Cartoons Books

This book is great. With its simple approach it's good for beginners, as well as more seasoned artists--Ben Calwell's style is FANTASTIC. For me this book works as an excellent character design book. Love it, five stars.

I very rarely write comments on books, but I had to make an exception for this book because it is far and away so much better than all the other books I own on cartooning. I keep it close by my desk for regular reference. When I teach my children to draw, this is the book we ALWAYS come back to. I'll probably buy a second copy soon because I am wearing my first copy out and I simply can't imagine not having this book around. Unlike other cartooning books that I find to be annoyingly wordy or too simple, this book is PACKED with vital, detailed, HOW-TO instructions on drawing dynamic figures in exciting poses. It gives you a full, easy method on how to draw ANY pose in 3-D, from ANY visual angle. It provides plenty of step-by-step instructions so you can practice this same method over and over until you master it. It provides detailed instructions and examples of important techniques like overlapping and fore-shortening, so your characters have depth, and can appear as if they are jumping off the page right at you. It gives amazing details on basic anatomy - both male and female. It shows how to draw difficult body parts like hands and feet. It also provides valuable information on character design, like explaining facial features that make a character appear young or old; how to make a character look heroic, charming, tough, or mixing these features to suggest hints of various personality traits. For example, you can mix features to create an intelligent looking, tough guy. It explains how to draw various expressions - not from templates - but how you can design your own. Most art books I buy I feel could have been cut down to half their size. But not this book - this book fits everything into only 80 pages, but every page gives you something of real value. It does not discuss color, and I would have like to have seen a section on dealing with hair, but other than that, the book is - far and away - the best value in cartooning that I own. If you want to learn to cartoon action figures - not copy them - but really create your own dynamic and exciting poses from scratch - right out of you own imagination, then buy this book. You won't regret it.

This is a pretty good book for the hobbyist who wants to improve his or her drawing skills, but there's no information beyond that. What do professional cartoonists do once they've finished sketching? We're never told. There's nothing about transitioning from pencil to pen, or what kind of pens to use, no mention of light boards or lettering or laying out panels, not one word about color. Do professional cartoonists use computers for any of this? We're not told. Frankly, I was disappointed. (Not to mention a tad turned off by the "Don't worry, guys!" on the back cover. What is this, the fifties?) I was looking specifically for that information, and would have given this book two stars, but you get what you pay for.

I have several books on drawing the human figure and this is in the top two. Lots of great ideas and examples, and they're all very carefully drawn to avoid throwing the student off. Some books have vague or confusing examples; the examples here are always clear and straightforward and easy to mimic. Great examples of head poses; over the shoulder, tilted, etc., in relationship to the body.

I bought this used for a pittance and boy, did I ever get a bargain.

I stood at the comics and graphic novels section of the bookstore tonight browsing for about an hour looking for an introductory book on drawing characters, looking at guides for everything from how to draw anime to superheroes to fantasy characters before I finally settled on a book.

This was it!

Where the books from other authors and illustrators were noteworthy for each having a couple of really cool moments amidst many many examples, Action! Cartooning basically non-stop coolness. The action starts as soon as you open the cover with neat cartoon sketches and he basically doesn't let up until the book is finished, even when he's sketching right on the index pages at the end of the book!

Ben Caldwell's book is jam packed with cool illustrations and an amazing vibe. It's a happy serendipitous occurence where he not only happens to be talented at what he does, you can also tell he's incredibly enthusiastic about what he does and is also very good at teaching you how to do it.

HEEBIE-JEEBIE HULLABALOO is top-of-the-line Simpsons! The presentation is high-quality with an embossed cover and bright, clear graphics inside. You won't be disappointed!

This book was as told it would come and was brand new. There was not one little mark on it. I would order from this user again.

This comic book was pretty good with another humerous approach to to the Simpsons comic saga. Stories include
1. Sideshow Blob-Sideshow Bob is turned into a giant phlem.
2. The Exorsister-Lisa possessed by the spirit of Madonna.
3. The Immigration of the Body Snatchers-Pod people take over and Homer tries to convince them they are here and not crazy.
4. Call me Homer-Famly history of Homer eating blubber in the tale of Ishmael.
5. Bart People-Bart turns into a cat.
6. Little Shop of Homers-Killer Homer plant.
Pretty good book overall.

