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When Cajun artist George Rodrigue began his series of Blue Dog paintings in 1984, he had no idea that they would consume the greater part of his life for over two decades, and that the mysterious Blue Dog—inspired by his studio dog-turned-model, Tiffany, and the Cajun loup-garou folk legend—would become a wildly popular international icon as well. Blue Dog Speaks is the first book to prominently emphasize Rodrigue's painting titles, one of the most important elements in the creation of a Blue Dog painting, alongside the works. Rodrigue used Blue Dog painting titles to provide insight—whether humorous or nostalgic or sad—into the human condition. In an introduction, Rodrigue revealed how an idea that originated in childhood tales grew far beyond; his Blue Dogs moved beyond Louisiana into formerly uncharted territory to express larger concepts about contemporary life.