Cartoons Books

I never knew quite where Engima was going to take me until I was finished with it. At times I was confused -- hell, most of the time I was confused. I worried that it would become too preachy or philosophical to be enjoyable; I worried it would fall into randomness and end without making sense; I worried it would fall victim to awkward stereotypes. It did none of these things.

Enigma is a fantastic story, dark and twisted. The art reflects this well; it may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it's fitting enough that it shouldn't be a problem for almost anyone once they get into the story.

The characters begin simply, and through the events of the story grow three-dimensional so that you can't help but care for them. The villains are twisted and fantastic: Envelope Girl especially is a favorite of mine, though she overall isn't entirely important as a character.

Michael is a twenty-something nobody whose life continues every week in such a repetitive way that it could only be called obsessive compulsive; he wears his underwear according to the days of the week and only has sex on Tuesdays. His world is shaken when the first villain appears, and soon he realizes that they're from a three-issue comic he loved as a child. Titus is the creator of the comic, an older, gay man who was too stoned while writing it to make sense of it himself, though he's praised as a prophet by a group of youths called the Enigmatics. And there's the Enigma himself, alternately loved and hated by the populace of the city he more or less protects, and properly enigmatic himself. And the narrator -- an omnipresent voice with an all-encompassing knowledge of the story, full of scorn and contempt for those he tells the story and for the characters within, withholding knowledge and becoming, as he does so, a well-developed character himself.

And the ending -- the ending is perfect. You may be unsure of the story all the way until then, but the ending wraps it all together, fits every piece into place without a space between. Fantastic.

I attempted to read Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo's ENIGMA series back in 1993 and gave up about halfway through it, seeing it as an indulgent mess that would leave me with no explanations as to what was going on. When the trade was released in 1995, I read the whole thing and was annoyed that a story with so many angles would seemingly just boil down to an issue of the main character's sexuality. Forward to 2007: I pick up the trade during a rebirth of my interest in Vertigo books, read it in one day, and am amazed. I finally got it. Yes, ENIGMA does place a heavy emphasis on sexual preference, but it's so much more.

Michael Smith's routine life is shattered by the arrival of the Enigma, a superhero from his childhood. Battling such bizarre foes as the Head, the Truth, Envelope Girl, and the Interior League (my personal favorites, like something from Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol), it is apparent to Michael that the lines between fantasy and reality are blurring, and clues lead him to believe that he is somehow responsible. Michael tracks down the comic's creator, Titus Bird, and the two of them work to reveal the Enigma's identity and how he came to be. In turn, the Enigma helps Michael to discover quite a number of things about himself, but ultimately, this is a story postulating how four-color superheroes could exist in the "real world". Let's face it... if real people had superpowers, they likely wouldn't dress in garish costumes and speak in purple prose, so how could this happen? Your answer is here.

Milligan's story is excellent, now that I finally got my head around it (gee, it only took me 14 years). There's not one boring bit in the entire book, and the narration is excellent, providing just the right amount of "gotcha" at the conclusion. Fegredo's art is spectacular, as always, with every person and object carefully rendered. A perfect team for a perfect book!

I'm an avid reader of both comics and novels, and must say this is definitely one of, if not The best, graphic novels I've read thus far. Although the artwork is a bit scratchy, it quickly fits in with the mood of the story and even adds to the effect. The story itself deals with many interesting psychological and personal topics including homosexuality, responsibility, disillusionment, and the frailty of the human mind. The characters each have their own quirky, unusual backgrounds that will stimulate your brain cells and draw you into the tale, such as the average joe who was tranformed into a mind-devouring monster after a short chat with a dead lizard. And as you can probably tell by now, this book does have its quirks, so be prepared for a truly unique read.

My problem with this comic is that I really could never like this iper realistic drawing style which boast every single line fo people faces so that even those supposed to be very good looking (Enigma himself and the model Victoria Yes) look deformed.
It was a deliberate choice of course, I simply do not share it.

This booklet is self contained and tells us the story of an average straight boy leading a very average life meeting the -male- hero from the comics he used to read as a child.
The idea fo a comic about a comic is not bad and brings forth some fairly interesting issues: identity, sexual identity, children mistreatment, etc.
I was not overwhelmed by enthusiasm but other people might be.

