Why Cats Can Talk In Dead Boy Detectives Season 1

Summary

• The Cat King in Dead Boy Detectives is a trickster with an army of talking cats who act as his spies and informants.
• The comics feature talking cats that help the boys independently, but the show adds the Cat King as a new construct to explore more themes.
• Neil Gaiman’s work often includes supernatural cats, with the Sandman series having a story about cats dreaming of a world where they rule.

There are many supernatural elements in Dead Boy Detectivesbut perhaps the quirkiest and most charming is that in the universe of the show, cats can talk. Cats play a crucial role behind the scenes in the world, acting as go-betweens between Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri) and the Cat King (Lukas Gage). They also ferry information to whoever needs it – with a few conditions.

Cats aren’t the only important animal in the show, as Monty the Crow (Joshua Colley) played a key role as the witch Esther’s (Jenn Lyon) conniving-turned-sympathetic familiar. Still, cats hold a special place in the show, the furry little beasties ubiquitous throughout the episodes, even if they do operate largely in the background and from the shadows. Still, even for Dead Boy Detectivesit’s odd that cats can see and talk to ghosts.

Dead Boy Detectives’ Talking Cats Are Connected To The Cat King

The Cat King Is A Trickster And Quasi-Mob Boss

In the world of Dead Boy Detectivesall cats report to and are minions of the Cat King. The cat king is a shapeshifting demigod, or trickster of sorts, who takes a shine to Edwin, first as prey, then as play. His fascination from the start is intensified even further when Edwin wants nothing to do with him – after all, cats are most inclined to be interested in the people who show the least interest in them.

The Cat King operates similarly to a mob boss in Dead Boy Detectiveswith his army of cats – the main one of which has a heavy New York accent – even referring to him as “boss.” They are his spies and informants, creating a network of information gatherers, Port Townsend’s stray cat population having the perfect cover to slip into places unseen and follow people undetected. While it’s not entirely clear if the Cat King is only in the small coastal town of Port Townsend, or if his influence and connection with the cats extends around the globe, he’s no doubt a well-connected and powerful character thanks to his network of slinky little spies.

Do Cats Talk To Ghosts In The Dead Boy Detectives Comics?

Supernatural Cats Are Recurring In Neil Gaiman’s Stories

The comics do indeed include plenty of talking cats, which often help the boys on their missions. Unlike in the show, however, the cats of the comics operate largely independently and of their own accord rather than being minions of the Cat King, a new construct for the show. Making the cats beholden to the Cat King is a clever addition that helps explore Edwin’s sexuality and feelings of loneliness, while also adding a fun, unpredictable character who acts according to his own whims – as all good cats do.

Beyond that, supernatural cats are a recurring motif throughout Neil Gaiman’s work, especially in The Sandman universe. The Sandman had a surprise bonus episode, “The Dream of a Thousand Cats,” adapting the comic of the same name. It told its animated story through the eyes of cats as they gather in a graveyard to listen to a Siamese cat (voiced by Sandra Oh) speak of watching her kittens being murdered by cruel humans, killing her faith in humankind. The same episode finds Morpheus (voiced by Tom Sturridge) telling her a story of a world in which cats were the apex predators, prompting the Siamese cat to dream of a world in which they ruled once again. Dead Boy Detectives naturally expands upon this lore, albeit in a slightly different way.