I think this book was really funny. I really liked Homer Simpson's Halloween Carols. He is my favorite cartoon character. I guess the funniest part is, when the Simpsons were watching Kent Brockman talking about a plant that eats donuts, and Homer said "Mmmm... Donuts." That was pretty funny. Another funny scene was when everyone in Springfield found out this was just a comic book, and they didn't really exist. Homer said "If I don't exist, can I still eat donuts?" That one cracked me up. I guess, now, you can see why I like Homer Simpson so much.

For those of you who are fans of the hit television show "The Simpsons", you are probably well acquainted with the legendary "Treehouse of Horror" episodes that have become a Halloween tradition. These episodes have proven to be such a seasonal favorite that Groening and the gang have decided to dish out even more tales of terror in "Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror: Heebie-Jeebie Hullabaloo".

Hullabaloo is a collection of comics and sketches that cleverly capture the humor and style of the Simpsons Halloween specials. Much like the television version, the main stories in Hullabaloo are parodies of famous horror films. The first story in the book is a parody of the classic horror film "The Blob". In the sketch, Simpsons character Sideshow Bob takes an experimental treatment that transforms him into "Sideshow Blob". Seizing the opportunity to take revenge on his nemesis Bart, Sideshow Blob squeezes out of prison and wreaks havoc on Springfield.

After Springfield is saved from "Sideshow Blob", they barely have time to recover before Lisa becomes possessed by the evil spirit of Madonna in "The Exorsister", a combo-parody of the infamous "Exorcist" and the even more infamous Madonna. The book continues with additional parodies of films such as "Little Shop of Horrors", "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and "Cat People".

In between the main features of the book are a plethora of comics, guides, and stories hosted by and featuring an assortment of Springfield characters. One of these guides features everyone's favorite slack-jawed yokel, Cletus Del Roy. Cletus presents to us "A Yokels Guide to Halloween" which teaches us how to celebrate Halloween like "Edgar Allan" Poe white trash. Another extra features Bart's "Guide to Low-Budget Costumes" which shows you how to cheaply transform yourself into horrid monsters such as "Vaselino, The Thing That Wouldn't Dry". You'll also find the story of "Elijah Dunn and the One-Armed Nun", Evil Dr. Burn's "Goodtime Servant Factory", "Springfield in Hell", and much, much more.

Hullabaloo is colorful, fun, entertaining, and just in time for Halloween. The comical cast breathes sarcasm and humor into favorite horror classics. If you are a fan of the Simpsons and Halloween, then this book will not disappoint you.

This is one of the best commercially available books on caricature. However, I would recommend looking at a few books, rather than just this one (this isn't a standalone caricature education resource). Some of the caricatures don't look a lot like the real people they represent; whether this is an artistic choice or a limitation of the talent involved is a mystery. Many, useful techniques are contained herein; some readers may be disappointed in the results achieved and need more instruction in achieving a recognizable likeness. Worth a look; one of the best.

I used to do caricatures and this pretty much is what I did for over a year. This is a well designed instructional book... It gives many variations of eyes, noses, mouths, facial structure and hair style. I recommend this book as a handy reference source to my students.

I purchased this book about a week ago after seeing it at a bookstore and seeing all of the excellent reviews for it. I have been studying art for a few years and having worked at a bookstore as well I know when I read a good art instruction book and this is definitely one of them. It has practical to do steps that gradually build a persons skill. A common pitfall of art books is they show a finished product of the artist but they leave it a mystery as to how they got there. This book will help seasoned artist as well as give newer ones confidence in their ability to do caricatures. Highly recommended!

I have several books on caricature and have to say this is the best. The funny thing is that some of the pages looked kind of familiar and I realized that they were some of the handouts used at the local amusement park. After looking at Harry's picture at the end, I do remember him holding some excellent training classes at the park. He has an excellent way of explaining the whole process. This is an excellent book on the subject.

Very good explaniation and a lot of figures for practice.
I like so much.

