Reviews (39)

Calling Spaceman Spiff
There is little you can say about a Calvin and Hobbes book. As with the other books in this series, it is very funny, insightful of people and children, and something that I seem to be able to read over and over. Bill Waterson brings a perspective on humans that is as unique as Gary Larson's perspectives, only his viewpoint surrounds our "hero," Calvin. The long-suffering Hobbes (a tiger, don't you know) is often a voice of doubt and sanity that Calvin rarely, if ever, heeds. When Calvin realizes that Hobbes is being critical, a fight generally ensues. Given that Hobbes is a "ferocious" tiger, Calvin rarely gains the upper hand.

This book is excellent and relatively benign humor, good for any occasion when you need a break from the world. More amazing, this book can be read over and over, and each time you'll still find it funny. I strongly recommend this book.

One of the Best
The Days Are Just Packed is one of my favorite Calvin & Hobbes books. It is the first collection to have the undivided Sunday format, and the full-format Sunday strips are real works of art. Even after you've read it a million times, and have all the punchlines memorized, this is still a great book, and worth reading again. If you haven't been exposed to Calvin and Hobbes, this would be a great place to start.

Calvin The Great
Another great slab paperback filled with the very best of this over active duo. Themed for the holidays, Calvin and Hobbes get up to their usual mischief at the detriment of Mom, Dad, Susie and others. Read it over and over again just to get a little laughter in a boring day. Highly recommended.

Don't you wish everyday was summer?
Fans of Calvin & Hobbes who used to read the newspaper strip in the 80s and 90s will find great pleasure in reading this collection of C&H comics. These witty comics about the 6-year old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes, named after the famous philosophers, will amuse people of all ages. The perceptiveness and humor of Watterson deserve the highest of cartoon awards, while his artistic creations exude hilarity. This cartoon is perhaps one of the most piercing yet funny critiques of modern society.

Summer is the time when Calvin and Hobbes can hang out in the treehouse and plot their next attacks on Susie, if they're not busy fighting with each other, that is. This book also contains some of Calvin's best snowman art. Procrastinators will love Calvin's newest invention - the Time Machine, or perhaps not? This is definitely one of the best C&H books around.

Note that there are two series of C&H collections: individual wide-format albums, each covering an entire year of strips (will call it "regular"), and the vertical aspect ratio "treasury series" which covers selected comics from two regular C&H books. Note that C&H ran for a year in newspapers, so there's 10 regular books and 5 treasury books. Though the cartoons are slightly smaller in the treasury collection, each treasury book is far thicker and contains more strips than a regular book, and is furthermore less expensive, so treasury books are a real bargain. "The Days Are Just Packed" belongs to the regular series and was published in 1993.

This Book is Not Bad...
I actually am fond of comics and I even made up my own. My favorite kind is the kind that are funny, like Calvin and Hobbes, and at first, when I saw a Calvin and Hobbes book, I loved them. Then when I kept reading, I got bored and didn't read anymore ever since. Now I read it again and I love it. Every thing about it is good, and I surely will recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Thousands of U.S. soldiers have suffered grievous wounds in Iraq, but only one of them is a Doonesbury character. This special collection chronicles seven months of cutting-edge cartooning, during which B.D.-and readers of the strip-got an up-close schooling in a kind of personal transformation no one seeks. Deprived not only of leg but also his ubiquitous trademark helmet, B.D. survives first-response Baghdad triage, evacuation to Landstuhl's surgeon-rich environment, and visits by innumerable morale-boosting celebs, both red and blue in hue. He's awed in turn by morphine, take-no-guff nurses, his fellow amps, and his family, including the daughter who hand-delivers succor, one aspirin at a time. Transferred stateside to Walter Reed's Ward 57, B.D. is inspired by the wisdom of physiatrists, warmed by the dedicated ministrations of real-life fellow-amp heroes like Jim the Milkshake Man, and dazzled by high-tech prostheses that cost more than luxury cars. He's annoyed by his own bouts with self-pity, by the bedside awkwardness of friends more comfortable regarding his stump from e-mail distance, and by Zonk's unwavering commitment to supplementing his care with organic meds. As their journey continues, B.D. and Boopsie are cared for by Fisher House, a home-next-door-to-the-hospital for families whose lives revolve around therapy. B.D. finds himself painfully engaged in building his future, one sadistically difficult physical therapy session at a time. "To Lash, Helga, and the Marquis!" toast the band of differently limbed brethren, raising their glasses to their PT masters as they prepare for reentry into the ambulatory world. From rebuilding tissue to rebuilding social skills to rebuilding lives, B.D's inspiring, insightful, and darkly humorous story confirms that it can take a village, or at least a ward, to raise a soldier when he's gone down. "Thank you for getting blown up," offers one of B.D.'s visiting players. Replies the coach, "Just doing my job."

Book Description

Jason Fox rules . . . his computer code, at calc and trig, and in whatever fantasy he happens to be headlining at the moment. Just because the rest of the Fox family-from older brother Peter and sister Paige to parents Roger and Andy-haven't quite accepted his Dominion Over All isn't cause for concern. Math geeks, Jason is convinced, will govern the earth, and he will lead the way. FoxTrotius Maximus: A FoxTrot Treasury, picks up on Jason's megalomania and runs with it . . . and it doesn't stop until readers are out of breath from laughing so hard.FoxTrotius Maximus combines the works Your Momma Thinks Square Roots Are Vegetables, Who's Up for Some Bonding, and Am I a Mutant or What? That means longtime FoxTrot readers and new fans alike are treated to Jason and his friend Marcus's never-ending antics, Andy's ongoing allergy fun, Peter's latest hot haircut, and a host of pop-culture trends and topics including music piracy, video games, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Timely, topical, and terribly funny!This latest FoxTrot treasury represents the ninth anthology of Amend's wildly successful comic strip, based upon the cartoonist's 17 previous books and his daily and Sunday syndicated appearances in more than 1,000 newspapers worldwide. FoxTrot truly is one of America's all-time favorite comics, and combined sales of nearly three million copies show that Amend knows how to capture and keep his audience's humor-loving attention. All hail, FoxTrotius Maximus! ... Read more

Book Description

Homer Simpson is a man's man, an Average Joe, a loving father and husband, and a devoted beer drinker. But do you know the "real" Homer? Find out what's on Homer's mind, discover the mysteries of Homer's fridge, hang out in Homer's haunts; meet his friends and enemies; and spend a typical day with the lovable lout who will lift you out of your D'oh-ldrums. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the mildly entertaining memoir Cad: Confessions of a Toxic Bachelor, former New York Times reporter and pop-culture critic Rick Marin chronicles the years of marathon dating and shallow living that followed in the wake of his failed "starter marriage." Marin moves through a series of urbane exploits and short-lived affairs, perfecting his trademark move of whipping off his horn-rims midconversation in a "myopic gaze," holding court with his wingman Tad over the hot buffet at Billy's Topless, and regurgitating wisdom gleaned from The Godfather. Like the similarly self-indulgent How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Cad has its memorablemoments--Marin comparing his wedding video to the Zapruder film and hitting on actress Moira Kelly when she was still an ingénue living with her mom on Long Island--but the book's swinging, ring-a-ding-ding Rat Pack attitude feels noticeably forced and uninspired, leaving a flat aftertaste to the whole affair. --Brad Thomas Parsons ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Entertaining, but not 'literature'
Coming out of an early marriage to a somewhat lost young woman, Rick Marin decides to embrace a "love 'em and leave 'em" single life. Readers who enjoy "Bridget Jones" type books or Cosmopolitan magazine will enjoy this male perspective on the NYC dating scene.