A lot of gore and some topics (nudity and mild gay sex among them) make this booklet unsuitable for minors.

Brilliant comic with a great twist at the end. Very underated from Vertigo's early days. Offbeat characters like Envelope Girl and Titus Bird bring this book to life paying homage to 70's whacked out comics world. Enjoy! and then what?

In the anals of literature, no work can penetrate the "Swell." The author probes lovingly at the reader's traditional notions of fair play and justice. Driving the reader to near climax of nose-regurgitating humor, Mr. Henderson will often retreat leaving the reader panting for more. I hold this novel in my bosom and caress it lovingly. I am in awe and spendor, pure rhapsody.

This book reminds me of things I secretly wish I could do in real life. If you ever get stranded on a desert island and can only take one book with you...it should probably be about survival, or how to build a raft, or something like that. But if you can bring two books, then take this one, too. For people who like their humor very smart, I find it hard to think of much else that's anywhere near this funny.

I love the messed-up characters, and the humor in this book. It's funny, twisted, and filled with obscene jokes and social commentary. If everyone tells you that you have a "weird" sense of humor, the you should definitely check this out. Pure genius.

(from the book)

"Dwayne and Laquisha live in low income housing near a 70-year-old wall.  If rain falls at a rate of two inches per hour, and the wall is 15 feet high, how long will it take FEMA to intentionally blow the levee and redevelop the land into high priced condominiums ?"

"That wasn't one of the questions, Cupcake."

"Why not ?  What are you hiding ?"

A friend of mine had a copy of this book on his desk at work, and I started laughing hysterically when I flipped through it; I ordered a copy for myself. "Everything Is Swell" takes an intelligent and witty look at modern life; it's idiotic, intelligent, and frequently profane. Sort of like a cross between "Life In Hell" by Matt Groening, and "Red Meat" by Max Cannon. Hilarious in an insane, criminal sort of way...you won't be disappointed.

This is the second year I have used this as my desk calendar at work. I love it. It makes me laugh all the time and it has just enough room to keep track of dinner dates or appointments.

Good desk calendar; it's fun to relive some of the classic Get Fuzzy strips.

I received the calendar within a couple of days of my placing the order. The service is great and I love to read my daily cartoon.

My daughter loves day by day calendars & Get Fuzzy. It was a perfect match

"Get Fuzzy" is the current reigning champion of comic strips. Anyone with pets (or who loves animals) can appreciate the inter-species conflicts and hilarity in this comic strip (I particularly enjoy Bucky's attempts at world domination and related ventures.) Here, as in years past, some of the best strips have been put together in calendar form to ensure that everyone can have a bit of humor in their daily lives.

I can't imagine not having this calendar in my house; it's always a great way to start the day. Many of these strips are so good that I have cut them out and saved them or sent them to other animal lovers in my life, while the remaining pages become great for scratch paper.

This is a great calendar and I highly recommend it to anyone.

The "Introducing..." series is quite uneven: there are some great books in it, but also some very dull ones. In general, books about authors are good, since they can combine the life of the writers with part of their stories. I love the one about Proust and the one about Camus; those about Joyce and Tolkien weren't so good on the other hand. The one about Kafka is one of the best, and this is due in no small part to the drawings of author Robert Crumb, who was able to bring to life (sorry about the cliche) Kafka's perverted imagination (yes, perverted is the right word) as probably few other artists would. Strongly recommended.

INTRODUCING KAFKA is a great way to enjoy R. Crumb artwork without feeling slimed by his unfortunate obsessions with perversity, and you will learn a lot about the life of the very famous author named Kafka, too.

Most of the pages have more space given to the artwork than the body text, drawn in the typical R. Crumb style, cute with edgy content.

Overall, after reading this book, I realized that I no longer am interested in the type of work done by Kafka, which is story writing that is VERY depressive and dreary, though imaginative.

I used to be a much more involved reader of R. Crumb, but I have since lost interest in his pornography overloads, so this INTRODUCING KAFKA book is a nice little souvenir of R. Crumb that I can safely keep in the house, without fear of upsetting anybody if they should ever find it.

There is very mild "adult" content in R. Crumb's artwork, especially mild compared to R. Crumb's independent, anything goes, usual work.

