Book Description

The New York Times best-selling series continues!

The third volume in our acclaimed series takes us into the mid-1950s as Linus learns to talk, Snoopy begins to explore his eccentricities (including his hilarious first series of impressions), Lucy's unrequited crush on Schroeder takes final shape, and Charlie Brown becomes...well, even more Charlie Brown-ish! Over half of the strips in this volume have never been printed since their original appearance in newspapers a half-century ago! Even the most dedicated Peanuts collector/fan is sure to find many new treasures. The Complete Peanuts will run 25 volumes, collecting two years chronologically at a rate of two a year for twelve years. Each volume is designed by the award-winning cartoonist Seth (It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken) and features impeccable production values; every single strip from Charles M. Schulz's 50-year American classic is reproduced better than ever before. This volume includes an introduction by Matt Groening (The Simpsons) as well as the popular Complete Peanuts index, a hit with librarians and collectors alike, and an epilogue by series editor Gary Groth. ... Read more

Book Description

Meet ten-year-old Lord of the Rings nerd Jason Fox and his high-school freshman sister, Paige. Jason can't believe he and his sister are both vying for front-row seats to the release of the movie. There's no denying that things will never be the same with heartthrob Orlando Bloom's involvement in Jason's favorite series. Don't forget their underachieving older brother, Peter. With three strong adolescent personalities in one household, colorful stuff often hits the fan; dad Roger usually ducks to avoid it, while mom Andy tries to keep it from staining the rug. Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything lampoons memorable moments from 2003 and 2004, such as the East Coast blackout. In the FoxTrot version, an "ink outage" renders several days' strips only partially drawn. "I called Funky Winkerbean. He says the ink's out over the entire grid," Jason reports. In another series of strips, Jason's latest money-making scheme involves creating an animated film to rival the box office blockbusters of Pixar and Dreamworks: "It's the tender story of a leech's search for his missing son. I'm calling it Finding Hemo. The success of FoxTrot has yielded consequences creator Bill Amend may never have imagined. The strip has been used as a question on the game show Jeopardy! and as an answer in the New York Times crossword. It's a fitting irony that FoxTrot has become a fixture of pop culture, the very phenomenon it parodies with such keen wit.

Book Description

The notion that Dilbert creator Scott Adams has secretly bugged every office, cubicle, and conference room in America-a belief widely held by Dilbert fans-has been debunked by pointy-haired experts. This discovery leads to an even more sinister yet inescapable conclusion: that the lunacy you thought was unique to your workplace is spreading with a viral malignancy across the nation's business landscape. Yes, the Corporate America brand of insanity has garnered a majority market share among white-collar managers and so-called leaders at companies large and small. Product features (let's not call them "benefits") of this insanity include inflated executive salaries, irrelevant performance objectives, insipid management fads, inscrutable e-mail, interminable meetings, and oppressive work environments. Dilbert is the inadvertent poster child for the Corporate America brand. In his 25th collection, he and his power-hungry dog, Dogbert, provide much-needed comic relief to working stiffs toiling in cubicles everywhere. Dilbert is featured in 2,000 newspapers and is read by 150 million fans in 65 countries and 19 languages.

Book Description

The most diverse volume of Sin City material available, Booze, Broads, & Bullets, showcases Frank Miller's vignettes and color experiments from throughout the years of his groundbreaking crime series, and includes art created especially for the original collection. A good entry point for new readers wondering what Sin City is all about - or longtime readers who can't get enough - Miller has painted a gritty, decadent, and gloriously dirty portrait. Have a taste of the city ... just one little taste. Just one. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

You being good yet?
This book collects various shorter Sin City stories that were published in various comic books.There are eleven separate stories here, so I will offer brief reviews of all of them.

