Cartoons Books

Tim Kreider is more than an editorial cartoonist. He is a man who has been blessed with the ability of exposing the faults and failings of humanity in a series of fine lines. If you're expecting cute and cuddly stuff, save your money. But if you want to laugh at self-recognition, stop reading this review and buy this book. It's harsh and dark, but then, so are the realities of life.

Stop what you're doing and buy this book!!!!

I grew up reading Doonesbury and Bloom County. As I got older I looked for sicker, darker humor. I love Johnny Ryan, Kieron Dwyer, Ivan Brunetti, Kaz, and Derf. I'm a seeker, always digging, always looking for something sicker and darker and funnier and more extreme. Well, I found it. I knew nothing about Tim Kreider and bought this book on a whim. So listen to what I'm about to say and listen good:

This is THE Funniest book I have ever read in my entire life.
Ever.
Hands down.

I've laughed harder in my life, but never have I laughed so consistently from beginning to end. This book had me gasping for breath from beginning to end. It is simply brilliant. STunningly good. Kreider isn't as sick as Ivan Brunetti and I would say he isn't quite as good an artist as Kieron Dwyer (although he is still excellent), and his comix are all single page or single panel. But if you want brilliance in a comic book that will make your jaw drop - buy this book. Trust me.

There are jokes in here, like "Butt First for Love" that I looked at thought "am I really looking at this!?!?", humor that slaps you immediately in the face and has you cracking up from the word go. Then there are more subtle jokes, like "Kasparov vs. Gravedigger" that get funnier and funnier each time you look at them (I didn't laugh at that one until about the fifth time i had looked at it - then I couldn't stop laughing).

BUY THIS BOOK - nOW

This is a funny collection of cartoons which is perfect for smart, jaded, cynical people with dark senses of humor. It is not a book for the dumb, unattractive, faithful or optimistic.

A lot of people have been waiting for this book for a long time since we need to get a dose of Tim's cartoons every night before sleep and it's not practical or comfortable to bring a laptop to bed with you and go online. If I had the time or inclination (or analytical skills) to breakdown why exactly the drawings are so unbelievably funny I probably still wouldn't bother because I'd run the risk of ruining that moment when I see a Tim Kreider picture of Dick Cheney cringing or Condolezza Rice flashing the President's staff and I haven't even read the joke yet but I'm already in hysterics over the way it's drawn. There's just nobody in the world--not Steve Brodner or Oliphant or Ben Sargent or anyone--who wrings as much laughter out of his expressions and linework. It gets even better. Go to his website and click the "artist's statement" for each comic. They're every bit as funny as the comics themselves.

Not very often does a book make me laugh so hard I accidentally snort Diet Coke out my nose. "The Pain" treads the line between high-brow intellect and complete retardation in a way that is completely addictive and hilarious. I read it from cover to cover and then read it again. I've already bought two copies for friends. I wish my local paper ran Mr. Kreider so I could see new work every week.

I'm Luann fan since I read it for the first time in 1996 on-line. I bought the last edition of Luann comic and it is great and this one is,too. The title is right for the book.

I really enjoyed the storylines in each strip as well as the fun drawings Evans put in alongside the strips. I am on my way to ordering another Luann book.

I really loved this book, I usually hate reading, but once I started reading this book, I just couldn't put it down. I really can compare myself to Luann because Evans makes her so realistic!

I think this Luann book was so much fun to read. Sometimes it could be like a soap opera, and other times it had me rolling in laughter. It's an honest, down-to-earth comic series. I know you'll enjoy it if you love Luann.

This book was so good, I didn't want to put it down until I'd finished it. I also didn't want to finish it because it was so good! Now I want more Luann books to come out. Hurry up!

If there's a better comic strip out there, I don't know of it! The Crocs are especially hilarious with their bumbling attempts to "keel zeebas", and their wives never let them hear the end of it. Stephan Pastis is a genius; if he was as good an attorney as he is a cartoonist, he would never have lost a case.

Christmas Gift!