This book is a perfect fit for a biography of oddball author Kafka, presented and illustrated with R. Crumb work, doing a rare, non-offense project, for most mainstream readers' sensibilities.

Crumb was definitely the perfect illustrator for this book. Wow! The stories are "broken down" and visually interpreted, which really enriches the reading experience of the actual stories later (if you choose to do so). Overall, a very interesting look inside the life of a mysterious, dark-minded writer that most people don't know too much about. I'm really glad I read this book, I learned a lot!

For those who came to look at/buy this book via Ian Buruma's passing mention in the New York Review of Books (4/6/06), in which he states the "the book does [Crumb and Kafka] both a disservice": Don't believe it. As another reviewer said, I found this book strangely moving; and the Illustrated Classics reference is unfortunate. The enforcement - sometimes passive - of the high-low cultural dichotomy is very boring, very 20th-century, and not of much use in reading a book like this.

I dug this book and I recommend it to everyone out there. Fans of Kafka and/or Crumb should really enjoy this.

I recall the first time I read Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", I was in my early twenties. I really hated it. I didn't really get it, nor did I desire to spend any time and mental energy trying to get it. Then again, what do you expect from a twenty-five year old bachelor? Enlightment? Nah, think again. Come to think of it, the only reason I read it in the first place was to impress some girl I was dating at the time. Needless to say it was a challenge for me trying to stay awake while reading it. I mean for one thing, how in the hell are we supposed to get excited, let alone even interested, about some guy who wakes up one day only to find that he's transformed into a giant bug. YAWN! Anyway, I did finally finish the book, however that was the first and last time I dared to pick up a novel by Franz Kafka again. The guy was just too damn doleful and morose for my taste. If I want to be depressed I'll start watching daytime television.

So anyway, about three weeks ago I was checking out this used book store in San Luis Obispo and just so happened to come across this little book. Now I have to tell you up front that I have never been a huge fan of Mr. Crumb's salacious sketches. No doubt about it, the man is one talented artist, incredibly original and a unique innovator. However, like I said, he just doesn't quite do it for me personally. So the million dollar question is - 'why would I purchase this book if I am not a fan of either artist?' The answer is simply because I have been promising myself for a while now that I need to try and tackle Kafka one more time (after all, I am so much more enlightened, open-minded, & mature now than I was fifteen plus years ago. At least that's what I keep trying to convince myself, others, like my wife for example, may beg to differ with me). Ergo, I was hoping that this short, breezy bio would educate me a bit on this rather unconventional writer. Also, I enjoyed the fact that this book was designed to be a bit humorous as well (hence Crumb's irreverent illustrations). God knows that Kafka is depressing enough, so this bit of humor (the author David Mairowitz also deserves credit for this as well) certainly helps.

All in all, this turned out to be an excellent little read. It's not going to blow your mind. It's not abstract or esoteric by any stretch. However, it is interesting. It is a tad educational as well. To sum it all up in one cliche line - it's a clever, pithy, picturesque little bio that is sure to assist anyone who is brave and intelligent enough to tackle Franz Kafka.

Well written by David Zane Mairowitz. And of course the illustrations by Crumb are absolutely amazing and for him, very, very tame. PG-13 tame in fact. This is the first book of this introductory series I've read so far, I am definitely interested in checking out the others in the series real soon.

Enjoy!

To finally have a chance to see Windsor McCay's artwork as it was intended is the treat of a lifetime. The reproductions I've seen in the past reduce the size of the art like watching a 70mm film on a regular TV set.

Nothing is being produced like this anymore. McCay's talent is beyond amazing, it would take a normal artist months to produce one page like he was doing every week. The book is exhausting and I can only read a dozen pages at a time. These are exact reproductions of actual newsprint pages from the time so all the printing imperfections are here but that should not dissuade the appreciation of this comic.

If you are a true drawn art aficionado find the money for this. You will not regret it.

Beautiful book.A splendid example of the quality of book production possible to-day. As for Little Nemo, one does not need to be a New Yorker- or even an American-to appreciate the artistry involved.
Chris Hunt, Alnwick, UK

This is a wonderful book - any digital animator should start here. Some of the frames look like storyboards for the Lord of the Rings films. It is amazing that a work of art of this quality appeared in a popular newspaper - and reproducing it now, at full scale, was a true labor of love. Winsor McKay was a fantastic artist.

