Cartoons Books

I have been a faithful FoxTrot reader for years. Roger, Andy and their kids Peter, Paige and Jason are always good for a reality check with a large dose of laughter. I've got two girls and let me tell you, I see a lot of my kids in Paige with, I believe, even a healthy dose of Jason thrown in. And they have Peter's bottomless stomach. Of course, they're faithful FoxTrot readers too. I used to read the strip to them, explain what was going on, but now they get it just fine and we three all laugh together. Then my girls try and explain the strip to their dad, who pretends he doesn't get it.

The FoxTrot folks are a great family, one we sort of got used to checking up on every day, so we took the news that Mr. Amend was going to cease daily distribution of his wonderfully funny people and turn his strip to Sunday only, with a bit of sadness. Still, we have these terrific FoxTrot books to keep us going with our FoxTrot fix. Mr. Amend is to be commended for his great gift to our culture and his great gift to so many lives. I truly believe a laugh a day, helps keep the blues away and the FoxTrot gang are always good for a laugh. Heck there are a lot of laughs in the FoxTrot books. I know, I have them all and I am, along with my girls and my hubby dear, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, we don't have an iguana, but my girls do have a pet gecko and, you guessed it, his name is Quincy.

I've been a Foxtrot reader for a long time and personally I think there is something suspiciously wrong with people who don't find Bill Amend's characters funny as all get out. If you want a good laugh, check out Bill in your local newspaper, or better yet, get one of the Foxtrot books. They are all great, really, they are.

Like many of Mr. Amend's fans I'm a bit disappointed he's switching his strip to Sunday-only, but fortunately I can still read him daily in the Foxtrot books. Get them one and all and you can keep right on a laughing.

Feeling a little down? Having a hard time laughing? Well, FoxTrot will cure you of that in no time! After all of these years, this comic strip is still able to make me laugh, make me smile and make me forget about my problems, even if it's just for a little bit. "The Return of the Lone Iguana" is a hilarious collection of FoxTrot strips that will have you laughing over and over again. With 128 pages filled with FoxTrot hilarity, this is a collection that will not disappoint.

Everything is fair game in the Fox Family. Jason continues to drive his sister insane with his various toy weapons and pet iguana. Peter is still doing essays at the last minute (literally!) and is driving his parents nuts with his loud music. And of course, Andy has to put up with her husband's stupidity and insanity. Yes, it is an ordinary day for the Fox Family.

In addition to the triumphant return (return?) of the Lone Iguana, you'll also get:

*Paige's mall trip with Peter*

*Jason's new internet*
*Peter's sick day from school*
*Jason's "The Far Side II"*
*Halloween with the Fox Family*
*Paige in a play*
*Thanksgiving: the meal of horrors*

and a whole lot more!

"The Return of the Lone Iguana" is a hilarious FoxTrot collection that does not disappoint for a single second. If you're a fan of the comic strip, then I highly recommend checking it out. If you have never read FoxTrot before... the more reason to check it out!

This is one of the best foxtrot books ever!! If you only want Foxtrot books that are worth raeding, this is one of them!!

This is one of the best Foxtrot books I've ever read! Quincy is my favorite character. Anyway this book mainly revolves around Jason and "The Lone Igunana" in the first few pages of the book, but I won't give anyanymore details. Hope you enjoy reading it, I sure did!

I can't imagine anyone reading this comic and not being inspired. Whenever I feel deflated I know that after a fix of Hothead all will be well in my world. I just pray that Diane Dimassa will shortly put us out of our misery with some further tales of Hothead. Chicken for president!!!

This book is a must for any earth inhabitant who feels like she/he doesn't belong. Hothead welcomes you into her world where "weirdoes" unite for peace and love. Feel the love, baby. Chicken rules!

Hothead is the person I would be if I weren't me! Diane di Massa is so brave and funny and insightful, that after one of those unbearable days, I come home and read about HH, and all that anger is channelled back into creativity. Buy this book!

What can I say that hasn't been said? Bodacious, salacious, outrageous, delicious. You don't have to be a lesbian to love this book either. Straight men should HAVE to read it-- they shouldn't have any more trouble identifying with Hothead than we've had identifying with all those "universal" straight, white, male, ablebodied, middle-class heroes! (Oh, that was sarcasm, btw...)