For much of the book, the writer works freelance, including writing articles for fashion and beauty magazines such as Allure and Mademoiselle. Although his work may address things naive women can do when 'he' doesn't call, the writer is more cavalier in his own life--he doesn't call because he never had any intention of calling you and doesn't care. Many of the female characters in the book are self involved, insecure, or just flighty, offering some amusement in the cavalier treatment they receive from the cad. The vulnerability of some of these women sheds some unflattering light on the writer at times.

Consistent with other stories of this genre, the writer grows into an adult during the course of the book. Treatment of a family tragedy is conveyed well and with empathy, without being overly sentimental. However, the final pieces where the writer finds true love aren't consistent with the rest of the novel and feel like they don't quite fit.

Overall, a novel with some literary pretensions that manages to entertain most of the time.

A Jolly Ride.
First off, the title for the book is potentially misleading. Mr. Marin is not a cad as he is neither unprincipled nor ungentlemanly throughout the majority of his interactions. At one point a woman he works with wants to set him up on a blind date and he says "I have a girlfriend. I can't take her number." This is not the response of a cad. In the eyes of this reviewer, it appears that Mr. Marin is well within the range of average behavior for a man or woman in America throughout the 284 pages in which he describes himself. He is not a saint or a demon. At one point he even recites the motto of all anti-cads by saying that "sex is not enough."
Marin's is a story with great universality. His work will resonate with many unmarried straight people and there is much truth in it. His observation that "I'd spent so much time 'pouring my heart and soul into being insincere,' I'd forgotten how to act with a girl I actually liked" is an unhappy predicament that affects countless single adults. Re-igniting lost idealism and optimism is a highly daunting task and a foremost reason as to why finding love later in life is such a struggle. Those of us in our thirties all have emotional baggage and it invariably means that sometimes one has been brutalized in the past and can now be brutalizing in the future. This is true regardless of one's sex as we inflict pain but also have it inflicted upon us. Mr. Marin is far from an exception to this rule.
Much of Marin's status seeking in the memoir can be attributed to the old Orson Welles quote about men making civilization to impress their girlfriends but the narrator amends the saying it by changing it "to get girlfriends." He spends tremendous mental capital in the pursuit of making his career as a journalist a success but often finds that he needs monthly subsidies from his parents just to get by. Work is as chancy a venture as love is for Mr. Marin. It seems that his internal makeup and character are nearly insurmountable obstacles to Marin getting what he wants and needs out of life as he lacks the quality of 'decisiveness', which is one of the worlds greatest virtues, and his indecisiveness in all things sabotages his numerous opportunities.
What drives the action in Cad... is the author's attempt to recover and stabilize his life after the debacle of his divorce. This traumatizing event is key to any understanding of our aging anti-hero. In his three year marriage, Marin was flayed and flambéed by his ex-wife severely. By any configuration, his was an awful marriage. His narration humorously documented: "...even our goldfish were committing suicide. I found them on the floor halfway between the door and the window. Making a break for it, maybe. I didn't blame them." Marin had met a girl who cuckolded him and he ignored every portend of their relationship's doom ("after we were married, she was still introducing me as her 'friend'").
This book is a jolly good ride and, therefore, easy to recommend. Unlike other tell-alls, Marin never takes himself too seriously and shows that he can laugh at himself. One of my favorites lines is illustrative: "She called me an 'opportunist,' because I went to publicity events for the free booze. I'm a journalist!' I protested." Cad is a major surprise as the misandry embossed onto the back cover gave this reviewer a bad case of the heebie-jeebies, but, in the end, it is a far more valid description of the single life today than what one finds in practically every other memoir or publication.

Lighthearted and fun
There's nothing profound or meaningful about this book, but it sure is a good read. All guys will surely nod their heads in sympathy as they read each episode in this guy's landmine-filled love life. And I think most women would find it insightful, in a lighthearted sort of way. Rick Marin really does get right to the heart of what it means to be a single guy - not that we are all that complicated, mind you, so I'm not saying his achievement is worthy of any kind of prize, be it literary or sociological. But this book could have easily been written badly by a lesser author or lesser human being. Marin, I think, demonstrates quality in both categories.

Male answer to Sex and the City?
This might be Rick Marin's male answer to "Sex and the City." I think what Marin is trying to do with this book is show that men can be the flighty, fickle, and fake ones in the world. It's not an impressive read.

The book explores his exploits among New York's women from the point of view of a (supposedly) attractive Latin-Canadian. Marin's "Reference Train" is dated and out-of-touch. He discounts women because they have "bad shoes," or faces like the Easter Island statues, and when he likes a woman, it's because she has "good shoes" and doesn't take crap from him. Sex is a card he plays when he wants to.

Overall, unimpressive, not worth the money. If you must read it, try the library's copy.

A Great One Night Stand
RICK MARIN's "CAD" is pointless and meandering...and that's why it is entertaining. You probably won't reread it when you're done but you'll have fun reading it the first time. The only thing really holding it back is that a) the hip attitude seems forced as if Marin does not believe himself to be as cool as he wishes us to believe, and b) he doesn't seem to have an underlying modesty to take his actions with a grain of salt. We're laughing at him, not with him. In Rikki Lee Travolta's "MY FRACTURED LIFE" he covered all the same areas of womanizing and being a "cad" but never took himself too seriously. His is a book I continue to reread, like a regular fling. "CAD" though was like a one night, good for the moment. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

I can understand why most people like this so much...
The whole comic series is great. This book is a collection of some Sunday Comic strips. Therefore, they are all pretty big strips and have colors as well. The only real problems with this book is the strips had to be condensed to fit the book (well, they would in a news paper at least) and that some similar ideas are used over again. Such as Calvin is pretending he is Spaceman Spiff in one strip, and he gets caught in class for making a scene because of his vivid imagination. Sometime later in the book, he might do a very similar thing only this time he's a dinosaur. If this had just been in a weekly newspaper, you'd never have noticed. Anyway, this won't stop me from rereading it occasionally or enjoying it. This book, as well as the other books in the Calvin and Hobbes series, are recommended.

A Collection of Sunday Calvin and Hobbes Cartoons
I grew up on Calvin and Hobbes, so I'm a little biased when I say they're one of the best--if not *the* best--cartoon ever to be printed. It's such a pity that they're gone, though books like this one will give fans like me an opportunity to make believe that they're not.

"The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book" opens with Calvin's 10-page adventure as Spaceman Spiff, interplanetary explorer extraordinaire, with one mission in mind: to destroy all aliens, which in real life, are disguised as his mother and Susie. Very funny stuff. Yet Calvin's wild imagination doesn't stop there. For the rest of the colorful 100+ pages, he agitates his parents mercilessly, particularly his father; while with his mother, he aversely chokes down every disgusting meal she cooks, making some of the funniest faces while doing so. A lot of times, his expressions say more than any number of words. Take the family meal scene on page 30, where he makes a long-drawn-out attempt at tasting the green pile of gunk on his plate. Then there's a good facial example on page 104, where he's sitting, reading a book; then looks up with this absolutely wicked smile on his face. You can only imagine what he's up to--and it's definitely not safe.

Then come the metamorphosis strips where Calvin pretends to be every imaginable type of creature, from a loudmouthed sparrow to a hungry dinosaur to a human slinky and beyond. And, of course, there's always a worthy battle or two with monsters and bedbugs in, around, and under his bed--all in the faithful company of his favorite toy tiger, Hobbes.