Earth shaking. Booty shaking. Think Archie for the Manga Generation and then some - that represents just one facet of this mindbending series. I picked this up on a whim but never expected how it would unfold. GTO # 1 is unassuming for the most part and as a series, truly twists and turns and reaches higher and higher - while maintaining its characters. Tohru Fujisawa is a master storyteller, who isn't afraid to use self referential, toilet humor, schoolgirl cliches, panty jokes, you name it - but keeps it relevant. Each volume is a cliffhanger which is what Manga is all about...Tohru, I salute you.

I've already watched the complete Anime TV series. I loved it so much that I did not expect that the Mange could have bin any better however the manga is much better then the TV series. It's about a punk biker who decides to become a teacher. There's comedy, action, love, brief nudity, mindless violence and everyone likes mindless violence... Just buy the damn thing.

This is the best manga ever written. The premice may sound questionable to you manga lovers out there,I know it does not have any magic but you will survive. Trust me buy it. Even if you have never read a manga before it may change your life. With its amazingly funny toilet humor and awsome well rounded characters. So just buy it, its a very quick read and very funny.

Tokyo Pop are know for quality, but GTO just blows every thing else away. The story is good, the art work is top class and it makes you laugh, but remains semi-believable. Tohru Fujisawa deserves so much respeck for both this and the rest of the GTO series. I would recommend this to everyone,I picked Vol. 1 up on a hunch and soon became a huge fan. If you like any manga and haven't read this you really have to. You will be left at the point you have to get (The 4-star rated by me and that's the worst!) Vol. 2. Get it now!

Great Teacher Onizuka, or GTO, for short, is one of the most popular mangas going, with over 37 million copies sold worldwide. I wouldn't really expect that, seeing as how it focuses on the life of a teacher. If you can imagine a cross between Marlon Brando as the Wild One and the beatnik attitude of Jack Kerouac along with the cool hipness of Japanese youth as a teacher. While being brillantly subversive, GTO succeeds as both entertainment and satire of the teaching establishment, much as Chaucer lampooned the Church in his Canterbury Tales.

Eikichi Onizuka is the 22 year old ex-leader of a biker gang who has found out that he's not going to be able to goof off his whole life. He has to find a job. Having a fetish for young girls in uniform, he decides to become a teacher. He finds out that his impulsive decision is going to take a lot more courage than he thought. This first volume is basically his origin story as he is disappointed by his dreams of becoming something great and having to reevaluate his life as he begins his teacher training. It also begins a pattern that will continue in the following books, namely that he has to use his wits to escape the plots of hateful students and a vice-principal who would like nothing more than to fire him.

This book was great. What can I say? If you are a teacher, you'll really get a kick out of seeing a cartoon character fulfill your wishes. Who doesn't want to karate kick their bonehead students sometimes? While Onizuka's attraction to high school girls seems lurid, we find out that he becomes overwhelmed with trying to help his students rather than wanting to seduce them in the end. I think it's just a Japanese thing to be attracted to girls in school uniforms. I think anyone with a sense of humor and semi-lewdness would find these manga entertaining and funny. I would especially recommend it to teachers.

I can't help it I just love those gundam boys....though this was a little confusing... i got it in time....

Every Anime fan who wonders what happened to the characters before the series when it isn't completely covered, want a book or movie that explains it all to sate that thirst for more information. Every single book lover has that too. And this is that book for Gundam fans who have seen the series and want that tiny bit of information left out of the original series.

In this book, the childhood tales of all the main characters: The five Gundam Pilots and Relena plus many more. As the deaths of the comrades and friends of the pilots bring them to grief, it brings them closer to being the deadly people who have virtually nothing to loose, and that makes them even more dangerous.
This book is what really shapes the series, besides the movie "Endless Waltz," which I highly reccommend, and it gives the human side of the characters who are slightly vague in the series. The series was excellent and this completes the story.
Two Thumbs up!

This book is the only Official Manga of Gundam Wing. It was not incorporated into the episodes so it was made in a manga format.
It answers all of your questions about the 49 episodes and Endless Waltz. The price is good so its a good buy.

this book is good for any fan(like me). it tells the tale of all the gundam boys' pasts. the only problem is that its got Relena's story and i dont give a damn about her. plus it leaves you with this story that takes place after End Walts but all in all it's a good book but buy End Walts with it couse this leaves out some stuff.