Hothead Paisan is not your two dimensional superhero, but superheroine she is. She boils all that is wrong with the world down to white guys who oppress everyone else. In a rage that has no equal she takes on the white male establishment with guns, grenades, chainsaws, baseball bats, and any other lethal weapon she can find. Spurred on by enormous doses of caffeine, this urban terrorist roams the city as the body count goes ever higher. Her holy rage is beautifully counterpointed by her cat Chicken, her blind friend Roz, and a deity in a table lamp that calls herself Donna Summer. These three try to bring love and peace to Hothead's tortured soul. The illustrations perfectly portray the highly emotive Hothead and her range of feelings. This second volume contains #s 10-18 of the comix and a 22 page introduction to people who don't have the first volume. But why settle for part when you can have the Complete Hothead Paisan (#s 1-21) published by Cleis Press in 1999?

I wanted a fun haggadah for a very mixed family passover (ages and religious background) and this one was PERFECT. It had great pictures and some of the wording had been added to or changed to give everyone at the table a chuckle. It was especially entertaining for those of us who have sat through many years with one of the older standard haggadahs.

I bought 5 copies from the author just before Passover and had to order 15 more within 2 days. People were saying that they had been waiting for this book to come along. I will always carry it around Passover time and all I can say is I hope Richard Codor keeps writing books about Jewish holidays.

When my kids were younger, I'd look every year for a Haggadah that we could use at our seders. I never found one that I liked very much--they were either too dry, too long, too abbreviated, etc. Richard Codor's Joyous Haggadah seems perfect to me. The drawings are cute, the story is appropriately abbreviated, and it's not dry. When my 13-year-old daughter and her friend saw the book on our kitchen table, they picked it up immediately, started oohing over the pictures, and then read the whole thing. I have to say that's a first for any Haggadah in this house.

"Richard Codor's Joyous Haggadah" is a 48-page cartoon-style illustrated story of Passover and the Jewish celebration called Haggadah. Richard and Liora Codor created this thoroughly 'child friendly' explanation of the meaning of Haggadah, the games and celebratory elements associated with it, in order to inform and inspire children to join in. The text is organized in traditional order, with the prayers and customs being concise and written in English, transliterated in English, and in Hebrew. There are sing-along-songs, easy to make recipes that will fully engage young celebrants. From the blessing of the wine (Kadesh) and the washing of hands (U-Rechatz), to telling the story (Maggid) and bitter herbs (Maror), to the festive meal (Shulchan Orekh) and the hidden desert (Tzafun), and especially to praising God (Hallel), Featuring Jo Ellingson's graphic design, deftly edited by Zelda Shluker, and featuring Hebrew type by Rachel Fyman, "Richard Codor's Joyous Haggadah" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to family, elementary school, and community library reference collections for children about the annual Jewish celebration of Haggadah.

This is not your standard Haggadah. This one tells the Passover story with wit and is illustrated with humorous drawings that are funny and detailed. You'll recognize your Uncle Hy and Aunt Esther among the depicted celebrants. Jewish history wasn't this funny since Mel Brooks "2000 Year Old Man." Check out the Hebrew man tapping his foot nervously while waiting for the bread to rise in the convection oven while most of his tribe is already on the go. And, the little boy who just before crossing the Red Sea, stops to relieve himself near a cactus bush. And then there are the three Patriarchs (who knows three?) dancing the hora, and the four Matriarchs (who knows four?) doing the "walk like an Egyptian" move. My personal favorite is the Marx Brothers as the Four Sons - Groucho as the wise child and Harpo as the simple child. So why is this night different from all other nights? With this Haggadah on hand this night can be serious fun!

This book contains many funny moments of brilliance. As I was reading it, I kept going "he he, yeah." I enjoyed it and I think it's the kind of book you can read several times. The thing I like about it is that the humor is kind of dark and biting. We're all so confused and the harder we try the more we screw up. Still the cartoons are unpredictable and keep coming at you from different angles. Some of the cartoons are elaborate and include a number of characters interacting over a span of several pages. Others are incredibly simple -- one hit that just leaves you reeling or smirking. Well worth reading and thinking about.