Two of my favorites in this book involve snowmen. Yep, you guessed it: the one where Calvin creates a morbid snowman display on his parent's car--one of them appears to have been hit by the car, while the other three snowmen gawk at the maimed body (p 53). The other is where he makes a dozen or so little snowmen and then devours them all in a dinosaur frenzy (p 101).

No matter how times I've read this book, I can re-read it again and again, and still find something new and amusing about it. Even if you're vaguely familiar with Calvin and Hobbes, I highly recommend purchasing this book. It's a riot.

I miss these guys so much
Calvin and Hobbes was by far one of the most creative comic strips of the 80s and 90s--right up there with Bloom County and The Far Side. As a matter of fact reading this brilliant trio was a daily ritual for me.

But there was a perverse sweetness (I can't explain what that means) to Calvin and Hobbes that the others lacked. This collection, THE LAZY SUNDAY BOOK, features many of the best. Each time a look through it, I laugh out loud like an idiot. The overall effect, however, is nostalgia. There's nothing as good out there now, and I miss my trinity of comic geniuses, but Calvin and Hobbes the most!

It's All Colorful Art!
If all the other Calvin and Hobbes books I have are excellent, then surely this one must be great. All the comics in this wonderful collection are in color, and are rendered incredibly well. If you thought the original Sunday comics were good, then you'll love the rich color of these.

This book opens with a 10 page mini-story about Spaceman Spiff, Interplanetary Explorer Extraordinaire. The art in this story is very good. I think that Bill Watterson was born in the wrong era. He would have been much happier in the era when Sunday comics were permitted a full page to tell a refined story, where the art was rich with detail.

Once into the book you get a collection of comics that originally appeared in Sunday newspapers. While the humor level varies, most will make you smile, and some will give you laughs. It would be impossible to describe the variety stories, but a couple of examples will help.

In one story Calvin has glued paper feathers to his arm in order to fly. Consistent with Bill Watterson's father's profession (he's a patent attorney), Calvin tells Hobbes that he will get the patent when his device works. Hobbes gives Calvin a heave over a cliff with predictable results. Hobbes advises Calvin, "Don't sell the bike shop, Orville."

For a Mother's Day related strip, Calvin has created a Mother's Day card, including a poem he wrote himself. Included in the poem are comments regarding the size of his allowance, and the poem ends with a request to get out of bed and cook breakfast. His mothers comment? "I'm deeply moved."

This collection is filled with a variety of Calvin and Hobbes staples. Calvin the dinosaur makes several appearances, there are a variety of snowman comics, there are a number of with Susie Derkins, and Calvin's usually bizarre viewpoint of life. Given the quality of the book, the longer length of the strips, and the full color, I consider this book to be a very good value, particularly when you consider other graphic books of similar size. Bill Watterson has been a consistently good writer and artist, and each of these full page, full color strips will be a treat for fans of the series and anyone else in need of a smile.

A Great Collection of Comics
Though not the best of all the Calvin and Hobbes books, this book still brings together a collection of great comics. The jokes in this book are really good, so that makes the book really funny. There are no obnoxious coments or sick things in not just this book, but the whole series. This book is really good for reading especially on rainy days or on days when you have nothing to do. This book is definately worth the price it is offered at. ... Read more

Book Description

Parasitic consultants, weaselly stockbrokers, masochistic coworkers, and the ever-present, evil-plotting pointy-haired boss? Welcome to the seventh circle of hell, er, the 22nd collection of Scott Adams' stupendously popular comic strip, Dilbert!Words You Don't Want To Hear During Your Annual Performance Review updates loyal readers on the mind-numbing careers of Dilbert, Wally, Alice, the PHB himself, and an ever-expanding cast of walk-on "guest stars." In this installment, a cash-sucking "consultick" burrows under the boss's skin, a not-so-grim reaper pops antidepressants, and a lab accident turns Dilbert into a sheep - a transformation which goes barely noticed by his beleaguered coworkers. All the while, Adams takes his patented over-the-top but right-on-the-money jabs at the inanity of the corporate world. Dilbert's fans are legion and loyal. They have purchased seven million cartoon collection books and counting. The Dilbert comic strip appears in 2,000 newspapers and in 65 countries in 19 languages. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Another funny Dilbert book
This is another very funny and spot-on book from Adams. Some of the characters like Ratbert and Dogbert don't appear as much, but Wally comes on strong and new characters are introduced like ConsulTick.

What's funny is the resonant note that Dilbert has struck with so much of corporate America. Having been an employee at a major Fortune 500 company for many years myself, I was convinced that Adams was talking about my company, and so did everyone else, although the resemblances at times could be almost eerie.

Adams's cartoons of the more absurd and ridiculous aspects of corporate culture (which at times seems to be about 99% of it) continue to provide much needed comic relief for hapless cubicle dwellers everywhere, and this is another funny book from Adams that shouldn't disappoint his fans.

All quiet in Wallyville...
It's more Dilbertine for the addicted like myself and allthough there are a couple of minuses to mention the level of hilarity stays high as always. And how could it not? The inspiration from the corporate world keeps coming through in tsunami waves.

While one of the most cult characters in the Dilbert series (Wally) gains even more of the spotlight other equally legendary characters like Ratbert but above all Dogbert himself keep getting lesser and lesser appearances. That's a pity actually as especially these two have offered unforgettable moments in the past. Another thing connected with these two fading somewhat is that we get fewer moments of Dilbert at home and more in the office. Tha creates somewhat of an imbalance which was not present in the initial installments of the series.

All in all though, this gets adequately compensated by Adam's invincible humor and the introduction of new characters who might have less of a lifespan in comparison to Ratbert and Dogbert but who provide for some freshness nevertheless.

Other than that it's Wally galore to the max. Wally has been the secret ace of this comic all along. This is cynicism at its very best and its most hardcore. The lines coming out of Wally's mouth are surreal.
The Dilbert series continues to be a classic.

One of the funniest Dilbert books
One of the reasons I like this one so much is because it contains the comic strips that I always read in the paper last year. These are a few of the reasons why you should buy this book.

Toxic Tom
Dilbert as a sheep
Wally being lasy a usual
Dogbert's Tech Support
The Consultick
Dilbert's mood altering drugs
The furniture psychic
The new dress code which is barrels
My favorite comic which is the one where Wally researches Greek names for a new product

This are a bunch of really great comics and they are a must buy for all Dilbert fans.

More Dilbert Hilarity
This is the latest collection of Dilbert strips (not one of the larger treasuries with color). Once again we enter the crazy business world of Dilbert and shudder to realize both how accurate it is and that Dilbert is the most normal person in the strip.

In this collection we get such story arcs as:
The return of Bob the Dinosaur
Dilbert turns into a sheep
The annoying consultick
Dilbert grows an exoskeleton
The new dress-code: Barrels

Another fine collection for just about anyone.

As always, pure Dilbert gold!
If you are like me, you will buy this book just because it is the next Dilbert treasury.

If you aren't like me, you should still buy this if you would like a laugh.

After almost 15 years, Dilbert has evolved, but is still going strong. Although characters like Ratbert and Bob don't make as many appearances anymore, Scott Adams has brought us many new specific characters, like the above mentioned ConsulTick. There are many of these characters in this treasury.