"Just Another Saturday Night" is a typical Marv story. (4 stars)
"Fat Man and Little Boy" is a short comedy starring small time hoods Klump and Shlubb. (4 stars)
"The Customer is Always Right" was the prologue in the recent Sin City movie. (4 stars)
"Silent Night" is a Marv story with virtually no dialogue. (3 stars)
"And Behind Door Number Three..." is a brief story featuring the girls of Old Town. (3 stars)
"Blue Eyes" introduces the character of Delia. (4 stars)
"Rats" stars a Nazi war criminal. (3 stars)
"Daddy's Little Girl" stars the one-shot character of Johnny. (3 stars)
"Wrong Turn" is a longer Delia story. (4 stars)
"Wrong Track" is a shorter Delia story. (3 stars)
"The Babe Wore Red" stars Dwight and is the best story in here. (5 stars)

So there you have it."The Babe Wore Red" is so great, that the book is worth getting just for that one story.But all the other stories also have something to recommend them.That is to say, they all have gorgeous art by Frank Miller, even if a few of them are a bit lacking in the plot department.If you are a fan of the other Sin City books, you will probably enjoy this one, too.

your stupid
To whoever wrote the review reguarding the awfulness of this book has no imagination. Even if the story isn't for you, the art is still exelent.It's also low touse Millers drinking as an excuse for not seeing the books quality.If you don't like it then state your reasons for not liking it and leave your personal vendetta against Miller out of it. Theres plenty more Batman and Dare-devil out there for you,so get over it.By the way this is an awsome collection.

Great Read
This is such an excellent comic book.I cannot wait for Robert Rodriguez's film to come out.It is going to be excellent and amazing and I don't know what else to say.Frank Miller is such a creative genius, and Rodriguez is as well, and with that cast?The movie will be great, but only because the comic was great first.

Great fun for kids of all a-- well... for big kids anyway.
This is by no means Millers best work, but it is definately worth picking up if you enjoy sin city. It's basically a collection of short stories, each different and not necesarrily related. The art work as always is very very good, and as always the stories are entertaining. Keep 'em coming Frank! .... no? .... oh... (drops head in sorrow). Oh well.

Very good.
This is a very good colection of the shorter sin city pieces. What I like most about it is that you can see Frank Miller's art style progress to the form it's in now. Many great stories with the sadistic sin city twist. Notfor the week-hearted! ... Read more

Book Description

You never know who you'll bump into at a diner at night. It could be a rat with an anger-management problem. Or an overly sentimental pig. Or a zebra with a story or two to tell about a crocodile. Or even a goat who just wants to be left alone. Welcome to Nighthogs, where the door is always open, the light is always on, and the coffee is as scorching as the humor. In this third collection of the immensely popular Pearls Before Swine, Stephan Pastis again takes us into the world of Rat, Pig, Zebra, and Goat, and he shows once more just how outrageous-and how hilarious-the unpredictable can be. Always surprising (and only occasionally depraved), Pearls Before Swine is one of the sharpest comic strips in newspapers today. So pull up a stool, have a cup of joe, and enjoy.

Reviews (1)

Nighthogs totallly rocks!
This book is great!! Every day when we get the newspaper, i look for the Pearls Before Swine comic first, and here's a book filled with 'em! All my friends and i love the comics! Stephen Pastis is amazing! You have a choice, get this book and laugh you pants off, or don't, and NOT know what rat said to pig on page 37!! ... Read more

Book Description

Dogs and cats can be cute, cuddly, and faithful companions. They also can be ornery, unpredictable, and hilarious. Get Fuzzy is all about the latter. In his latest collection, New York Times best-selling author Darby Conley has found uncommon humor and insight in our common, everyday pets.Get Fuzzy has fast become one of the premier comics on the funny pages. Readers of 400 newspapers worldwide enjoy the antics of this award-winning strip. The Wilco household includes Rob the bachelor, Bucky, the cantankerous cat with an attitude, and Satchel, the loveable-but-clueless dog. If animals really could talk, one would expect them to sound like Bucky and Fuzzy. Often, it's the subtle nuances of the strip-from Bucky's hilarious facial expressions to Satchel's dopey innocence-that pack the biggest laughs.The strip's dry wit and razor-sharp reality earned it the National Cartoonists Society's prestigious Best Newspaper Comic Strip in 2002. Get Fuzzy captures the non-glamorous essence of being a pet owner in a way people who own and operate dogs and cats are sure to love. ... Read more