This cartoon compilation is an entertaining expression of various perspectives on the world to which I happen to agree, at a level deeper than discussed amongst polite company. If you want a one-page commentary on the essence of our existence, just take a look at page 68. Then when the message soaks in, go out and do something that makes you say "yee haw". 'nuff said.

Rationalization and self-delusion help us avoid embarrassing truths about ourselves, enable us to fake ourselves out as we all live through everyday dramas that seem terribly important at the time.

Wheeler goes straight for the jugular, skewering himself and ourselves, as he targets our dark secrets, revealing them to be the human condition rather than as the unmentionable neuroses we imagine them to be. I found myself laughing on every page, laughing at the author and laughing at myself as I realized, "It's not just me, but even better, it's FUNNY!"

Having followed Mr. Wheeler's career since his early collection Children With Glue, I had high hopes for this collection. And I must say it has surpassed all my hopes. I am loving this one. And would say that it is his best yet. Which given how great all collections of his work are - is high praise.

In the two decades that Shannon Wheeler has been publishing comics, he's always been able to put his finger on the pulse of the world surrounding him and his audience. From the snarky Children with Glue to shining a light on the underbelly of the counter culture movement with Too Much Coffee Man to the politically astute work of How To Be Happy, Shannon's evolution as an artist and an American Zeitgeistian prophet continues in Screw Heaven.

Artistically, he's moved towards a simpler, yet more expressive style, while the dialog and character interaction has become significantly more nuanced and well crafted. This volume graces both the coffee table and deserves a spot on the shelves of anyone who is a serious comics collector.

This was a great comic book, It shows you Yoh when he was 4, he was so cute! I say, if you like shaman king, buy it!

I love Shaman King and everything but this book was just one long fight, even though the fight was really kool and everything it got boring after a while so if you like loooooonnnnngggg battles then this is a good book

Ok, here in the latino paradise I live in, there are no comics or books or nothing of Shaman King, only T.V series. Are there T.V series os SK in the states? Anyways, the names are somewhat different too, what you all call Asakura Yoh is "Io Asakura", his spirit that's with him, which in spanish is called "espiritu acompa?ante", is named "amidamaru". Then what's his face, no idea what his english name is, the dude with the the one-spike on his head, his name is "Len Tao", spirit? "Baz-n". Blue haired guy, "Horo Horo" (dont know what name his spirit holds but she keeps saying: cucurucu!), the gay guy, "Ryu". 'Lizer", the green haired guy, fairy's name is "Morfin". "Ana", "Io"'s girlfriend. "Manta", "Io"'s best friend, the little guy. And the cheetah kid, the one that tells jokes, "Chocolo" is his name, and he wants to bring: "la brisa de la risa". 'Jun Tao", "Len"'s siter. "Horo Horo"'s sister? no idea. And anyways, there weren't anymore series after Io finished with Hao (twin brother). So! not really sure what the other characters are! except for "Los soldados X", the group Lizer joined ages ago, with the leader princess character, "La Doncella"!

I am the frickn biggest fan of shaman king i have read every single shonen jump until i forgot about the 2nd volume when i read this i thought that it was awsome pretty long fight but interesting this volume has yoh,len.bai long,and a couple of more people but it is awsome it also tells you about bai longs kung fu master shalin (joto one).

If you haven't experienced the power of Shaman King yet, this second volume may or may not be a good place to start, but for all you action-buffs out there, Volume Two is right up your ally.

Starting after Yoh's fight with Ren, the reader is treated to a flashback to when Yoh was a young child and how he becomes obbsessed with his goal to becoming the Shaman King. We also get two new characters added to the already likeable cast: Anna, Yoh's strict and bossy fiancee and Jun, Ren's older sister who controls the corpse of famed action star Lee Bailong. Again, we are treated to another impressive battle with lots of hard punches, kicks and ghostly matches.

While this volume is basicly one big action-packed fight, a lesson is taught and learned (a common theme, no?). Still, one cannot admire and praise the art, story and characters that has put Shaman King on the map. More of the main character's personalities are revealed and Manta truly outshines Yoh in this department. While in the first volume he is shown as a wet blanket, he proves that this wet blanket has a strong backbone and will do anything for his friends! He proves this by risking his own safety while requiring a replacement sord for Yoh by getting into a fight with Ryu. Hey, what are friends for?