This book will bring a few smiles to your face. Enjoy. ... Read more

Book Description

The most eagerly-awaited publishing project in comic strip history.50 years of art. 25 books. Over 7500 pages of comics. Two books per year for 12 ¼ years. Fantagraphics Books is proud to announce the most exciting and ambitious publishing project in the history of the American comic strip: the complete reprinting of Charles M. Schulz's classic, Peanuts.The most popular comic strip in the history of the world will be, for the first time, collected in its entirety, beginning in 2004. Fantagraphics will launch The Complete Peanuts in a series produced in full cooperation with United Media, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, and Mr. Schulz's widow, Jean Schulz.Peanuts is a towering achievement in the history of the American comic strip and represents the apex of Fantagraphics' 27-year publishing history; the strip will be presented in a beautifully designed format that reflects the integrity of the work itself.

Each volume in the series will run approximately 320 pages in a 8 ¾" x 7" hardcover format, presenting two years of strips along with supplementary material. The series will present the entire run in chronological order, including dailies and Sundays, in a three-tier page format that will accommodate three dailies or one Sunday strip per page. The Sundays will be printed in black-and-white.

Acclaimed cartoonist Seth, author of the award-winning graphic novel It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken, and a lifelong Peanuts fan, will be designing the entire 25-volume series, which will emphasize the sophistication of Schulz's work by creating a package that is both austere and direct, reflecting the quiet and melancholy of the strip.

Seth's cover design will feature areas of muted color, with a different main character on each front cover (reflecting the ensemble cast), and a smaller Charlie Brown (reflecting who is, after all, the star of the strip) in the corner. The result will be a tasteful and completely distinctive series, where each individual book will be sharply recognizable and yet clearly part of a consistent series.

Unlike older strips, where publishers have often been forced to shoot the work from decades-old newsprint of variable quality, Peanuts is fortunate enough to boast archival-quality syndicate proofs for virtually every strip in its history. The result will be the best-looking, crispest reproduction for a classic comic strip ever achieved.

This first volume, covering the first two and a quarter years of the strip (October 1950 through December 1952), will be of particular fascination to Peanuts aficionados worldwide: Although there have been literally hundreds of Peanuts books published, many of the strips from the series' first two or three years have never been collected before—in large part because they showed a young Schulz working out the kinks in his new strip and include some characterizations and designs that are quite different from the cast we're all familiar with. (Among other things, three major cast members—Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus—initially show up as infants and only "grow" into their final "mature" selves as the months go by. Even Snoopy debuts as a puppy!) Thus The Complete Peanuts offers a unique chance to see a master of the artform refine his skills and solidify his universe, day by day, week by week, month by month.

Peanuts is the most successful comic strip in the history of the medium as well as one of the most acclaimed strips ever published. (In 1999, a jury of comics scholars and critics voted it the 2nd greatest comic strip of the 20th century—second only to George Herriman's Krazy Kat, a verdict Schulz himself cheerfully endorsed.) Charles Schulz's characters—Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and so many more—have become American icons. A United Media poll in 2002 found Peanuts to be one of the most recognizable cartoon properties in the world, recognized by 94 percent of the total U.S. consumer market and a close second only to Mickey Mouse (96 percent), and higher than other familiar cartoon properties like Spider-Man (75 percent) or the Simpsons (87 percent). In TV Guide's "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time" list, Charlie Brown and Snoopy ranked #8. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

You were a great man, Sparky Schulz
What can one even say about what's probably the best/most influential comic strip ever to hit newspapers? Peanuts was long overdue for this sort of treatment, and I'm glad that it was done in such a wonderful fashion. Yes, the Sundays aren't in color and the reprints of the dailies are smallish, but these are just minor quibbles. Having all of the comics he did from 1950 to 1952 in one book is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Now, to be honest, Peanuts wouldn't really become the Peanuts we know and love today until about the mid-1950s (or in other words, the next book or two), so what's on display here is Schulz trying to get the feel of the strip, and it's really fascinating to see the strip's evolution even through the course of the book. Not his best? Yes, but that hardly matters as Peanuts at its worst can still be lightyears ahead of many strips at their best.

The bonuses definitely take things to another level. Keillor's introduction is nice, but the real points of interest are David Michaelis' excellent biographical essay on Schulz (which is a real eye-opener to many who've grown up on Peanuts like myself) and an interview Charles Schulz gave in the late 1980s which provides a ton of insight into his personal character.

All in all, despite some of the presentation of the strips mentioned above, this book is a must-own, and I eagerly await the rest of the volumes in the series.

Bravo! Excellent Job!
After years of only being able to find Peanuts strips in seemingly random and incomplete anthologies, "The Complete Peanuts" project is finally giving the work of Charles Schulz the respect it deserves.

By publishing all the Peanuts strips in their entirety and in chronological order, this Fantagraphics project is for the first time treating the Peanuts comics not as a mere collection of individual strips but as a unified whole: as a complete work in itself.

Despite having read many other Peanuts collections, a vast majority of the strips in "1950-1952" were new to me. It's fascinating to see the beginnings of a strip that would become so popular and influential. The look of the characters is much different from their later incarnations, but the gentle wit and philosophical insight that characterized the entire Peanuts series are definitely in evidence.

The extra features such as the index and Charles Schulz profile and interview were pleasant surprises and a nice touch. It is clear that for the people who put this together it was a labor of love. If future volumes are of this quality, the series will be a treasure. I'm excitedly awaiting the next volume, covering 1953-1954.

Two minor criticisms: I must concur with an earlier reviewer who expressed concerns about the long-term durability of the binding... but I guess only time will tell how well it'll hold up. Also, as has been pointed out, the Sunday comics are in black and white. I don't know if they were originally printed in color at this early date, but if so, reproducing them in color in this volume would have been a nice touch and I certainly would have been willing to pay extra for this. That having been said, however, these issues do not seriously detract from the overall enjoyment of this well-done first volume. I do not hesitate in giving The Complete Peanuts 1950-1952 a solid 5-star rating.

Magnificent
My grandmother is (still) a great collector of all things Snoopy. Back in the 70's, when I used to visit my grandmother's house, I remember spending a lot of time reading some of those early collections of Peanuts cartoon strips. They are one of the many great memories of my youth. Now, we have a collection of the very first Peanuts strips. Magnificent!

How many of us still remember the beginning? So many things would grow and change. Violet and Patty (not Peppermint Patty) were Charlie Brown's "girlfriends" whom he could torment as much as he was tormented by them. Violet was actually the first to pull the football away from Charlie Brown. Snoopy was still a dog with no words. Schroeder is very prominent as a child prodigy with his love of piano and growing love of Beethoven. Charlie Brown is the catcher for the baseball team. Lucy & Linus make there first appearances. And so much more. Still, we can see this wonderful world taking shape and we can see how it will become to be this most beloved of comics.

This volume also contains a nice introduction by Garrison Keillor and concludes with an interesting interview of Charles Schultz, enlightening us to some of his own feelings about his strip and what has become of the world of comics.

As the first of a projected twenty-five volumes collecting all the Peanuts strips to be released every six months for the next twelve years, all I can say is I can't wait for volume 2.

Throw Away Those Dusty Paperbacks!
Finally, a way to enjoy Peanuts without going through all those dusty (and falling apart) paperbacks from years ago. A very well-presented collection, with quite a few of the panels never before in print.

For those unfamiliar with early Peanuts, it may seem a bit simplistic, but trust me, this is just the warm-up for the best of the strip in the 60s and 70s.

My only complaint: why is it taking the publishing company ten years (!) to get the entire strip into print??