This is an awsome manga! When I first started to read this, I thought,"Okay, so another great manga to read!" but I was far off from what should have been said. It's more than great! I really can't describe it in actual words... The eyes, among the other various places hard to draw on the face in manga style, are incredibly detailed. The artist took a lot of time making things just perfect, and it really shows. The emotion of Mobile Suit Fighter GUNDAM Wing: Episode Zero is unbelievable, and the bishounen (Pretty Boys, you know, what girls consider sexy) will keep even girls reading. There are a bunch of different stories in this book, explaining Duo Maxwell, Hiro Yui, Trowa Barton, and others pasts up to the beginning of GUNDAM Wing. If you like GUNDAM Wing, or any of the GUNDAM series (or just great art), pick up this book; it's worth a read or two!!!

The first time that I flipped through this book, it affirmed what
I already like about this comic strip, which is one of my favouritie comic strips out there. Heart Lamarr's daily antics always have a way of making me laugh. In fact, "Heart of the City" is usually the first comic strip that I read when I get "The Toronto Star" every day during the work week. In closing, keep up the good work Mr. Mark Tatulli; and I hope to see another "Heart of the City" comic strip book sometime in the near future.

I found this comic in the internet and became a daily reader. During my last holiday in the USA I finally had to buy the book. Heart is an amazing girl, full of energy, ideas and she definitely shoots her strait to your heart. It is fun sharing her life and meeting her friends Kat and Dean. - Get to know how a Karli doll subdues Darth Maul. Find yourself in the middle of Karli dolls' weddings, at school, in the theatre or simply see Heart dressed up. Buy the book and become a part of Heart's world!!! Buy it today!!!

I haven't felt this way about a comic strip since the day I saw the very first Calvin and Hobbes. This is truly a magical, wonderful strip! My local papers don't carry it, but I saw it in a bookstore, and after reading only a few pages, knew I had found something truly wonderful. I had to force myself to only read a few pages at a time, since I wanted it to last as long as possible. The writer has truly captured the innoncence and imagination of that age of life like no one has since Bill Watterson gave us Calvin and Hobbes. I eagerly await another book! :)

I recently stumbled across "Heart of the City" at my local library. After a few pages in, I fell in love with it. There are obvious tangents towards Calvin and Hobbes in the style (Heart's mom looks like a more cartoonish version of Calvin's mom), humor and comic timing as well as Baldo (Heart reminded me a lot of Baldo's younger sister both in looks and personality). It doesn't matter to me though that it has a very similar look and feel to Calvin and Hobbes because it's good in its own right.

Right at the onset, the characters are well developed with distinct personalities that are all equally lovable. I especially liked the Star Wars nut, Dean. (I also loved Heart's picking apart Episode 1, extremely accurate too!) The style is just right. It's cartoonish enough to get great exaggerated expressions on the characters and feeling much more alive than many of the rotten comic strips filling up newspapers nowadays (Zits and Fox Trot notwithstanding).

I was shocked to find this book was published in 2000 and here I am finding out about it in mid-2003. Heart of the City is such a great comic strip that I'm surprised it isn't bigger than it is. Congratulations Mark Tatulli, you've made this 26 year old guy a fan of a little girl named Heart.

What a CHARMING little comic strip!!! But it's so sad it isn't printed anywhere except in this nifty little book that I suddenly came upon at my college bookstore. Drawn in this adorable, whimsical cartoony style rather like Calvin and Hobbes (ooh...how I HATE imitations, but this seems to work here), it's all about a very spunky little girl who likes to dress up, play make-believe, dance in a glittery pink tutu and ragged stockings, bawl at sad movies on the tube, and tease her divorced mom about getting another man! Very girlish, yet it's got plenty of wit and a very insightful view about what it's like to be a single young mother living by herself with an very imaginative child and her hyperactive buddies in the very middle of a city as well as those terrific movie take-offs (especially of Star Wars) featuring our plucky young heroine in her famous demin bonnet and ballerina slippers!

My 8 yr old son checked this out of the library two days ago and has barely let it out of his grasp since! Including when his 6 yr old brother tried to yank it from him because it's "soo cool!" So far, the page he keeps turning to is how to make a marshmallow shooter out of PVC pipe. Guess we're heading to the hardware store this weekend! This is a perfect gift for a boy, any age really. I am going to buy a copy for him.