Book Description

Animal lovers everywhere adore Patrick McDonnell's charming but pointed Mutts. The strip strikes a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and social commentary-on the human condition as well as the animal world. The deceptively simple comic follows the adventures of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, an unlikely best-friend team, and Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby. Patrick's distinctive cartooning style effectively relays the all-too-real concerns of his characters with entertaining, clever, laugh-out-loud banter. Infodad.com describes Mutts as "humane and funny and gentle and caring and heartfelt and-did we mention funny?" The site goes on to say that the strip "includes enough hijinks and outstanding art (yes, art!) to please anyone with a taste for animals and amusement." Mutts has been syndicated by King Features since 1994 and enjoys a circulation of more than 500 daily newspapers. Muttscomics.com, the strip's official Web site, has experienced great popularity since its launch in 2003.

Reviews (1)

Mutts X--an instant comic strip classic
Just as the other books in Patrick McDonnell's "Mutts" body of work resonate with humor, whimsy, thoughtfulness, and wit, so too does his latest compilation, "Mutts X."Mooch and Earl and their environment, causes, pals, and activities are explored using a droll eye and deft pen.It's amazing how McDonnell can communicate thought-provoking ideas through such deceptively simple characters.It's all here--again: silliness, sensibility, and sensitivity.For total Mutts immersion, be sure to check out the official website:www.muttscomics.com. ... Read more

Book Description

Sherman the dim-witted shark and his cast of characters in Sherman's Lagoon provide enough laughs for a barrel of monkeys, not that they've ever seen any. The Lagoonies, as they're known to regular comic strip readers, are a motley crew-mostly of sea life-known for their acerbic humor. There's Megan, Sherman's wife (a soft-touch despite the tough exterior). Fillmore the sea turtle makes up for Sherman's lack of intellect. Hawthorne the hermit crab resides in a beer can and is always in a "crabby" mood. Ernest the fish is a computer whiz, and Thornton the polar bear stumbled upon the island while floating by on an iceberg. Captain Quigley is the only human (or "beach ape") who resides in Sherman's Lagoon. He lost his leg to Sherman and is now out for revenge, but never quite gets close enough. To round out the cast there's Bob the bottom dweller. Enough said. Readers love Sherman and his friends for their hilarious reflections of human behavior as seen through a seawater lens. Jim balances the lighthearted antics of this quirky group by promoting the importance of marine conservation. Sherman's Lagoon is quite a catch! Sherman's Lagoon has been in syndication since 1991, currently by King Features, and boasts a circulation of more than 200 daily newspapers on five continents.

Book Description

For 25 years, award-winning cartoonist Lynn Johnston has attracted new readers and intrigued longtime fans with her uniquely humorous stories and drawings in For Better or For Worse. During that time, more than 30 books based on the daily comic strip have sold in excess of 1.6 million copies. Striking a Chord continues that impressive record, delivering the latest For Better or For Worse collection just in time for spring. Johnston's acclaimed strip centers on the everyday life of a Canadian family, humorously portraying both the good and the not-so-good events that are shared by the Patterson clan and their extended family of friends and neighbors. Parents Elly and John; children Michael and his wife, Deanna, Elizabeth, and April; Grandpa Jim; and dogs Edgar and Dixie all live out the joys and complexities of modern life. From parents apprehensively facing their fifties and a young couple tackling new parenthood to a young woman confronting career choices and a girl's loss of a beloved pet, Striking a Chord brings compassion, understanding, and a lighthearted touch to every human interaction. This collection includes cartoons from November 2002 through July 2003.

Reviews (2)

Another winner
I am such a huge fan of the For Better of For Worse cartoons. Lynn Johnston always does such a wonderful job of bringing everyday family life into focus while maintaining some degree of "funny".

This little book is no exception. Featuring all of the members of the family, this book is a wonderful look at the more recent strips.Even a little look at Farley and Mr. B. (which kind of still brought tears to my eyes).

The only comment I have that is negative is that these books are so small, only takes about 30 minutes to go through it.I feel as though I just start it and poof its finished.

Still, the quality is there.