This is the most beautiful book I have ever seen. Having purchased the complete Little Nemo book series in the 1980's I really looked forward to finally being able to see this lovely comic in its original format. When the book arrived today I realised that it was even better than I had hoped for, extremely high quality and of impressive size.

The only drawback is that it does only contain a selection of the story, but I can always read the missing pages in the cheaper old edition. A big applaud for the publisher who dared produce this wonderfull piece of art.

Let's be honest: this book's not cheap. Is it worth the price tag? Without question or hesitation: yes. If you're even contemplating buying this book, I probably don't have to tell you how great the Little Nemo strip was. What you'll want to know is that this book will make you feel like you've never really seen Little Nemo until now. It is a magnificent, absolutely stunning book.

First of all, this book is huge. McCay's work is reproduced at its original size, which reveals his superb draftsmanship in all its glory. If you remember Little Nemo as lovely but kind of cramped, you're not going to believe how open and expansive the strips look here.

Secondly, the color reproduction is superb. I'll take the editor's word that a great deal of effort was expended to match McCay's original coloring directions. What I will say is that the colors here are vibrant without being garish. It's really unbelievable that such sophisticated color work comes from a strip that's a hundred years old. I don't think most newspapers today could pull this off.

You really have to see the book to appreciate how incredible it is. This really sets a standard against which the other collections I've seen fall far short. If you can swing the price, you won't be sorry. You might, however, have a hard time finding a place to store it!

I've never written a review of a book before (at least I don't think I have), but I just had to lay down my feelings about my favorite comic strip series. The whole anti-humor is a bit confusing to me as I don't think I've ever laughed as hard at a comic strip as with the "Jim" strips. Maybe the anti-humor thing comes from the refreshing lack of cynicism.

Jim's life feels real -- it's like watching another person's life unfold with all of their personal thoughts out in the open. You become attached to Jim as he goes through his mundane daily activities. The humor, weirdness and sadness in Jim's life resonates more because you feel you are connecting to a real person rather than some wise-ass talking cat.

If you like 'Pathetic Geek Stories' and 'Life in Hell' you'll love this book. If you can't find the collection make sure to pick up the five individual books offered on Amazon.

I fell in love with Jim in college. One night, several years later, he popped into my head. I got out of bed and started looking up Jim's Journal on the internet. When I found this book, I was ecstatic!! It was so great to read some of my favorites that I remember from college.

Also, if you're a cat-lover, Jim provides some poignant, yet hilarious, reflections on owning a cat.

We all have a little bit of Jim in us.

Who is Jim? For ten years, readers of selected daily newspapers wondered that same thing. Even more, though, they wondered, "Why is Jim?"

"Jim's Journal" was a ten-year-running comic strip which revolved around some average guy living an average life. He had average friends, worked average jobs, and did pretty much less than you or I do on your slowest day. Only, Jim kept a journal, where he would write all about what he did.

"I made some brownies today," he would write. "They were pretty good."

"Mr. Peterson [Jim's cat] ran into the other room," would be another typical entry.

"Today, I took a nap. I woke up at 6 o'clock and wondered whether it was day or night."

And those were the punchlines. There were no jokes to speak of. Only snippets of a boring day. However, there was something redeemable about Jim... He was the pinnacle of Anti-Humor! He wasn't funny, he did nothing remarkable from day to day (although he did get married, in a three-strip special entry)... and yet, this collected edition of all the published "Jim's Journal" cartoons is tremendously difficult to find without paying a premium price, even though it is less than 10 years old!

Readers fall in love with Jim, despite himself.

I find this comic strip absolutely hilarious, as well as charming, poignant, life-like, and sometimes a little melancholy. College students will relate to many of Jim's mundane life experiences, but so will many others simply growing up and living day to day. Jim himself is definitely an observant little fellow, who quietly finds humor in the cliched, sometimes obnoxious sentences his surrounding workmates and friends constantly spew out: it's these moments within the strip where I can't stop laughing. Mostly, though, Jim relates more sober moments about walks, work, eating, his cat, daydreaming, sleeping, and the life and times of his handful of friends. Jim is just a normal guy who probably unconsciously holds back his real emotions in his journal, with the result that the other characters come across much clearer. Speaking of Jim's "handful of friends," here they are:

Tony: the funniest dude in the strip. Where Jim is quiet, Tony is louder and more obnoxous; where Jim simply observes life passively, this guy has an opinion about everything, and is sure to tell anyone within his path how he feels. Tony is famous for going through phases and boasting about how smart he is (drinking 6 glasses of water a day; collecting coupons to save money; attempting jobs to conquer the world, etc., etc.).