The content has been reviewed thoroughly (it's great, and well organized and fun to read). The book itself is on high quality, glossy colored thick paperstock. So not only is this a fun book for kids (and grown-up kids) to go back to time and time again, it should last for a long time.

I gave Howtoons to my 11 year old daughter for Christmas. She loves it, and it's a fantastic way to come up with active and interesting activities that don't involve a pile of imagination-crushing store-bought toys.

Her cousins have seen it, and they want their own copy too!

This book was recommended to me by a friend for my 9 year old son as a gift. Since he enjoys comic book, and enjoys making things (especially of it involves shooting objects), this was a real hit (no pun intended?). The stories are fun and the drawings well done. Very engaging and friendly, and has a universal rating. Highly recommended!

A nice guide for children nine years old and above.Adult supervision is recommended and the necessary materials are not supplied.A step in the right direction for all interested in chemistry.

The point-haired Boss is just like my REAL CEO.
The consultants hired by my company are really as cynical and expensive as Dogbert
...sometimes I had the feeling, Scott Adams worked in my office...

Amazing!

Highly recommended, at least for self-defense purposes!

Bought this as a Christmas gift for my teenage nephew, I think he has quite a collection now. He was very happy to get it. We are all Dilbert fans in our family!

I'm Not Anti-Business, I'm Anti-Idiot is a marvelous compilation book featuring more of Dilbert's trademark humor on a sometimes dreadful subject: work. While Dogbert schemes to cheat gullible people, Dilbert struggles with his overly incompetent boss, and Alice is working around the clock on pointless tasks. This book also introduces Asok the intern. So join your favorite Dilbert characters on this oddessy through futile projects, idiotic management, and sarcastic co-workers.

One of scott's best books ever. I could not stop laghing. BUY THIS BOOK

There is a reason that many workplaces ban Dilbert cartoons- they are just too darn close to the truth. I've lost track of the number of times that I've laughed myself silly after finding one of his cartoon arcs describing some experience in my own working career.

In his biography, Scott Adams is described as both an engineer and as a member of Mensa. Inspite of this, however, he has a sense of humor....

I'm sure that this confirmation of the absurdity of corporate "culture" has helped more than a few intelligent wage-slaves maintain their sanity over the years. It almost maintained mine.

This volume is exceptional, just like all the other ones. A lot of mysteries are solved in this book but some other mysteries pop up too. I suggest you buy this book... you won't regret it.

this is a great kids book! very romantic and alot of koge donbo cuteness! I luv it! although, isnt it weird how karin doesnt realize kirika is evil? maybe she doesnt realize because shes failing school!
still the cutest manga ever!

I really love Kamichama Karin. I've collected the whole set. I kind of recommend older mature kids to read it, like from 12+. Let's just say that volumes 3 and 6 are kind of, ahem, ODD. I shall not tell you what oddness it is, as I do not want to be a spoiler. But overall, Kamichama Karin is a super funny story!!

OK, I love this series! Spoilers ahead! This book introduces the weirdest character in any manga I've EVER read: Micchi hate 'im. He introduces him self to the class, and on the way to his seat, hears Karin's name, gives her a kiss on the cheek. He's apparently heard of her before. Then, he hears Kazune's name and gives him a kiss on the lips (a random girl: must..e-mail..everyone!). He then starts flirting with Karin relentlessly, despite the fact that she hates it. Once, he grabs her, despite her protests, and gives Kazune a mysterious look, along the lines of "hey, look, I can hug her. Ha,ha." Could Kazune like Karin? The book ends with him pinning down Kazune, saying that he owes him a favor. Hmm... I love the romantic tension and fights!! ;P