This is the second year that my husband celebrates the beginning of each day with the little desktop calendar Pearls Before Swine. After a great year of laughs in 2007, I just had to buy him another for 2008. The daily dose of humor is fantastic. I am a long time Pastis fan (the cartoonist/ creator/ scary person that owns this marvelous sense of humor), have read almost all the Pearls books, and am happy to say that his calendars are very fresh, and not just reprints of one of the books verbatim. Each day is surprising and fun! Older themes sometimes play through, but they seem like new material.

GREEN! After tearing a page to a new day J saves them and uses the back as notepaper. Not only is it a great use of the paper, but gives the recipient of the note a good laugh!

Not only a great introduction to the wit and off the wall humor and logic that Pastis displays in his daily strip, but a great mover and shaker to long time fans' dull normal days as well! A definite must have!

Liz

I look forward to a least one laugh a day when i tear off the calendar date.

Pastis brings his past hits to life on a daily basis.

The rat, pig, goat, guard duck, and of course, the zeeba and crocs, tickle your funny bone on a daily basis. It's like Nick-at-Nite for comic strip fans!

MYGRANDSON ALWAYS ENJOYS GETTING THIS DAY BY DAY CALENDAR. i LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. IT ARRIVED IN A TIMELY FASHION AND IN PERFECT CONDITION.

Avid Penny Arcade Reader here, and gotta say all their books are a must have!

I love Penny Arcade. The thing I enjoyed most about their books is the commentary that goes along with each comic. This is a must for Penny Arcade fans.

The book was a Christmas present and it came in beautiful condition. Thanks!

Though the entire Penny Arcade archive is available on their website, the extras contained in the print versions make them well worth the purchase. In this second collection, witty commentary accompanies each comic, as well as artwork from the Penny Arcade card game and a "boneyard" of aborted or half finished ideas. Surely the humor contained therein is not to everyones taste, but to those who love it, Epic Legends of the Sword Kings will make a fine addition to your library.

Penny Arcade is a comic that has been around for almost a full decade now, so it is nice that this year they are finally releasing a series of books that bring the comics into our homes without the need for a computer and internet, excluding how you buy the book itself.
This contains the second volume of the series, or all the comics done in 2001 + bonus art and attempts for other webcomics, and it nicely fills out the 150 page book. All the comics are funny start to finish, with plenty of classics filling the book.
I highly recommend the book for readers of any form of comics, and I also recommend it for people who love video games, though my bet is that they cant read this due to playing something like WOW right now.

I had read Penny Arcade now and then in the past, but didn't follow it on a regular basis - then while browsing the comics and manga section of the bookstore, the title of this volume just jumped out at me, as I am a cockatiel owner who loves birds in all their weirdness.

The title of this book (even though the contents have little to do with birds :) ), plus my passing interest in Penny Arcade, and great love of video games made me decide I needed this book. And I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love the art, I love the gamer humour, I love Gabe's Appendix... in short this book is a lot of fun. Highly recommended for fans of gaming and Internet culture. I plan on collecting the rest of the volumes in the very near future!

This collection of the Penny Arcade comics covers an entire year of their work. While they don't do story arcs very often, the work included is still fantastic, and introduces some of there newer repeat characters.

This book was great! Jerry Holkines never lets up on the wit factor. Laugh out loud!

As with the last three volumes, this book delivers exactly what it promises: a year's worth of side-splitting, laugh-out-loud comics. Holkins' writing is, as always, uncompromisingly witty, and Krahulik's art improves every year.

The only noticeable improvement to the compilation would be a little extra material in the rear of book. The full color, full page art included in the previous volume blew me away, and it would be nice to have something that breathtaking in all of their publications.

The fourth, full-color collection of strips from the popular webcomic series Penny Arcade, Birds Are Weird continues the tradition of utterly irreverent, largely video game-themed humor. Due to severe cursing and the occasional phallic reference, Penny Arcade is not a comic for young children or the easily offended; and yet its humor has that irresistible effect. Bonus sketches, short text vignettes and a paragraph of extra commentary for virtually every strip enhance this anthology, offering new insights into Penny Arcade's random madness even for readers who have already seen the strip's archive online. "'Yeah, so I was looking at iPods today. I thought about you.' 'Oh yeah? Pretty great huh?' 'Oh yeah, real good. Then I got it up to the register, came to my senses, and bought a thirty dollar discman instead.' 'Yeah but the iPod doesn't skip.' 'Neither does this. It's cushioned by about three hundred and eighty dollars in cash.'" A sidesplitting collection and great gag gift, especially for the technogeek generation.