Fantastic as usual
This book is fantastic as is all of her fborfw books. highly recommended. No complaints. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This cartoon is getting too hip-hop and too political
Sure, being political and hip-hop has always been the standard of The Boondocks, but when it gets so extremely focused on the outside world of black celebrities and politicians it just gets boring.
There's very few times when the reader actually gets to know the characters' personalities becuase they're always talking about black actors, rappers, or the Bush administration. There are hardly ever any moments with plots involving the characters themselves in personal situations, so when do we really get to know them?
I'm a liberal who has some pretty good knowledge of hip-hop culture, but I still find that The Boondocks has just become very one sided by showing things from the single point of perspective of a left-wing African American.

Excellent comic
I am wild about Aaron McGruder. He captures the very essence of political satire with his adorable characters in the Boondocks.I have watched him on Bill Maher and can certainly see why he has remained so popular.Huey and Cesar often ponder a world in which the Democrats regained control of the country, but realize that Kerry was just a punk.Grandad's crusty ways make me laugh every morning on the way to work, and Riley's thug attitude brings it all back to Earth, proving that even the most serious political pundit can have a sense of humor and still get his point across.I also think Aaron McGruder is hot. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A comic book about comic books. McCloud, in an incredibly accessible style, explains the details of how comics work: how they're composed, read and understood. More than just a book about comics, this gets to the heart of how we deal with visual languages in general. "The potential of comics is limitless and exciting!" writes McCloud. This should be required reading for every school teacher. Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman says, "The most intelligent comics I've seen in a long time." ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Perhaps ever so slightly overrated...
I appreciate the innovation of writing a book about comics in comic-book style. It's a clever, winning idea. Perhaps it would have worked a bit better if McCloud himself were a better draftsman, or if there had been more (and better-quality) reproductions of other artists' work.

The writing here is uneven. Some chapters, including "Blood in the gutter" and "Time Frames," are very effective and very specific, with strong insights into the nuts-and-bolts of comic techniques. Another chapter, "The Vocabulary of Comics" -- which uses a big triangle graph to encompass the whole of range of comics art -- is quite insightful but, at the same time, oversimplifies a bit, I fear. I'm not saying McCloud's assertions aren't necessarily true, but he might have put himself on surer ground with some of the language/symbol ideas by getting more heavily into semiotics theory, etc. And maybe here is where the light-hearted tone and comic-book style starts to undercut his intellectual accomplishment. I understand the book isn't meant to be a doctoral thesis, but still, it has high ambitions, and the structure of the book must be subordinated to the loftiness of its aspirations. Chapter 7, which attempts to relate all of artistic achievement into a unified whole, is one of the least satisfying, because it is frankly pretentious and rather gooey, non-specific, in its assertions.

Don't get me wrong. There is a lot of good insight in "Understanding Comics," and I wouldn't debate that it's an essential read for anyone interested in the topic. But it also feels like sort of a primer, a survey. Each one of the chapters could itself be the subject of a whole book. In other words, "Understanding Comics" has impressive breadth but not as much depth as one might want.

More people should read this!
Scott McCloud does a fantastic job explaining the history, potential, and inner workings of comics as a medium. I was especially impressed with his concise descriptions of visual theory and its particular applications to comics. Occasionally I felt that McCloud's treatment of a topic could have been more fleshed-out (the chapter on color, for example, or his concluding idea of comics as a particularly good form of communication) or that he made some unnecessary generalizations (his definition of art was a bit trite and even misleading). On the whole, though, McCloud's ideas are sophisticated and he is able to communicate them with surprising eloquence to both the art historian and the general public. In fact, though I am an art historian, I learned a good deal from this book.

McCloud's decision to use the comic format to present his ideas is ingenious, and I doubt that prose alone would have been able to deliver his messages with such clarity. The one drawback to the format is that I fear it will only appeal to those who already value comics, and that as a result those who most need to hear what McCloud has to say never will!

The Comic as both Art and Science
Disregard the Sanchez Review. If it is not fiction, Mr. Sanchez has no interest in it. This is a most interesting book that adds to the legitimacy of the comic book as literature and an art/science. A plus to collectors and readers.