Steve: this guy also has his funny moments; he's kind of like a much less aggressive Tony, perhaps somewhere inbetween Jim and Tony in terms of personality. He has academic problems at first, but seems to eventually find his niche.

Ruth: Jim meets Ruth at McDonalds, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ruth is cheery, fun-loving, somewhat non-descript, and sort of in the background most of the time, even when she's hanging around with the rest of the crew.

Also of note is Mark, Joel, Julie and Hal, all workmates of Jim, and all very distinct personalities.

It's hard to say who would latch onto Jim's Journal and who wouldn't, but I know I liked it from the very beginning.

If you haven't heard of Jim's journal and you ended up here because as a fan of the Onion you wanted to see what Scott Dikkers once did, then you're in for a pleasant (or unpleasant time) people are completely polarized by Jim - either you love the strip or you hate it. I love Jim. Don't bother buying any of the single collections when you can own the whole Jim Treasury. Also included in this book (and missing from the other stand alone books i.e. I got married, I made some brownies) is an introduction for each of these books in the collection. Plus you get various insight into the characters and strip from Dikkers in some revealing passages that are both laugh out loud funny and kind of sad. If you are a fan of meta comedy - i.e. comedy that is funny because it is done in such a blank fashion that its hard not to laugh - if only for the absurdity of the whole thing - then this book is for you. If the idea of a comic strip where the punchline for a strip is "when I woke up from my nap I was even more tired than I was before" leaves you scratching your head - then you should probably buy some Marmaduke or Garfield. Maybe a collection of Hagar the Horrible would be best. On the other hand, if you like things that don't always make sense - buy this book. You'll love it.

This is the definitive review of the lovably subversive Rat Fink, the iconic mascot of Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth.
This history of Rat Fink (along with some of his cohorts) evokes the heyday of Ed Roth and the Kustom Kulture he inspired.
Rat Fink personified the 'Anti-Disney' take on the world, popular among social outlaws (of the time) including hot rodders, bikers, and even skateboarders and surfers.
Never serious, but a sincere rebel, R. F. maintained his macabre sense of humor, which endeared him to his devotees, and confused the citizens not in on the joke.

A great book for Ed Roth fans. Very nicely done. I would also get Ed "Big Daddy" Roth: His Life, Times, Cars, and Art for even nicer pictures. Long live Big Daddy!

The various individuals involved with this great man truly did him well by this book. It has motivated me to get out my mack stripers and get some! I'm even pinstriping my toilet seats, anything I can get my hands on! Some great stories and from a truly personal perspective. Great pics to go w/stories too!

Book was in excellent condition. Speedy delivery. Thanks so much.

growing up in the 50's and 60's i can remember many of ed roths creations from custom autos to his wild artwork. this book is just packed with everything. its a joy to read and look at no matter what your age. its worth every penny and much more. dont think about it......buy it!

Red and Rover has become one of my favorite comic strips. They are an adorable pair and they make me smile. It's a simple and heartfelt relationship that is a great escape from today's world. This collection tells of how the two meet and the title really says it all, it's all about a time and a feeling - one that we all wish we were a part of.

This is a wonderful little book. There is a warmth of emotion shared between animal and human that I just love. A great read and I'll enjoy it over and over again.

I first heard of Red and Rover in our newspaper, just after my dog passed away. I miss my dog so much and Red and Rover remind me of the relationship I had with my dog. That comic strip was like a gift from Heaven for me. Even on my worst day, just reading Red and Rover would put a smile on my face. When I learned there was a book about Red and Rover, I ordered it right away. When I received the book, I could not put it down! It makes me laugh out loud and makes me happy. Brian Basset should be congratulated on creating Red and Rover and showing us that this world can be a happier place just by the simple things in life...like a boy and his dog and their wonderful adventures together. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys life, and especially for anyone who has shared their life with a dog!