For some reason I thought this was a marriage advice book with cartoons in it. Turns out it's ALL cartoons. That's okay, though. The cartoons are sweet and funny.

The book is so pithy and cute. Cuts right to the heart of so many marriage issues -- using both humor and upbeatness. Good gift for anniversaries or weddings.

This book not only teaches the secrets of the most successful marriages, but is hysterical at the same time! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to take their relationship to the next level. I have never seen so much helpful relationship wisdom in such a quick, fun read. If you've ever looked at another couple with envy, chances are something in this book will be the very idea you've been missing to take you where you want to be as a couple! It's perfect for people in all stages of relationships. Too many books come across as presumtuous, and therefore backfire as a gift. This is not such a book. You'll be so busy laughing, you'll hardly notice yourself becoming smarter at making your dreams come true! For those facing difficult times, this book can help you both to see the humor and provide keys to better days. It's cheaper, faster, and way more funny than therapy. The author has written other significant books on on relationships, and she knows her stuff. With this book you get a "greatest hits" of her wisdom in a fun, easy to read package.

In a cornucopia of self-help books, A Perfectly Funny Marriage - A Humorous View of Creating a Successful Marriage is the cream of the crop. Whether you're newly married, celebrating your golden wedding anniversary, contemplating taking the big step, or just going out with someone, author and successful relationship and marriage coach Susanne Alexander offers a multitude of concise, easy to understand steps essential to maintaining a healthy, happy and rewarding relationship, each illustrated with a cartoon that not only drives the message home, but guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. Excellent reading for couples, singles, or anyone looking for solid relationship advice and an evening of endless laughter. Les A. Giesler

A Perfectly Funny Marriage sums up a lot of marriage and relationship wisdom in a fun, light-hearted format. The cartoons are clever and entertaining to read. The book would be a perfect gift for an engagement, wedding, or anniversary. It would also be a fabulous waiting room or coffee table book for professionals working with couples. Creating a successful marriage is hard work, but this book demonstrates how marriage can also be filled with laughter!

Having always been a fan of Betty and Veronica (I'm more of a Veronica type myself), I was happily surprised to see the release of this book. Mr. DeCarlo's art is a great romp through thrugh the golden age of comic pin ups. It's a treasure for anyone who appreciates erotica with a sense of fun and for those of us who in our younger days wished that the Archie Comics girls were just a little more scandalous!

Dan DeCarlo is considered by many comics fans to be the quintessential Archie artist -- and considered by all comics fans to be the best delineator of Archie's rival girlfriends, Betty and Veronica. DeCarlo, who died in 2001, also had a prolific career as a pin-up artist for humor magazines, and this little tome collects some of his best work from the late 50s and early 60s. DeCarlo had a knack for making his women appear funny and sexy at the same time. While most of the gags aren't much, the girls are simply TOO much. There's some (relatively tasteful) nudity here, but most gags involve skimpy clothing and lingerie, so I'd rate this between a PG-13 and a "soft" R.

I had heard of Dan DeCarlo from the older Archie Comics and was surprised to see that he had done more provocative works in other magazines. His art style was the basis for the female characters in Archie's gang, and has been imitated many times since. There are a LOT of his older single-panel gags from several adult magazines. If you like nice artwork and nicely-drawn woman, it's a must have!

The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo is an absolutely gorgeous collection of work from 1956 through 1963, when the cartoonist was at the peak of his powers.

For those who came late, Dan DeCarlo got his cartooning start working at Timely (later Marvel) Comics drawing such fare as Millie the Model and Sherry the Showgirl for Stan Lee. From the late 50s into the 90's, DeCarlo was the quintessential Archie artist, best known for his work on the daily Archie comic strip and his definitive depictions of the yin and yang of Riverdale sexuality, Betty and Veronica. Millions of adolescent boys felt peculiar stirrings while reading about the exploits of the wealthy brunette and the wholesome blonde (particularly while engaging in their titular Summer Fun... no pun intended).