The best text book on comics around.
This was required reading in the cartooning program at the School of Visual Arts and with good reason. Clear, informative and never dry, McCloud provides the best reference to understanding the principals of constructing comics without delving into drawing lessons, an area already sufficiently covered.

An Enlightening Read
Even as a lifelong reader of many types of comics (superheroes, Asterix, underground, manga, etc.) this book was a revelation. McCloud has a gife for explaining the why's and how's of sequential art in a way that kept my attention through the whole book. As a professional artist and multimedia developer, the concepts McCloud puts forth regarding human perception of two-dimensional sequential art have helped bring me to a new level and I have recommended this book to others in my field who have found it equally useful and fascinating.

And if any of you comic readers know people who mercilessly rag on you for being a geek, this book just might shut them up. ... Read more

Book Description

Two feudal kingdoms, Midland and Chuder, battle for supremacy in what will become the final clash in a century-long struggle. Spearheading the Midland forces is the Band of the Hawk, a legendary cadre of elite mercenaries led by the charismatic Griffith and with the fearless Guts as its berserker champion. The Hawks' ferocity, courage, and fearsome skills - not to mention Guts' enormous broadsword - are just what Midland needs to turn the bloody tide, but during the fray, Guts and Griffith's most trusted lieutenant, Casca, fall together from a cliff into a raging river. Miraculously, both barely survive, and Guts tends to Casca's wounds as she tells of having her life saved by Griffith, her induction into the Band of the Hawk, and her deep feelings toward Griffith. She even seems to finally be warming up to the grim Guts. But this greeting-card moment won't last long, for Chuder warriors are on the prowl, and the only greetings they carry are on the points of their spears! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great manga
Berserk (both anime and manga) put me off at first, I didn't think that I would like it; from what pictures I had seen it looked to be a very violent and bloody manga, not that I'm bothered by those things, but I really prefer a good story.

Truth be told Berserk IS quite violent and bloody, but that is where it catches you off guard; hidden beneath all of the blood an gore is a great story that really draws you in with characters that are deep and have convincing relationships.

If you're looking for a lighthearted adventure Berserk isn't for you, but if you want a great story and don't mind violence and endings that don't necessarily turn out happily ever after definately check it out, you can't help but become engrossed in the story and it's characters. ... Read more

Book Description

Follow Matt Murdock through a story that literally spans the entire history of the Marvel Universe! Who was the Kingpin before the Kingpin, and what was his relationship to Matt? Collects Daredevil #66-70. ... Read more

Book Description

Throughout his adventures across the mythic Hyperborean world, the barbarian called Conan crosses swords with many colorful and dangerous characters, somehow always finding himself on the wrong end of a wizard's wrath, or staring down the hungry jaws of a nightmarish beast. Proving himself more than a match for whatever came his way, Conan has become one of the most enduring and strangely endearing characters in all of popular culture. The stories in this edition feature more tales of thrilling adventure and chilling betrayal as only writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema could deliver. ... Read more

Book Description

Get Fuzzy collections are flying off the shelves: More than 500,000 copies have been sold to date. And Bucky Katt's Big Book of Fun, the second full-color treasury of the outrageous antics featuring Bucky, Satchel, and Rob, is sure to attract more readers of the strip voted Best Comic Strip of 2002 by the National Cartoonists Society.Behold the world of Get Fuzzy. Meet Bucky Katt, the Siamese smart-ass who coexists under protest with Satchel Pooch, the sweet-tempered shar-pei/Lab mix, and Rob Wilco, the human who keeps the refrigerator stocked. Each day in 400 newspapers around the world readers visit the place where cats, dogs, and humans meet and learn a little bit more about each other-not necessarily by choice. By turns hilarious, poignant, and even human, Get Fuzzy is the smartest, funniest comic strip in newspapers today. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Get Fuzzy: Simply The Best Strip Currently Running
I have loved 'Get Fuzzy' from the first time I saw it. This is a compilation of some of Darby Conley's best strips; they are a joy to read and bring laughter into a frazzled day. The interaction of Rob, Satchel, and Bucky is a national treasure.

