daily cartoon delivered.

That sequence takes you from orientation to a steady reading habit without needing to know the archive's history first.