As far as the plot goes, Kamichama Karin is a rather generic 'magical girl' story- an ordinary girl suddenly gains magic powers (wowie zowie!) and is forced to fight evil. Sound familiar?
All the characters seem, at first glance at least, to be nothing more than flat archetypes. There's the kind, sweet, motherly girl; the mean, rude, expert fighter guy; the nauseatingly 'normal' girl (the main character, of course); the dashing, polite, gorgeous male love interest; the wisecracking cute mascot. Yes, they're all here.
Not helping matters is the incredibly poor dialogue. For some reason, the translators felt obliged to pump it full of incredibly irritating slang at bizarre moments. This is especially strange-sounding when you realise that half the cast consists of wealthy kids who probably would have been brought up to be extremely polite.
However, even with all of its faults, Kamichama Karin is quite entertaining. It is genuinely funny at times (although the later volumes seem to be less so), and there really are some really heartwarming bits. And it's cute. Good grief, is it cute. I practically had a heart attack while reading the extra chapter in volume 3. Kamichama Karin was drawn by cuteness expert Koge-Donbo (of Di Gi Charat fame), and it shows.
In short, the plot is only okay, while there is some humour and general 'warm fuzzy feeling'-ness. And it's very, very, very cute.

This book stands as the best introduction to one of the best comic strips ever produced. Not only is it packed with hard to find "Krazy Kat" strips, but it also includes a biography of the artist, George Herriman. Some consider Herriman the first African-American mainstream cartoonist. His colleagues didn't know his ethnicity (and Herriman didn't tell them) so some called him "the Greek". He felt he had to hide some of his features from the public. For example, he kept his very curly hair closely cut and hidden under a hat. Not only that, his birth certificate shows his parent's ethnicity as "colored". The prejudices of the time likely would not have allowed an African-American the mainstream status and freedom allowed to George Herriman. So through "Krazy Kat" we get a glimpse of what early 20th century American culture may have missed out on due to its racial myopia. For "Krazy Kat" stands as an absolute masterpiece of its genre.

Herriman found some modicum of fame in his lifetime. William Randolph Hearst (the newspaper magnate) loved Herriman's work and rewarded him with a lifetime contract (according to the biography in the book, Hearst once read a "Krazy Kat" Sunday page and immediately demanded a raise for the artist). Herriman's success didn't come quickly, however. His first big break came in 1897 with the sale of a sketch to the Los Angeles Herald. Around 1901 he landed his first job as a "Staff Cartoonist" (a person who literally reported to the office every day and rattled off strip after strip; very different from today's cartoonists). Between 1901 and 1916 Herriman penned numerous strips (the book includes samples of many of these strips - many in color), including: "Musical Mose" (this strip's overt racial humor would not fly today), "Professor Otto and His Auto", "Acrobatic Archie", "Two Jolly Jackies", "Major Ozone's Fresh Air Crusade", "Home Sweet Home", "Baron Mooch", "Mary's Home From College", "Gooseberry Sprig" (considered to be a direct forerunner to "Krazy Kat"), "Alexander the Cat", "Daniel and Pansy", and finally, in 1910, "The Dingbat Family" (which changed its name briefly to "The Family Upstairs"; it was Herriman's first hit). It was in a "Dingbat Family" strip in 1910 that a mouse first "beaned" a "Kat" with a projectile (in the "running boards" of the strip). Eventually the Kat and mouse sideshow surpassed the main strip's popularity, and "Krazy Kat" debuted as a daily in October 1913 (the famous Sunday pages began in 1916). Herriman kept experimenting with other strips through 1923 when he finally placed his focus squarely on "Krazy Kat".

From roughly 1913 to 1944 (when Herriman passed away leaving a week's worth of unfinished Krazy Kat's on his drawing table) "Krazy Kat" developed from a "Kat" and mouse game (filled with puns, misunderstandings, and musings on the imperfections of language) into a complex love triangle between Krazy (the "Kat"), Ignatz (the mouse) and Offisa Pupp (the dog). Ignatz's entire being revolves around "beaning" the "Kat" with a brick, and Krazy interprets this as an act of love (unbeknownst to Ignatz). Offisa Pupp loves Krazy (in a fatherly sort of way) and his obsession revolves around catching Ignatz in the act and jailing him. Three obsessions collide in an almost jazz-style derivation of themes. Herriman developed this theme brilliantly over 30 years of strips. But overall it defies analysis: the strip can only speak for itself.

Sadly, though "Krazy Kat" counted such dignatiries as e.e. cummings, George Gershwin, Gilbert Seldes, James Joyce, and other literati, as fans, its popularity waned dramatically throughout the 1930s (as it became more surreal, esoteric and unabashedly uncommercial). It was kept in print by Hearst himself. The book does not cover the frustration of Hearst editors at the inclusion of the strip in their papers. They rebelled against it in some cases. Many simply tried to remove it from circulation only to find Hearst himself yelling "keep it in!" So we have, of all people, the controversial William Randolph Hearst to thank for the continuation of "Krazy Kat". By the end of its run "Krazy Kat" only appeared in some 30 papers.