I particularly appreciate the tone of the strip in addressing social ills without being preachy, while still honoring the good things in America. Particularly noteworthy is the honor Mr. Conley bestows on the NYPD, EMS, and fire fighters throughout his strips, particularly post-9/11. I also appreciate his sensitivity in honoring the passing of truly significant people such as Douglas Adams (the '42' strip is wonderful), and Fred Rogers.

This is one of the most entertaining books on my bookshelf, and I treasure it. I could not recommend a book of comic strips more highly. Buy it: it'll make your day!

Compilation book.
I wish I'd known in advance that this is a compilation of the last two compilation books--The Get Fuzzy Experience and Blueprint for Disaster, both of which I already own! That being said, if you haven't read these already, they are hilarious, as all of the Get Fuzzy books are.

Sorry about the confusion
get fuzzy is the greatest comic stript that is not the greatest.
the coolicity factor of this book is high

Funny.
I really like Get Fuzzy. It's my second favorite pet strip behind Pooch Cafe.

I just loved this book
Another addition to my Get Fuzzy collection. These are books I am sure I will read over and over again.

This (and the other get fuzzy books) are perfect for people who love dogs and cats. :D ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Adventures with "the incurable weirdness poster child"
"Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons," by Bill Watterson, is a collection of comic strip adventures of Calvin, the feisty schoolboy, and his companion Hobbes, a stuffed tiger. The strips generally form short stories within the book. The book's title refers to one of these storylines, in which Calvin creates a mutant snow man which in turn creates an army of similar creatures. Other storylines involve Calvin getting chicken pox; his creation of his own TV show; and his club known as GROSS (a warped acronym for "Get Rid Of Slimy girlS").

The C&H stories are great because they are funny celebrations of the power of a child's imagination. Calvin assumes such alternate identities as sci-fi hero Spaceman Spiff, caped superhero Stupendous Man, and private eye Tracer Bullet. Often the humor comes from the clash of Calvin's fantasies with the reality around him. The stuffed Hobbes, through the power of Calvin's imagination, becomes both a comrade and a great foil for the boy; their wacky relationship is one of the most memorable in the comic strip genre.

Calvin is an academic underachiever, rebel, performance artist, disgruntled philosopher, and all-around bringer of chaos -- although his playmate/rival Susie refers to him as "the incurable weirdness poster child." Whether discovering a new dinosaur species (the "Calvinosaurus") or evading the dreaded monster under the bed, Calvin is hilarious. And you've got to love a comic that cites the U.S. Bill of Rights. "Attack" is a great book both for C&H fans and for newcomers to this excellent comic strip.

One of the funniest collections of comics ever!
This is one of the best Calvin and Hobbes books. Bill writes about a 6 year boy who, with his imagination, brings his stuffed tiger to life and in this book a snowman, too. The snowman makes other snowmen and calvin takes care of this in his own funny way, though his parents never believe him.

Bill Watterson is one of the best comic writers ever. His writing demonstrates what every kid must have thought about at Calvin's age. I think Bill should not have stopped writing Sunday comics. We shall all miss them.

gas pedal for a foot locker kicks off
i used to think that "the days are just packed" was the best C&H book but when i bought this one,i knew that it was the best."attack of the deranged muntant killer monster snow goons" has some of the most funny comics i have ever read. this book contains:the attack of the snow goons,the 'calvin show',calvin's late school project,and the "noodle incident".this is clearly the best. my favorite part in this book was the 'calvin show' where he cut some cardboard up and put his face in it and his dad said he'd prefer the tv with the volume control. yeah. that was hilarious.

my absolute favorite
Bar none, the deranged mutant killer snow goons are my favorite of all of Calvin's imaginary nemeses. The artwork and story lines are the best continuous comics that the very badly-missed Bill Watterson created. The snow goons arise and the battles begin. And, once again, who bears the brunt of this war? Calvin's parents who can't help but wonder how their son turned out the way he did. This is a wonderful collection that I turn to whenever I feel like a six year old besieged by the mutant killer snow goons in the world.