For anyone who became a fan through the anime, give the manga a go and see what you have been missing. For those who are already a fan of the manga, sit back and relax and take in all the action of this volume!

Wow, this was my very first Simpsons Comic Book that I have bought and trust me I was very impressed. I didn't really have high expectations for it but this really took me by suprise. This Comic is amazingly funny! You just have to get this book, trust me you won't regret it with classic strips such as "A Trip to Simpsons Mountain" where Grandpa tells his days when there was no television and "Get Fatty" where the town of Springfield is known as the most overweight town in the country and every food that now sells is nutritional and so the whole town has to lose some weight in order to be awarded a waterpark. I would get this Comic book if I were you because now I have at least a dozen Simpson Comics in my room after buying this one.

This is the first simpsons thing I had ever bought-and once I read it I went and bought a lot more>! This is one of fav. simpsons comics.

Waitresses in the sky is the only bad one in this book.A trip to Simsons mountain is the best.All the others are good too.

All four stories were very funny.You should see the T.V. show first.Lisa's top 40 was also funny.I think number 18 was the funniest.I recommend Simpsons Wing Ding.

More super stories from the great characters of Springfield! Here's what this issue has to offer:

"A Trip to Simpson Mountain": Grandpa tells a story of his childhood days before television that sounds oddly enough like a cross between The Waltons, Beverly Hills 90210, Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch, and the Partridge Family (must be a coincidence).

"Kill-er Up With Regular": A classic Itchy and Scratchy short from the "1930s".

"Waitresses in the Sky": Patty and Selma lose their jobs at the DMV and end up living with the Simpsons. Can they find the job of their dreams at Mr. Burns' airline (you'll love the insignia on the planes) or will they break under the pressure (actually, the "No Smoking" sign)? Would make a hilarious T.V. episode.

"Apu's Incredible 96-Hour Shift (without Getting a Break)": The legend is true, but not so impresive considering Apu didn't have a customer for 95 hours and 54 minutes of the famed shift.

"What's the Frequency Simpson": Similar to the T.V. episode where Lisa and Bart co-anchor a kids' news program. In this comic, Bart and Lisa take over a public access channel to start a new sensation: SimpTV. SimpTV offers such entertaining and informative programs as "Geek Patrol" hosted by Martin Prince, "Bad Boy" starring Nelson Munz, and "In the Kitchen With Wiggum" where Ralph creates many tantalizing dishes involving paste. The television elite of Springfield (aka Krusty the Klown, Troy McClure, Bumblebee Man, Kent Brockman, and Dr. Nick) try to shut the renegade channel down.

"Bumblebee Man in !Ay, Que Lastima!": Short about the trying personal life of the yellow and black striped character we thought we knew.

"The Dame and the Clown": Dragnet take-off where Otto is Detective Friday and Moe helps Marge escape an abusive relationship to return to her true love (Homer the Sailor Man).

"Get Fatty": One of the funniest of this book. This comic has a topic similar to the T.V. show where Springfield is named the nation's fattest city. In this comic, President Clinton plans to shape up the country's fattest town with the "worst cholesterol count in modern history." He sends his fitness ambassador Rainier Wolfcastle (aka McBain) to whip Springfield into shape. The worst offenders must lose 10 pounds in two weeks or face the consequences. Can they (or, more to the point, CAN HOMER) do it?

"The Quest for Yaz": This comic continues the storyline started in the T.V. episode "Three Men and a Comic Book." Milhouse's dream is to own a 1973 Carl Yastzremski baseball card when he had big sideburns--but is Milhouse willing to steal to get it?

My son loves the Simpsons and wasn't too into reading. I thought what better way to get him into reading than buying him books about his beloved Simpsons. Sure enough he sat down with it and read it cover to cover without getting off the couch.

this is better than a lot of the newer simpsons episodes. it is a good fast read when you are bored.

This book literally left me speechless.
Once you start you literally can't stop.
I picked up the book and until i read
every last word of this amazing
"extravaganza of laughs" couldn't put it down.