There is nothing better than a comic strip to take your mind of work for a while, and Red & Rover accomplish thisw task with flying colors... One of the best since Calvin and Hobbes

If Red and Rover doesn't give you the warm fuzzies, you must be a cat person. This collection of comics is so sweet and adorable, you just want to give it a hug. The simple retro-style artwork perfectly matches this nostalgic story of a young boy with NASA aspirations and a dog who would follow him to the moon and back. These faithful companions are joined by Martin, Red's terrible teen brother and their parents. If you ever had a canine best friend when you were growing up, this book will definitely bring back memories.

Do you like adventure books? If you do here's a book. Bone is a great book. Phoney Bone and his cousin Smiley Bone have a Rat creature cub. They go up to the Mountains and try to let it go. But they run into two other Rat creaatures. Will they make it away? Read to find out. Recommended for all cartoon lovers.

We have been patiently awaiting the release of what appears to be another printing of this book. My 8 year old really doesn't like to read...except for the Bone Series. I haven't read them yet but my 12 year old likes them also. I'm just happy to find something he will willingly read. Thank you Jeff Smith!

I have the other four Bone books and they are all in color and have Bone volume_ in the title. Is this book in the same series and in color or do I just have newer or older versions of these graphic novels. I love these books and i just want to know the answer to this question so I don't make a bad buy off Amazon.

Thanks...

"Rock Jaw: Master Of The Eastern Border" is the fifth volume in the nine volume Bone series, which makes it the halfway point. Once again Jeff Smith has done an excellent job of blending humor, mystery and fantasy to create a great tale of adventure

This volume is one great chase sequence, following Fone and Smiley in their adventure where they try to return Bartleby (The Rat Cub) to his people. Along the way they meet the two outcast Rat Creatures, Rock Jaw, an unusual group of orphans, the possum kids, and Kingdok and his Rat Creature followers. Smith is ingenious in mixing in dialogue that advances the overall adventure, with the action of the chase. We learn more about Thorn, the history of the area, and other aspects of the story, even though Thorn, Rose, Lucius, and Phoney don't appear at all.

bone rocks its funny romantique and there's a new adventures adventure in evty onE

When Wrath isn't looking, shoot it in the head.

With that, and other maxims from the acclaimed mercenary handbook, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Pirates, intrepid Captain Tagon blasts off with his crew of misfits in their first collection. This is one of the most clever, funny, and well written comics in recent memory and this collection is the perfect way to enjoy it. With lots of value added features, Under New Management is great value for the money.

Great read from one of my favourite webcomic authors. Nicely printed and lots of interesting bonus content.

All right. The title might sound over the top, but Schlock Mercenary DID change my life in a very real way. Before I found Schlock Mercenary, I thought that all web comics were terrible. Schlock Mercenary opened my eyes to a new world of entertainment, and now I read webcomics every week.

Schlock Mercenary is my homepage.

That said, Schlock Mercenary is a masterfully constructed story. Howard has managed to create a captivating cast of characters that cover every role in a sci-fi mercenary unit. This allows him to tell entertaining stories from every possible point of view. The story is riveting and honest, in it's own bizzare way.

And did I mention FUNNY?

I've been a regular reader of the online strip Schlock Mercenary - if you aren't, you really owe it to yourself to start reading - and finally getting my hands on a print version was a long awaited joy.

For the unfamiliar, Schlock Mercenary follows the mercenary combat Tagon's Toughs as they gleefully resort to violence on behalf of the highest bidders across the Galaxy. The story is smart, coherent, action-packed without being graphic and consistently funny. Schlock Mercenary is also very family friendly without being dumbed-down or banal. The book is a very high quality item, with glossy pages and many extras for the reader - the margins are filled with early concept art and the visual evolution of the artist's designs, and including the footnote commentary to selected strips. As a bonus, there is a short origins story that is not available online, existing only in this book collection.

This is a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf.

Howard Tayler is producing great work in the comic medium for the SF genre.

He offers science fiction hard enough to please the SF purists and technophiles but like any good comic artist puts his engaging plot first. He leads readers through an interesting setting populated with delightful characters and lays the final touches to a foundation for a surprisingly intricate plot in this volume.

It's unique. It's hilarious. Stuff blows up.