Not up to my standards from Watterson
I'm as big of a C&H fan as anyone else out there, but somehow this one doesn't seem to compare to the other books. Not as funny, not as meaningful. Buy it to complete your collection, and for a few laughs, but other than that, its only ok. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gary Larson calls The Complete Far Side, the massive two-volume collection of his Far Side cartoons, an "18-pound hernia giver." Sure to give any coffee table a solid workout, the handsome and heavy 1,272-page "legacy book" is a must for fervent fans; over 4,300 single-panel comics with more than half in color and 1,100 that have not appeared in any book form before (the popular--and far less weighty--paperback collections).

Set in rough chronological order, the comics share pages with occasional letters from fans, detractors, editors, folks made famous by a particular cartoon, and those begging for explanations. Though few explanations are provided (Larson personally supplies merely one, plus a single apology), this collection helps answer the inevitable "how do you think up these things" conundrum. Before each year's cartoons, Larson provides insight with essays about his childhood, various travels, occupational hazards, and his official rules for dealing with bedtime monsters (which often turned out to be his older brother). Most wonderful is the first essay on how the comic started. (His longtime editor Jake Morrissey's long introduction is a must read on The Far Side's story).

Despite no central characters, it's easy to spot patterns in Larson's wild and wacky cartoons. Animals, insects, and inanimate objects often exhibit all-too-human impulses. Larson's subjects are often in scenes of peril--disasters, visits to hell, and perhaps a hundred cartoons set on a one-palm tree deserted island. It is what Larson's fertile imagination mined from those situations that created fans and enemies for 14 years. (Larson retired at his peak and then went into jazz music). The comics are not indexed (how could they be--first lines? listings of cartoons with cows?); finding a favorite requires a great memory for its publication date. Best simply to peruse the pages of this beautiful collection in which you will certainly find more than a few new chuckles before landing on your beloved Larson sketch. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (112)

You'll laugh 'til the cows come home...
A truly amazing piece of modern literature... if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this collection is worth 4.3 million of 'em! If you've been a Larson fan, then you know what you're in for... whacky animals and insects that are usually smarter than their human counterparts, light handed commentary on the workings of life and nature, and an incredible wit that captures appeals to everyone and offends no one (except maybe cows or chickens). These cartoons will take you back to where you were the first time you read them.

If you've never read Larson, then you need to pick up this collection immediately (be careful and don't hurt your back... 18 pounds of books is a heavy load). Enjoy the fit and finish of the slipcase and covers of the books. Feel the weight of the high-quality artbook-grade coated paper, smell the fresh ink... and then dig in to the BEST cartoons ever created!

This collection is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY you spend on it. I have every Larson book ever published, and they don't hold a candle to these books. The introductions to the individual chapters are worth the price alone. Because of this collection, the Far Side will be enjoyed by future generations to come.

20 Lbs. of forgotten humor!
I'm not kidding when I say make sure your coffee table is sturdy and your postal delivery person is hernia-free, this two volume collected work of Gary Larson's THE FAR SIDE is amazing..amazingly heavy. But, despair not valiant reader, the pain of this massive tome digging into your thighs as you meander through it's pages is at best causing severe nerve damage and at the very least taking you away from the horribly crushing depression that you suffer most of the time anyway. Why, do you say? Becuase Mr. Larson has devoted his entire life, all thirteen years of it, to drawing poorly constructed, one-frame cartoons, that are sure to make you either giggle or guffaw, with enough of the good ol' "oh my God, that's sick" thrown in for balance. Let's face it, you need this. Seriously. Yes, you. C'mon, your looks are fading, the years havn't been kind, and you are starting to smell funny. Wouldn't it be nice if you could somehow, magically, travel back in time, thirteen years ago, when your teenage dreams were brought to life in every new paperback edition of THE FAR SIDE? Remember how mad you were at your parents when they threw them all out, along with you, after you dropped out of the technical college for the third time? Well, you'll show them now. YOU'LL SHOW ALL OF THEM!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

Bodacious
First of all, you'll need to take steriods just to lift this collection. But it's worth every pound. The quality is remarkable, with color cartoons and brilliant and witty comments every now and then. The detractors who've written into the papers over the years also make an appearance, looking more foolish than ever. If you're one for great humor (think Sedaris in his "Me Talk Pretty" or McCrae in his "Bark of the Dogwood"), humor that is sometimes dark and multi-layered, then you'll love Gary Larson. This, of course, if you've never been exposed to him, in which case you're probably fodder for one of his cartoons. A++++++ material and presentation on this one.