YES PEANUTS WAS FUNNY
Yes every time has a best comic and Peanuts was IT for a long time. The last few years were rather painful for fans but still on occasion funny. You could never count Shultz totally out. You always had to read Peanuts just in case. [ You are not going to believe this but Garfield was once great too. Then came Bloom County and now there are many good ones but Dilbert is now without question IT. ] I am glad they are rereleasing the early stuff so now maybe my friends will stop saying how LAME Peanuts is. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This is a great book!
This is a great book! There are lots of things in this story I love like when Calvin becomes a tiger, when he ruins the bathroom trying to fix a faucet,getting lost at a zoo, and going to Mars just to get away from all the pollution on Earth. This was one of the best books I've read. If you love Calvin and Hobbes, BUY THIS BOOK!!

One crazy funny book
I'm an 8 year old Canadian living in Beijing, China, and I love to read. I really like to read funny books. One of my favourites of all time is Calvin & Hobbes, "Weirdos from Another Planet". I find this book really funny because Calvin's imagination in this one is the wildest ever! The illustrations are a perfect match for the hilarious stories. I enjoyed the main part of this book, the space adventures of Calvin & Hobbes the best. I found them so funny that I couldn't put the book down in bed, and stayed awake very late. This book made me a real fan of Calvin and Hobbes, and now I can't wait to get more! Elise Hoffmann 8 years old, Beijing, China

hilarious
truly and surely one of the best comic strips ever! were you to be sick in bed and need something to make you laugh, this is the best medicine!

Buy these "Weirdos"
The title of the book represents a truly classic series of strips in which Calvin first uses his cardboard box as a space ship to travel to Mars. What he finds is that the "Weirdos from Another Planet" are him and Hobbes! This is another first rate collection from the strip that was THE highlight of the comics page during its newspaper run. Bill Waterson's genius has been sorely missed ever since he decided to retire. This is another fine collection in an outstanding series of books.

Good, but hard to believe.
Calvin is basically obsessed to his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. He gets in a lot of trouble, which he blaims all on Hobbes. Fortunatly, Hobbes turns into a real tiger when nobody is looking. They have a club called G.R.O.S.S. which stands for Get Rid Of Slimy girlS. THE BOOK Mainly, Calvin and Hobbes decide to leave Earth because it's to polluted, so they want to go to Mars. Hobbes starts to push the wagon,and they are off to Mars! It takes a long time, but finally they get there. They see a Martian and get very scared. They make faces at Viking 1. They run out of supplies and go back to Earth.THE END ... Read more

Book Description

Dan Savage is irreverent, irrepressible, and opinionated. He's held his own on Politically Incorrect, told tales on This American Life, continues to write a beloved nationally syndicated column-and he's had it up to here (my hand is higher than my head) with the moral, conservative scolds who proclaim America is slouching towards Gomorrah (to use Robert Bork's phrase). Are we really that bad?

Yes, we are! And in Skipping Towards Gomorrah, Dan Savage eviscerates those cynics as he commits each of the Seven Deadly Sins himself (or tries to) and finds those everyday Americans who take particular delight in their sinful pursuits. Among them:

Greed: Gamblers reveal secrets behind outrageous fortune.
Lust: "We're swingers!"-you won't believe who's doing it.
Gluttony: Dan meets gluttons with attitude at a pro-fat conference.
Sloth: Leave it to Dan to find a way to celebrate this sin that will get him in trouble with his mother.
Anger: Texans shoot off some rounds and then listen to Dan fire off on his own about guns, control, and the Second Amendment.
Envy: Meet the rich-then be glad you're not one of them.
Pride: You'll never look at a gay pride parade the same way again.

Couple all this sinning with a unique history of the Seven Deadly Sins, a new interpretation of the biblical stories of Sodom and Gomorrah, and enough Bork, Bennett, Buchanan, et al, bashing to more than make up for their incessant carping, and you've got the most provocative book of the fall. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Funny 'Gomorrah' States Case for Live and Let Live
"Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America" feels like one part travelogue and one part memoir, pieces stitched together with an attack on the "virtuecrats" of the American far right. William Bennett, Robert Bork, Pat Buchanan, Dr. Laura, Jerry Falwell and Bill O'Reilly all take their turn on the chopping block as author Dan Savage traverses the country in search of hot spots where he hopes to commit each of the seven deadly sins.

And he nearly succeeds.

In one of the book's funniest episodes, Savage calls a prayer line that he found advertised on a Christian cable network, only to be informed that as a gay man who cannot marry, he is doomed to a life of fornication and shall never rise to adulterer status (he is reassured that "fire is fire" and he's bound for hell right alongside the adulterers).

"Skipping Towards Gomorrah" is funny. Parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny, but as one would expect from Dan Savage - author of "The Kid," regular contributor to "This American Life," and editor and sex columnist for The Stranger - this book is not for the prudish. It's replete with four-letter words and anatomical descriptions that will make Mom blush, although Savage's forays uncover interesting and entirely unexpected snippets of American culture.

Hoping to indulge himself in a little "Falwell-style" gluttony, Savage attends a conference sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) in San Francisco. He soon realizes that the meeting is little more than a thinly-veiled meat market. BBWs (big, beautiful women) attend primarily to try and attract an FA (fat admirer).

In Las Vegas, Savage attends the annual Lifestyles Organization (LSO) convention which hosts a weekend of frolicking for more than 3,000, mostly suburban, "playcouples." He calculates that with many such groups across the country, there are more people involved in organized swinging than the entire gay male population, underlining the irony that while swinging is ignored by conservatives as a fossil from the '70s, gay marriage is blasted as an irreproachable threat to the American family.

Savage begins each chapter by detailing the historical legacy of one of the seven deadly sins - greed, lust, sloth, gluttony, envy, pride and anger - pulling references from the likes of Dante and Saint Jerome on gluttony and Peraldus, a 13th-century Dominican friar, on envy. He ends each chapter with ruminations on the appeal of the sin. We gamble not because we are greedy, but because our lives are too safe and predictable. We need sloth because of increasingly hectic schedules.

Savage does pull a few surprises. He points out that Osama bin Laden and Jerry Falwell harbor similar ideologies. They both hate liberated women, sexual freedom, secular culture and fundamental human rights. But then he goes on to unconditionally support the war on Afghanistan. In the chapter on pride, he offers a strong argument against gay pride, claiming that the gay community has moved far enough forward that simply being out is no longer challenging enough to merit full-fledged pride for most. In the chapter on anger, he begins with a long and eloquent gun rant, only to blow a hole the size of Texas in his argument by admitting that he intends to take up shooting, having discovered in the Lone Star State that, lo and behold, he's a natural shot.

"Skipping Towards Gomorrah" conveys the strong impression that it was not written for kindred spirits but for those it attacks. Savage seems to hope that his words will reach - and irritate - his nemeses. He admits to having devoured their books, and his title itself is a play on "Slouching Towards Gomorrah" by Robert Bork.

But ultimately, one has to wonder what all the fuss is about. If Bork, Bennett and Buchanan on one side, and Savage and his friends on the other, agreed to simply ignore each other, this country could be a far more quiet and peaceful place. At heart, "Skipping Towards Gomorrah" asks for just that: the freedom to live life as one see fits without having someone else's concept of morality get in the way.

POW! Take that virtuecrats! Smart, funny, and provocative
Dan Savage has written a very funny yet thought provoking book about America and American morality. Much of the book is a travelogue, where Dan goes out and meets people pursuing happiness (which some would call sin). The point is that these people are doing what they want to and in a way that doesn't involve anyone who doesn't want to participate. The virtuecrats of the world may take offense at all of this, but our man Dan is quick to point out (often using their own words) is the hypocrisy that often goes into the criticism of others' morals and behaviors.

As readers of Dan Savage's sex column know, he can be a very, very funny writer and there are definitely parts of the book (both the situations and choices of word) that will leave you howling. At the same time, it covers some various serious topics (which I guess a sex columnist does too) central to how we lead our individual lives and how our society (and in particular our government) affects our ability to lead our lives.