The discovery years later that DeCarlo was moonlighting as a girlie cartoonist for the Humorama line of men's magazines was, for some fanboys, the sociological equivalent of the discovery of the early nude photos of Madonna or Vanessa Williams. As sexy as Betty and Veronica were, they were chaste (to Archie's eternal frustration). The women DeCarlo drew for Zip, Joker and Laugh Riot were not innocent. And they were often naked.

While DeCarlo's drawings of men came in all shapes and sizes, critics charge that all of his women looked exactly alike, with the same rounded face, turned-up nose and hourglass figure; That the only differing feature was the hairstyle. It's a valid point, but in the end it doesn't matter. It's like criticizing the Ramones for recording the same song over and over. Yeah, they did. And better than anyone else.

DeCarlo's art was pure cartooning, clean and distinctive, with a masterful line and a sense of design that rivalled anyone's. He drew clothes better than almost any cartoonist this side of Hank Ketcham (not that there's a lot of sartorial evidence in this book) and his comedic timing was exemplary.

The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo (compiled by Alex Chun and Jacob Lovey) is beautifully printed in a black and orange two toned scheme, mostly full page cartoons with some devoted to detail from the art. There are a few problems. An out of place pin-up drawn by DeCarlo in 2000 awkwardly stretches across two pages near the end of the book, none of the cartoons are dated or annotated and the text for the gags has been redone, but those are minor complaints (the absolutely hideous sliced lettering used for the title of the book is unforgiveable, however). This book is indispensible for anyone who loves pin-up art, beautiful cartooning.... or ever wanted to see Betty and Veronica naked.

Not that I ever thought about that.

I just love this stuff. For every time our parents claim how properly they were brought up, there is a cartoon in this book that reminds me that they were every bit as bawdy as we are today. They just had better taste about it. This book starts with a history that isn't all that much to read and then single panel cartoons each page. The art is what it is and the jokes are the ones we've been retelling for years so it must be good stuff.

Extremely clever cartoons -this parqdody on human life brings laughter from deep in the soul !

always a pleasure to revisit sherman and his lagoon family and friends.

It is only fair that, since we're killing off sharks at an alarming rate with, of course, total disregard for the health of the oceans - that we should be called "lunch".

This book is so cute. It is well drawn and funny, and of course true to the funny papers it comes from. I got the book as a gift for my dad because since he stared reading sherman's lagoon he calls all people at the beach "hairless beach apes" I think it would be better if it came in hardback, but other than that it's a great buy.

I am a huge Sheman's Lagoon fan. Jim Toomey's delightful and hilarious collection of marine critters continues their saga in this 11th book. I found myself laughing myself to tears as Hawthorne (a hermit crab) plan another get rich scheme that invariable ends in tragedy, I frowned at poor Filmore's (sea turtle)rejections at Ascention Island, and of course the star of the series, Sherman (a shark), who spends his days lazily watching TV, prowling the shallows for a tasty morsel of Hairless Beach Ape (humans), and looking to thwart Capt. Quigley (a sea food restaurant owner).

When my cousin told me about pokemon adventures, I laughed at him but after reading it myself I can tell you that pokemon adventures is very different from the cartoon. A little bit more teen-adult oriented. Kind of like harry potter or incredibles story, where the audience is for kids but people who are kids at heart can enjoy it too!

This volume is my favorite, probably because it seems to be the most interesting one to read. Although the artwork is not extremely detailed, it still carries the story out quite well, and has lots of action. If you like Pokemon and manga, this book is for you. A fun read for younger audiences. (Hint: buying the graphic novel versions is actually cheaper than buying the individual comics!)

This book is the bomb of the series.
First Team Rocket attacks Saffron! Red, Blue and Green must work with each other to rescue Prof. Oak and to defeat Team rocket. Red meets with with Lt. Surge, Blue meets with Koga, and Green ends up with Sabrina! These evil Gym Leaders are arme with the 3 legendary bird Pokemon!
Next it's a show down with Blaine, Red, and Mewtwo! Can Red catch Mewtwo?
Then it's Red's biggest Gym Battle yet. With Giovanni! Can Red beat the leader of Team Rocket or will he have to work at Giovannis side for the rest of his life?
Lastly Red finally makes it to the Pokemon Leage. And what's green's problem when she was 5? Theres also this mysterious trainer calle " Dr. O " It's reds final battle to see who's better in the finals. Is it Red....Or Blue?
Read to find out!