The main focus of this book lies in its numerous incredible strips. The book includes daily strips (most dating from 1938 to 1944) and Sunday pages (dating from 1916 to 1944 with some in color; it also includes both the first and last Sunday pages). If one reason exists to purchase this book, here it is. The strips retain their amazing character even after decades of aging. And the artwork remains astounding. Not only that, the book includes samples of hand colored drawings of Herriman's, and photos of Herriman and his family. All in all, this book opens the door on one of the comic strip medium's most celebrated strips. Those that get hooked should continue thier obsessions (in the true spirit of Krazy, Ignatz, and Offisa Pupp) with the Fantagraphics' series of Sunday pages, and the Pacific Comics club's reprints of daily strips. Someday every Krazy Kat strip Herriman drew will finally appear in printed form. We can hope, at least.

This is a wonderful book for Krazy Katz fans to own. It is large, colorful and very informative on one of Americas great cartoonists. The delivery through Amazon was fast and effortless. The book, a treasure to own. Worth the lower price through Amazon.

This is what all popular art forms should be. A social commentary as love poem. And poem this is. There is very little that someone can write about the Krazy experience without treading in the same terran as this wonderful book. This is were your Krazy love afair begins. And unlike Ignatz you don't show your love with a brick.

This is a wonderful introduction to George Herriman's great comic strip Krazy Kat that ran for several decades in the early twentieth century. This introduction provides biographical background to Herriman's art, a survey of some of his influences, and a very healthy dose of Krazy Kat panels, both color and black & white. It also discusses the way that Krazy Kat became a cultural phenomenon, easily one of the most highly regarded comics of the century, and permeating many other arts as well.

The Krazy Kat strip is utterly insane, surreal stuff. Here is the premise: Krazy Kat (who is usually female but is sometimes apparently male) is in love with Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz loathes Krazy, and to prove it konstantly kreases that kat's krown with a brick. Incredibly, Krazy sees this as proof of Ignatz's affection, and falls even more deeply in love (many panels show hearts rising from Krazy's heart when she is hit by one of Ignatz's bricks). Officer Pup, the town constable, is in love with Krazy and frequently throws Ignatz into jail for hitting Krazy, which causes Krazy to pine for her would-be lover. This is merely the barest sketch of this weird and wild world. The town of Concocino is populated by a host of equally outrageous characters, though the focus continually comes back to the three principals.

Though even the most recent of these strips are over sixty years old, Krazy Kat has stood up magnificently over the years. Part of the reason surely lies with Herriman's enormous gifts as an illustrator. The Sunday strips in particular are things of great beauty, with the frames arcing around the page in spectacular designs of considerable innovation and complexity. The content of the comics reflects a genuine wit and substantial intelligence, while the bizarre love triangle possesses endless possibilities for both humor and pathos. This truly is one of the most unique comics in the history of the medium, and even those who do not usually respond to the genre are apt to find this enormously entertaining.

When I noticed that many of my favourite cartoonists have said that Herriman's 'Krazy Kat' is the greatest comic strip ever, I decided I should check it out. It didn't take long before I agreed with them.

George Herriman is one of those rare individuals who genuinely deserves to be called a genius. That's a word that gets thrown around a little too casually perhaps, but in Herriman's case it is almost an understatement.

He was a brilliantly inventive artist, but his writing is what really sets him apart. A lot of the dialogue is written phonetically in bizarre dialects, a tricky thing to do, but he uses it to great effect.

Whereas space restrictions force cartoonists today to avoid using more words than is necessary, Herriman would often use a lot more, and much of the pleasure of reading 'Krazy Kat' comes from the sheer virtuosity with which Herriman uses language.

That a comic strip could be as funny, as intellectually stimulating, and as beautiful to look at as 'Krazy Kat' seems to me to be some kind of miracle. This book is a great introduction to Herriman and his work. There's a generous helping of 'Krazy Kat' strips, as well as some of Herriman's other work. Anyone who loves comics should have it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.