This is a book very well worth reading, in that it will not only make you laugh, but will also make you think a lot about issues of personal liberty, tolerance, and what we should expect of our government in establishing and and enforcing laws. The book is actually quite well researched, not only in terms of what today's virtuecrats (e.g., Bill Bennett, Jerry Falwell, Dr. Laura) have to say, but what Founding Fathers may have had in mind in defining personal liberty. Liberty doesn't mean you can do anything you want (like blow up a building) but that you can do what you want in your own life in a way that does not harm others.

In reading this book (along with "The Kid," his very touching book on adopting a child), I had the sense that Dan Savage is a very nice guy who would be a great neighbor, friend, or work colleague. You may not agree with some of his opinions or some ways in which he leads his own personal life, but the point of this book is who cares about other people's personal lives. The book presents a very compelling case that it is best to live and let live and to realize that we are a great an diverse country (not slouching toward Gomorrah) without pushing any one view of morality on others.

A great book!

the reviews are even funnier than the book
The negative reviews here are even funnier than the book! But then I'm not a homosexual so I can't really take offense at people recoiling in moral shock from Savage's politics. On the other hand I suppose if you are gay, the negative reviews on this site are a depressing reminder that people like Savage are judged for their sexuality and not for their ideas.

But still, the reviews make me laugh even more than the book.

It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive?
Who knew that the 7 Deadly Sins could be so much fun? Well, actually, they're NOT always so much fun, at least not the way Dan Savage describes them. And that's one of the things I really liked about this book: it's brutally honest about these "sins," the motivations behind them, and the people who pursue them in hopes of finding...fun? happiness? friendship? excitement? meaning in life? None or all of the above? Perhaps these "sins" are more complex and less, well, "sinful" than some might think. Perhaps it's not that eating or sex or gambling are good or bad in and of themselves, despite what the preachy moralists like Robert Bork (author of "Slouching Towards Gomorrah," which Savage's title plays off of) and William J. Bennett (he of the not-so-little gambling problem himself) would have us believe. Perhaps, Dan Savage suggests, it's more that any one of these activities has the potential to be good, bad, or indifferent. It all depends.

Take gluttony, for instance. What, you might ask, could possibly be wrong about eating a giant piece of chocolate cake? Sounds great to me, chocolate lover that I am! But as the culmination of a humongous meal at a chain restaurant called "Claim Jumper," the two huge hunks of greasy, gritty, cheap chocolate cake that Dan Savage and a friend each scarf down can only be described as surreal, bizarre, and worst of all, not much fun. Actually, I would say that there's something pathetic and sad about the whole experience -- giant onion rings, giant glasses of water, giant roast chicken, giant order of ribs, etc. Maybe this "sin" stuff ain't all it's cracked up to be?

A couple of chapters are truly memorable, including the one on "anger," which centers on guns. The title of the chapter, "My Piece, My Unit," alludes to the strange, semi-sexual appeal that guns apparently have for some (many?) people. Now THAT should be a sin! But the funniest thing about the chapter is that Dan Savage turns out to be quite a shot. Who knew that a liberal skinny gay guy from Seattle could be so good with guns, someone with a "gift" who could "learn to be a real marksman" with some practice (according to his instructor, Paul)? So much for stereotypes!

Personally, I found the chapter on Greed ("The Thrill of Losing Money") to be one of the most interesting and insightful. Are people who gamble sick, depraved sinners? Are they greedy? Or are they just out to have a good time? How about "none of the above" or "it depends?" In just one of the insights that Dan Savage arrives at in his explorations, in this case he comes to the conclusion that "it's not about money, it's about risk and danger...and feeling alive." And to quote Bruce Springsteen (a bit out of context, but what the hell?), "it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!"

Besides gluttony, anger, and greed, Dan Savage's other chapters cover the rest of the deadly sins ("lust," "sloth," "envy," and "pride") more or less effectively and entertainingly. And all throughout the book, Savage manages to, well, SAVAGE the finger-wagging hypocritical ultra-moralists out there in a bitingly funny way. So funny, that you may commit the sin of Envy by the end of the book -- wishing you had Dan Savage's writing, journalistic and story-telling talents, that is. On the other hand, if you are a finger-wagging hypocritical ultra-moralist, you might want to avoid reading this book altogether, because it will probably just make you angry. And since we all know that anger's a sin, we certainly wouldn't want that! Personally, I enjoyed spending a nice weekend reading Savage's book and not doing many of the chores I was supposed to be doing. I believe that's called "sloth," and that it's a sin. Whoops!

all is well in gomorrah
As usual this book conveys that all is well amongst the hedonists.I would'nt blame Jefferson with todays descent into the maelstrom.Though he was a deist, he did recognize a Creator and a moral system based on the teachings of Jesus--Even O Rielly accepts that which he calls Judeo Christian Philosophy--This book negates a moral sense. It says that man should make his own rules and call right what he thinks is right. Christians call this Original Sin.No wonder this thing was remaindered.Being cute and call it humor says something about this author. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robert Crumb,world-famous illustrator and definite pervert, got his start in the underground comics scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The R. Crumb Coffee Table ArtBook is a collection of his best work from the last 50 years (it's got kids stuff, too, which is pretty fascinating).The volume is a welcome reminder that, screwed up as Crumb may be, he's also a tremendously talented, utterly original artist. He artistically embodies a certain segment of the '60s, and as that fades even further into history, Crumb's material becomes more important. Is The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book funny? Yes, certainly, in a coarse, Rabelaisian way; you'll either find it a hoot, or horribly racist and sexist. And it's not for the kiddies, obviously. But R. Crumb is so well known by now, that you probably know which group you fall into, the lovers or the haters. The lovers will find this book awonderful treat. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

If you're an idiot, don't buy this book!!!
Don't blame R. Crumb for ruining your pitiful childhood. If you must watch Clint Eastwood movies to prove to your friends that you're a "real man" then, I think you need some help.
You're supposed to laugh at Crumb and at Crumb's work and Crumb knows it! Don't "real men" (read idiots) like to laugh at other people? Not all humor is apreciated by everyone, especially if you're and nit-wit and don't get it.
Crumb is a premier artist who's drawings are the best in the genre. His stories are fables to learn from - or laugh at depending on you're perception and experience.
Most people who buy Crumb's books already know what they're getting into. If you're a first time Crumb buyer, go to a comic book store and check out what you're getting into before you buy.
Anyone who buys online either enjoys taking chances or has researched the product before they buy.... or you may just be an idiot!!!
A great book for any Crumb fan!!!

An Entertaing Autobiography
I first became a Robert Crumb fan in the sixties. I remember buying Zap#1 at the Free Press Book Store in Los Angeles. It was to art as Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" was to music at the time. Both pretty much blew my mind as a young impressionable teenager. (Sold to "Adults Only"? hah!)

Its Nothing Sacred attitude and straight-up uncensored dialogue and art got me. The artist himself remained sort of a mystery man. How could someone be so brilliant in one series,

and then disappoint me so much in another? He seemed so afraid of "selling out" he occasionally just went for shock value or put out some junk calculated to alienate. (News Flash: Crumb disdains most of his fans...yeah- you too, fan-boy.)

This book is an autobiography told in art and text that reveals a lot about Crumb's character and influences. Do not buy this book if you are not into biographies, you won't like it. However, if you are a Crumb fan, it gives an entertaining insight into his struggles and regrets as an artist trying to maintain his own code of artistic integrity. I see his influences every day in commercial and popular art and get enjoyment from knowing who the "real deal" is that they've been influenced by or are out and out ripping off. Buy this book.