This thick comic book is a bargain. It's much cheaper than the seperate comics, and easier to carry around.
This is Part 3 of a Pokemon trainer named Red. His rival is Blue, his theif friend is Green. First, he must stop Team Rocket from taking over his home town Pallet Town, then it's off to capture Mewtwp, and then to the League to battle Blue for the championship.
This comic is a little similiar to the T.V series. Red being Ash, Blue bieng Gary. But Red doesn't have pathetic Pokemon like Ash does, there is no anoying Jessie and James interupting and then blasting off again, and Gary is is same self.
This comic is a must have for collectors.

This is great. It's one of my favorite pokemon comics! It has lots of action mixed in with adventure, and unlike the other series, which goes by the name of "Pokemon" (Very origial, isn't it?) It features a new and original adventure with new characters and isn't a tv show rip off. In this one Red (the hero) must save the world from the plans of team rocket with the help of his friends and pokepals. In the end he enters the pokemon league; will he face Blue in the finals, and does he even stand a chance? And more importantly, who is the mystery trainer green must battle against? (You'll find out.) There are two others befor this, Legendary Pokemon and Desparado Pikachu. After this comes comics which are adapted from the Yellow version of the game.

For a great pokemon experience and lots of fun, get this befor the "This item is not stocked or has been discontinued." notice appears!

I kept seeing glimpses of Mitch OConnell books and stuff in various culture shops online (lastgasp) and finally decided to get a copy of 'pwease wuv me'. I discovered Mitch was selling new copies from his website so I ordered it there, and received a personally autographed copy. When it arrived I was in absolute awe. Thumbing through the pages of his past art and comics in the quiet of my apartment living room became a mind-blowing experience. It reminded me of other past occasions encountering for the first time beautiful, weird, amazing art work -- EC Mad comics, Robert Williams in Zap, Art Spiegelman's RAW, Durer's woodcuts, Posada's engravings, Himalayan thangkas. Mitch's work stands in a class all by itself; I can't really compare it to anything else I've seen. It's fine and compelling illustration work, and the subject matter feeds from some alternate plane of lost cultural memory, a bargain basement of our collective American insanity. The book by itself is worth having; it's one of my personal treasures, but I also had the good fortune (no idea if Mitch continues to do this) of having my copy stuffed with ephemeral extras between every page: postcards, sketch tracings, tattoo flash samples. The book sits fat on my shelf with these bonuses intact, and has become something of a holy relic in my collection. Take a niacin pill and you still won't get near the same flush of astonishment that Mitch's work provides. A must-have for anyone who loves art tapped into a strange and lovely world.

More great stuff from Mr. O'Connell. Only complaint is that this slim volume contains too little of his full color paintings. Hopefully his publishers are considering a third volume dedicated exclusively to this portion of his work.

PWEASE WUV ME MORE the art of Mitch O'Connell by MITCH O'CONNELL is a very colourful ,playful kitch take -on old skool type tattoos with a new funky twist . His artwork is sooo detailed and eyepopping . You can not smile and feel happy when viewing this book . it was worth every penny i spent and more , if youre into tattoos , mark Ryden , cartoons , and looking at new ideas , i would say buy it now because you will love it !!!:)

Please Wuv Me is a brilliant look into the mind of Mitch O'Connell. It has great ideas for tattoos and other artwork. I loved it!

I remember seeing Mitch's work as a kid and not having any money to buy the material because my cheap parents wouldn't give me an allowance. Years later, thanks to Amazon, they brought his work back to my attention. His work is brilliant, full of emotion, color, humor and thought and in a way I'm very much jeaolous of the man because I use to think along his lines. But unfortunately you can't get very far in life without conforming to it's way's and that is what I had to do.

So it is refreshing to see so much spirit in his work. His paintings and drawings are a raunchy blend of traditional cartooning, graphic design and advertising art that at times can be an overload to the senses.