This thrilling tale just gave and gave
and didn't ask for anything in return.

I absolutely,positively enjoyed every aspect of this book because it was full of jokes,laughs and skits.

IF YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF HUMOUR YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

PS: I GIVE A STANDING OVATION TO THE CREATORS OF THIS "EXTRAVAGANZA OF LAUGHS".

This book is so funny! As I read it, I had a hard time not laughing my head off, while rolling on the floor. Yes, its that FUNNY! Its big too, 7 or so comic strips, and each strip is like 20 big pages, its like reading a book, but better. If you want a good laugh, get this book NOW! The one thing bad about this book is: NOTHING!!!

This book is jam-packed with Simpsons Comics! It is 174 pages; 30% bigger than most Simpsons Comics books! And the quality of the comics has not gone down one iota. Here's what you get in this book:

"The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth": Springfield's top three nerds, Doug, Gary, and Benjamin (Homer hung out with them in the TV episode "Homer Goes to College") are finally forced to leave the secure confines of college to venture into the real world. They end up in Homer's garage. Soon, they become millionaires after creating a violent computer game. While pursuing investment ideas, which includes a sci-fi motion picture that may be too scientifically correct, they leave their business in the hands of Homer. Good idea? What do you think?

"The Absent-Minded Protester": Grandpa is tired of being ignored, so he tries a new way to express his ideas that makes Bart proud.

"Dullards to Donuts": Mr. Burns' research lab produces a donut with powerful addictive qualities. When Burns cuts off the donut supply to his employees, they will make any concession to get them back. The proceeding trial includes appearances from conservative talk show host Birch Barlow (his followers are called "Echo Drones"), Lard Lad, and the mob.

"Sense and Censorability": As punishment for doing a lousy job on his oral biographical report, Bart has to present an historical research project with Homer! When they find their sources from the "Adults Only" section of the comic book store, Watch Out!

"Sideshow Simpsons": With Krusty's sidekicks on strike, Krusty shoots his prime time network special from the Simpsons' house.

"In Search of the Lost Donut Holes": Cute and clever short that has advertising icon and donut connoisseur Lard Lad and friends traveling to "dimensional gateways" through the universe in search of the missing donut holes. Comic includes slogans, editor's notes, and "Brain Glazer" puzzles.

"Bart Simpson and the Krusty Brand Fun Factory": Bart, Ralph, Barney, Nelson and their choices of "legal guardians or parole officers" win a tour of Krusty's new cherry soda factory. Bart chooses to take grandpa so Homer goes with Barney posing as Barney's mother. But, wait. Someone tries to hack into the computerized factory with his prison laptop! Why, it's Sideshow Bob!

"The Homer Show": Taken from the Jim Carey movie, a group of TV execs find Homer the subject of a plethora of videos sent to the Funniest Home Movies program. They plan on creating a 24 hour a day TV show around him, but must get the entire town to cooperate.

"Slobberwacky": Old fashioned style poem featuring many Simpsons characters.

This is a great book for all ages -- I read along with my 10 year old who did a report on this book ....terrific, funny....very true to life....

This book made me Laugh so hard I liked her first book Sahara Special but this is even better. The teacher used thhe book to help us journal and I thought it would be boring but I could not wait for her to read these funny stories out loud and then write my own stories about things like school and grandparents. This author writes about the city in a way that is FOR REAL and not boring and now I write in my journal every day because I want to be a writter. My only comnplaint is this book is not rewally about tuna fish but I dont even like tuna fish so who cares.

I enjoyed "Sing A Song of Tuna Fish" immensely, not only because of the fantastic description and detail, but also how Esme Raji Codell created an incredibly entertaining story of her childhood. I think she did a very good job of making something that in real life might not have been that entertaining, into a very good story. I think that even a 40 year old would enjoy this book!!!!

As an antidote to a wicked case of bronchitis, I've managed to read my way through a stack of books on my nightstand and found a winner: Sing a Song of Tuna Fish, Hard to Swallow Stories From Fifth Grade by Esme Raji Codell, the author of Educating Esme and other books.