- - - FEELIN' LUCKY ?
You don't need the lamer bosh of escapist nerd Bob Crumb. You need the integrity and courage of Clint Eastwood.

Take the money you were going to blow on this book, and go rent some good Dirty Harry films and Clint's 'Man with no Name' westerns.

Of course, if you are unconsciously oppressed and alienated, and looking to become even more lost in your own little cowardly world, Bob 'articial culture' Crumb is the place to go. But it wont get you anywhere. And it will separate you even further from your own potential, and what it means to be a Real Human Being with Real Courage and Integrity. Unreal 'Sleazy Bob,' ultimately, has none.

Go ahead. Take risks with your sanity and isolatory tendencies. Maybe a cheap therapy operation will take you in. But it will take you years to recover.

The Amazing Id Of Robert Crumb
There's an illustration on the back cover of The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book that perfectly encapsulates the artist's work - it depicts the top of Robert's head exploding, with several of his creations, famous, infamous, and otherwise, leaping out.

That, to me, sums up Crumb's work - this incredibly inventive artist with, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, a head full of ideas that are drivin' him insane.

There are frequent complaints about Crumb's work being too dark, racist, sexist, and/or misogynistic. While I can see where these criticisms come from, I really don't think Crumb is any darker, more racist, sexist, or misogynistic than any of us - he simply is unafraid to - COMPELLED to, almost - lay his cards on the table. Some people find this offensive. Would it be absurd of me to suggest that some of those who are offended by his work have their own issues with sexism, racism, and/or misogyny that they are unwilling to confront?

What I'm trying to get at here, I guess, is that this IS NOT a book for little kids. There's a sticker on the front of my copy of the book that says "FOR ADULT INTELLECTUALS ONLY!", and while I'm not so sure about the "intellectuals" part, this is probably not a book you want your grade-school age child to get ahold of, unless you're okay with said child seeing depictions of graphic (and I do mean GRAPHIC) sex, hard-core drug use, and extreme (albiet cartoonish) violence.

I realize all I've spent all this space talking about Crumb without ever really discussing what I like about his work. I think there's two main things: (1) his unflinching honesty (as I touched upon earlier), and (2) the incredible beauty of his draftsmanship. I think my favotite chapter in the whole book is the one that features his pen-and-ink still-lifes and landscapes. Just beautiful stuff - worth studying for his use of cross-hatching alone.

In conclusion, if you're at all interested in checking out the work of one of the finest artists to ever work in the comics medium, I highly recommend you get this book. It's easily worth the 25 bucks.

Oh, yeah - and it DOES make a wonderful coffee table book. :)

The Conventionalization of Crumb
(revised and corrected, 8/27/02)
Thirty years ago, as a teen-ager, I was touting Crumb all over the place, in the form of those little floppy "underground" comic books, not really realising their relatively dubious intellectual and artistic value.

Amusing they were. They also appeared to come from the "We'll save you" left wing, who were going to rescue us from the evil-doings of the Establishment, and Vietnam, and Nixon and conservatism and complacency and bourgeois America and pollution and what-not. . .

Some of my friends simply said, "where did you get these?" Needless to say, it did not increase my stature in their eyes. They were rather shocked. Some found them disgusting.
One needs a sturdy income behind one to endure earhquakes to one's reputation. If you are going to alienate Mrs. Grundy, be prepared to have something to hide behind.

. . .however, "What were once vices are now virtues. . . " Now, thirty years later, R. Crumb is a household word. People think of MR.NATURAL like they would PEANUTS or DOONESBURY. A dimension of the new form of liberalism "permits" this access, although some decry Crumb's alleged "political incorrectness" and dubious "sexual politics." Yet, what good has Crumbianity, any of it, good or bad, done anyone?

Everyone thinks Bob Crumb and Mr. Natural and Fritz the Cat are all something very special. Yet, just how special are they? Crumb's strips remain curiously under-analyzed. People seem simply to either embrace him as a fashionable "alternative," or despise him for his grotesques.

I wonder if my classmates can recall when I let them in on what seemed an obscure, unfashionable, and even reprehensible "secret" thirty years ago.

Yet I no longer think Bob is really worth it. Better to spend your time and money on good film and literature. Please grow up, if at all possible: you will be doing the rest of us a favor. And for good "picture" books, get Edward Gorey("The GashleyCrumb Tinies", "Amphigorey,1,2,3")and William Steig's "The Lonely Ones", and any Charles Adams cartoon books. . . You will at least then have a healthy perspective from which to regard R. CRUMB from, and make tolerant, educated, and useful judgments on him with more discretion than otherwise.

Let old Bob Crumb languish on the Riviera. He never really made me any smarter or any more sophisticated. I had to go elsewehere for that. (Hours in the art libraries, paging through art books and folios... hours reading the classics...)

Rather than indulge oneself with the semi-sophistication of Bob Crumb, why not go the rest of the way and read real literature ?
Do the job right. What's the point of getting part-smart and semi-sophisticated with Bob Crumb ?

Ultimately, all Bob helped me to do was waste my young life and energies...I wish I had returned to me the precious time I lavished/wasted on his silly cartoons. I would have done something useful with it.

I hope I have saved others some trouble.

. . .and I hope my revised and corrected review proves more useful than the previously posted.
-moosbrugger ... Read more

Book Description

"YES." Rarely has one word, one positive response, resonated so loudly from the world's comic pages. But when leading lady Cathy finally took the plunge-after nearly 30 interminable years!-and accepted boyfriend Irving's marriage proposal, the occasion certainly deserved notice among Cathy fans around the globe. The Wedding of Cathy and Irving captures all the fun, magic, and-yes-the nerve-racking overanalyzing that filled the Cathy strips leading up to the big decision and the big day itself. This collection features some of the couple's most memorable moments from throughout their long relationship, but the spotlight shines most on the year that included the unexpected "ring find," the proposal, the "YES," and the frenetic wedding plans that Cathy and Mom both endure and perpetuate. The longest courtship in cartoon page history will come to an end on February 5, 2005. But as The Wedding of Cathy and Irving shows, nothing is quite that simple in Cathy's world. Whether she's pondering pastor possibilities or worrying wedding dress selections to death, Cathy is unequalled in capturing the conundrums of modern women everywhere. It's all Cathy, through and through.

Book Description

When he was a child, Darby Conley used to wonder what his beloved pooch was thinking. That curiosity led to his creation of the hilarious strip Get Fuzzy in 1999, which has rapidly become one of the most popular cartoons in newspaper syndication. Showcasing the relationship between Bucky, a temperamental cat with an attitude; the sweet and sensitive dog Satchel; and their mild-mannered human companion, Rob Wilco, Get Fuzzy has cornered the market on anthropomorphic antics.Anyone who finds animals both amazing and amusing will find this new Get Fuzzy collection one of the most bitingly funny books ever printed. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

more funny antics of the "Get Fuzzy" crew
I love this cartoon strip, so everytime a new book of cartoons is released, I am overjoyed. This compilation continues the crazy antics of Roger, Bucky and Satchel. If you are an animal lover, you can't afford to miss these characters. If you aren't, you will still be entertained and amused at the interactions among cat, dog and human. Being a cat owner for many years, I tend to favor the Bucky character since he typifies the antics of my cat (Scully). Although my cat doesn't talk or use my credit card (yet) there are many similarities between Bucky and regular felines. The attitude, the physical demeanorare very real. Poor Satchel seems to be not so bright, but is a lovable character who seems provide stability to the household and keeps Bucky in check. Roger seems to have infinite patience and keeps his cool amid the chaos the two non-humans create, stoically playing whipping boy for Satchel and Bucky.