The Far Side
What can I say everyone else hasn't? Except if you like the Far Side this is the one to get.

laughter!!
When I started reading and liking the far side 1 year ago, I said that I would get this one when I earned enough money and I earned the money I needed and I bought this at costco and I was on the floor laughing for about an hour or so because it was so funny and now I am on book 2 of the set and I have to say that if you are a far side fan that Gary Larson did the right thing by creating this and if you are a fan this is the far side item for you!!! :) ... Read more

Book Description

For 50 years, Playboy magazine has showcased the world's best and brightest cartoonists. Their spectacular stable of artists includes luminaries such as Buck Brown, Jack Cole, Eldon Dedini, Jules Feiffer, Shel Silverstein, Doug Sneyd, Gahan Wilson, and hundreds of others. Hip subversives and sly revolutionaries all, Playboy's artists have continually proffered a sophisticated brand of humor sorely missing in other men’s magazines. Now, Playboy celebrates its golden anniversary with this glorious collection of the finest and funniest cartoons. Handpicked by Hugh M. Hefner himself, the pages are filled with the distillation of the entire cartoon archive, offering insightful commentary on topics from the sexual revolution to relationships, money, and politics. More than 450 cartoons feature sweet young things, terrible tarts, winsome wives, suitors, and studs -- a riotous chronicle of five decades of Playboy cartoons. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fifty years of fun.
It's nice to see a book of coffee-table proportions just devoted to cartoons, well why not? Previous Playboy books have covered the history of the magazine, the delightful Playmates and now the cartoons. The 450 plus illustrations are the work of 107 cartoonists and if you are a regular reader of the magazine you'll see your favorites. Gahan Wilson has the most (thirty-two) followed by regulars like Eldon Dedini, John Demsey, Alden Erikson, Kiraz, Roy Raymonde, Doug Sneyd (he of the flamboyant signature, which I was never able to decipher until now) Erich Sokol and between these, dozens of great artists who have maybe one or two works each. The humor might not be the wonderful ironic style of the New Yorker but it is amazing how many fresh takes can be created with the bachelor lifestyle.

This is a handsomely produced book, printed on thick glossy paper which, nicely, allows you to really appreciate just how good some of these artists are. My favorite, Jack Davis, unfortunately only has four shown, Richard Taylor has a super picture on page ten, an art gallery where he has created several Picasso type paintings, Doug Sneyd, Phil Interlandi and Dedini are all brilliant draughtsmen and Shel Silverstein can create so much with so little line and color.

However I was a bit disappointed with this book, as another reviewer has commented, there is no indication of when the cartoons appeared and I wish the publishers had gone the extra mile and perhaps devoted some space throughout the pages for a photo and biography of the regulars, some of these guys have been with Playboy for years. Someone though, at least, did have the foresight to compile an Artists index and a useful Order of appearance list, both of which are in the back pages.

Clearly a wonderful book for the bedside table if your date didn't turn up, try laughing yourself to sleep.

Not enough Yeagle !!!!
I enjoyed seeing the work of some of my favorite cartoon
artist...together in one book. Some I had forgotten about.
It cetainly must have been difficult to narrow down the
selection with so many great cartoons over the years.
However, I was disappointed not to see more of one of my
very favorites.....Dean Yeagle. There is one cartoon of his
in the book...and it is also on the cover...the showgirls
and earrings cartoon.
Mr.Yeagle does excellent work....just check out his website..
www.bellefree.com.....His Mandy pinup girl is adorable!
I would love to see an all Dean Yeagle book published !!!!!!

nice book, but...
First of all this book is printed on excellent paper & is well done except for one thing. there is no way to tell what year the cartoons are from. They should have had chapters. 1950`s 1960`s ect so you know what era they are from ... Read more