It was published in 2004 but I hadn't seen it until last week on the shelf of the Atlantic County Bookmobile. What a treasure! I've been searching for good mentor texts to use with our fifth and sixth grade classes, something that would make the kids and their teachers really "get" the need to focus writing workshop around memoirs--and boy this is it! Esme takes you right into her life as a fifth grader. I think that both kids and adults will be inspired to explore their own childhood experiences after reading this book.

This book made me Laugh so hard I liked her first book Sahara Special but this is even better. The teacher used thhe book to help us journal and I thought it would be boring but I could not wait for her to read these funny stories out loud and then write my own stories about things like school and grandparents. This author writes about the city in a way that is FOR REAL and not boring and now I write in my journal every day because I want to be a writter. My only comnplaint is this book is not rewally about tuna fish but I dont even like tuna fish so who cares.

This was a great collection of strips. You can see the natural and humorous growth of Zoe, Hammie and baby Wren, who keep Wanda and Darryl constanstly on their toes and in the grocery store. I have always loved Baby Blues and will be sad to see them "grow up"....like the kids in For Better Or For Worse. That's when you know a strip is darn great...when you think of the characters as real and you can really relate to their daily "lives". Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

I bought this book for my wife, because she loves chocolate and we have raised two kids. It is a very funny book. It should be read while eating chocolate too.
Gordon H.

I loved this new Baby Blues collection. It simply had me in tears. I liked it when Wren bumped her chin, the Hammie got greenstick fracture, then Zoe got bruised knuckles, and Darryl sprang his ankle. It was a hilarious Baby Blues story. I recommend this collection to anyone who wants to laugh.

Great reading! Good for parents who have very small amounts of personal space! Be prepared for lots of laughter coming from the closed bathroom door!

I can't believe the longevity of this strip and how it has stayed consistantly funny. When it first came out I found it really amusing as it dealt with the pitfalls of being a parent with a baby/children. Now all these years later, they are on their third child and the jokes are fresh and still very amusing. Baby Blues is an excellent series for the young and older fans.

More humor from the mind of Berke Breathed. If you love Bloom County, this is good one to add to your collection, although some of it is repeated elsewhere.

Breathed is a great cartoonist in general, but his political satire is without equal. For those of us coming of age politically in the mid to late 1980s, this book will provide a constant source of laughs, from disgraced televangelists to football strikes to (my all time favorite) alien dogs that look and act surprisingly like Oliver North. Don't miss!

This collection does a marvellous job of walking the fine line between the hilariously funny and the absurdly silly. Some of the other Bloom County collections fall off of that line and land in the absurdly silly zone; for the most part, this one avoids that flaw. A must for any fan of the collection, and a good place to start for someone who isn't familiar with it. Of course, anyone too young to remember the '80s may miss some of the then-topical political references (a murderous alien that looks like a cute, telegenic puppy testifying before congress a la Ollie North, for instance) but for the most part, even if the reference is unfamiliar to the reader, the humor is only reduced, not lost entirely.

Bloom County was and still is one of my favorite strip comics ever. It was often topical, referring to presidents, sitcoms, and other Americana of its day. Such subjects, when they appear, give this comic a dated look, almost like watching the Marx Brothers.

Most of the strips, however, are timeless. Opus' personality is as sweet and doofy as ever. Oliver Wendell Jones still gets in trouble, the kind no one has the heart to punish him for. Steve Dallas is still a jerk, the kind of jerk that I still find today. All the rest are still there, too, as good as they ever were.

It's a funny mix, news from the 80s mixed with topics that work today, and it's still a funny strip. If, someohow, you missed the original run of Bloom County in the daily funnies, you'll find that it's never too late to catch up. Enjoy!

//wiredweird

Berke Breathed was one of those rare political cartoonists whose political insight was the same weight as his humor. "Bloom County" was his greatest vehicle. Some other cartoons have great political scope but just don't make you laugh out loud--"Doonesbury" and "Mallard Fillmore", particularly. While others fake political insight, but are very humorous. "Tales Too Ticklish to Tell: Bloom County" is as good as any of the other Bloom County anthologies, but it's the inclusion of a Bloom Picayune that makes this an extra treat, and serves as a reminder that this strip was special for its time. Boy, do I miss it.