I highly recommend this comic strip and especially the compilations that have been released (I believe this is the fourth). Bucky and company will bring you many hours of smiles and chuckles that are gauranteed to relieve depression.

Get Fuzzy Rules
This book was wonderful. Get Fuzzy is fast becoming one of the best comics out there and my personal favorite (besides Garfield) Get Fuzzy and Garfield do have quite a bit in common-a single guy living with a less than bright dog and a cat who rules the house. But that is where the similarity ends. Garfield is cute and great for children and adults alike while Get Fuzzy is sarcastically funny and better suited for adults. Darby Conley continues to come up with fresh ideas and I found myself laughing out loud when I read this latest book. Bucky's facial expressions are hilarious and the one drawing of Bucky as a kitten was worth the price of the whole book.

Bucky is a cat not to be trifled with
This book continues the adventures of Satchel and Bucky and their "owner," Rob Wilco. This book begins the epic battle between Bucky Katt and Fungo Squiggly, the next-door ferret. Darby Conley is amazingly creative with coming up with new ways for the "pets" to mess with Rob's life or fight each other or just hang out at the house.

This set of strips covers the period around Sept. 11, which Conley handles very well and even manages to get a few giggles in as Rob goes to the Red Cross to donate blood. That's not easy to do.

The cover says it all...
I had to beg a friend of mine to loan me this hilarious new installment of the "Get Fuzzy" books, and from the minute i saw the cover-a spoof on an old Jimi Hendrix album cover, complete with a TU-NA belt buckle for Bucky and a doggie 'fro for Satchel-I knew it was going to be nothing short of hilarious. The book is also full of great illustrations, a definate added bonus to this witty publication. I love Bucky's looks of pure intrigue, and his fang, while Satchel serves up ignorance and sweetness with his gazes.

Now, I've read reviews of other "Get Fuzzy" books and the thing they seem to be lacking is at least a few of the side-splitting scenarios "the get fuzzy experience" has to offer. Here are some of my favorites:

-A trip to the video store, where Bucky accuses Rob of only wanting to rent "full-frontal nudity" films, and Satchel's subsequent disappointment that he can't rent "Benji" again.
-Satchel chasing a bike and hurting his paw. And then, after the agonizing stiches, he finds out he's lost his watch.
-And, of course, Satchel at a support group for dog's with fleas, as he proclaims, "Hi, my name is Satchel, and I have fleas."

"The Get Fuzzy Experience" is a real treat to anyone who's a fan of the comic stip, and even to newcomers of the droll trio.

Bootleged Get Fuzzy!
I think that I can explain the Vietnam reference. There is a fraternity at Texas A+M University that has created a bootleged version of Get Fuzzy. The drawings are very accurate to Conley's. The irony is that the bootleged version is way more funny than the actual Get Fuzzy. The reason behind the bootleg is that the boys of that fraternity could not stand the "cuteness" of Get Fuzzy, you know how it has a tendency to be so, "Oh how cute"? These frat boys felt that taking doses of Get Fuzzy is the same as having too much sugar. So one night on a drunken binge the bootleg Get Fuzzy was born. In my opinion the bootlegged version is way more funny, or even funny to begin with. So if you have a chance to read the bootleg read it, it is actually funny. ... Read more

Book Description

Debuting in 1999, Get Fuzzy has rocketed to the top of the charts. Now appearing in more than 200 newspapers, including the San Francisco Examiner, the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, the Boston Globe, and the Detroit Free Press, Get Fuzzy has become a hit cartoon with its bitingly funny portrait of single life with pets.And why not' The laughs come fast and furious. Get Fuzzy features Rob Wilco, a single, mild-mannered advertising executive who's the so-called guardian of Bucky and Satchel, anthropomorphic scamps that still live by their animal instincts. Bucky, a temperamental cat who carries a boom box and goes on spending sprees, definitely calls the shots in this eclectic household, while Satchel is a kindly canine with a sensitive soul who tries to remain neutral, even though he bears the brunt of his feline companion's mischief.Between the three of them, the Wilco household faces a whole host of trials and tribulations that classify them as family. Satchel wants his boundaries respected. Bucky refuses to eat vegetables but insists on snarfing up Rob's plants. Rob tries to meet women, but his pets continually subvert his efforts. In every frame, Get Fuzzy depicts the hilarious war between the species, giving the animals an equal footing in hilarious one-upmanship.Get Fuzzy has become the comic strip for everyone who loves their pets with an attitude. That said, Groovitude is Get Fuzzy at its finest.

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Reviews (58)

Definitely not a Garfield clone - more like a good sit-com
Get Fuzzy is no more a Garfield clone than Dilbert (which also features a single guy, a dog and a cat) is. Garfield is fun but it's cartoonish, in both art and content, whereas Get Fuzzy is more of a caricature. The artwork and gags are far closer to reality - no one gets kicked into next week, or has a tongue that pulls out 30ft, and Satchel (the dog) in particular always looks so real you can feel the weight of him. The drawing of the faces is particularly expressive. The behaviour of the characters is far more lifelike - Rob, the human, has an actual job with an actual boss and actual overtime, a social life and friends, cats cough up furballs and space out on catnip, dogs raid dustbins and sniff each other - and while many of the things Bucky (the cat) and Satchel get up to are things which no real cat or dog could do (such as Bucky trying to start his own TV programme on how to distress furniture with your claws), their behaviour is the sort you might really see in a precocious child. The humour is cumulative and tells a story: with Garfield you generally get a series of single stand-alone gags, whereas with Get Fuzzy you need to read a whole sequence and get into the characters. It's the same difference as between watching a stand-up, slapstick comic or a good sit-com.. E.g., my favourite Garfield gag is where Garfield puts a peeled banana on top of the 'phone, in place of the handset, and then rings Jon so that when Jon answers he sticks a banana down his ear; my favourite Get Fuzzy strip goes: Rob - 'Jeez! Did you see the look that woman shot me?' Satchel - 'Are you sure "putt putt" golf is the place for you to meet women?' Rob - 'Why not?' Satchel - 'Well... I don't know how to, um, say... um... hmm...' Bucky - 'You got little "chicken legs," man.' (with drawing of Rob's scrawny, hairy legs sticky out of a pair of shorts) Rob - 'I do not! Satchel? Satchel?!' Satchel - 'Um... Oh look, a windmill...' 'Oh look, a windmill' has now become my family's stock response to any question we don't want to answer. [Having said which, I don't in fact recommend the Groovitude Treasury, as I gather it's just excerpts from the first two books. Get the books - The Dog is Not a Toy and Fuzzy Logic - instead.]

Get Fuzzy is DEFINITELY NOT A GARFIELD RIP-OFF!!
Anyone who thinks so is mad! Bucky is such a *KATT* (his last name, fyi), Satchel (last name "POOCH") is the *sweetest* mutt in the world and Robbo (Rob Wilco, their "person") is the kind of guy I'd like to meet :-) Everybody (fuzzy and non) in this strip is WAY superior and far more entertaining than the Garfield characters, and if you don't believe me, just go to the comics.com website and check out some of the archived strips. Very, VERY funny, even if you hate cats or dogs. These books are hoot! But get the first 2 rather than the treasury... that way you can follow the soap opera of the week (they're laid out in order) and it's more fun that way. BTW: My favorite line: "He's packin' Smacky." HA HA!! (guess you had to be there ;-)