Digging in the Cache is a series where we go back in time to look at fun tidbits of Internet and computer history. This week I want to introduce you to one of my favorite computer icons (pun intended) — Clarus the Dogcow, who is a bitmapped image created by Susan Kare for Apple back in 1983 as part of the Cairo font (originally as a dog). Fonts are created on a very small scale, so when the image was increased in size for use in a page setup window to show orientation, it became less clear if it was a dog or a cow.
Apple even released a Tech Note (31) which included a description of the dogcow:
Somewhere along the line I baptized the dogcow “Clarus.” Of course she’s a female, as are all cows; males would be referred to as dogbulls, but none exist because there are already bulldogs, and God doesn’t like to have naming problems. (from History of the Dogcow, part II)
Obviously if the animal is a dogcow, it would say “moof!” as a combination of moo and woof. It’s, unfortunately, more difficult to find information on the dogcow these days. She is no longer included in the MacOS and has been mostly been removed from the Apple website. Although, the last time I was at Apple’s HQ (1998) there was still a full size Dogcow on the lawn (is she still there?).
Clarus the dogcow is an icon of the fun that a company can have while doing business. She also is a bit of a fun joke since she does show the limitation of taking a small icon and making it into a picture that’s used at a larger scale. Still, Clarus has a small following, and will surface occasionally in very nerdy jokes. I often will use moof as variables or test statements when I’m programming and I’m a proud owner of a Dogcow says Moof Tshirt.
Do you remember Clarus the Dogcow?
If you have historical tidbits related to the Internet or computing that you’d like me to share in Digging in the Cache, please let me know.