Cartoons Books

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 just don't get all that teary-jerking attention about a certain fictional, nearly anthropomorphic sheepdog that had been the part of a "For Better Or For Worse" family during the 1980s. It's just that Lynn Johnston had decided to give her strip a realistic touch, so the poor old poochie must eventually go. And with a big "bang", of course. So one day, the precocious young rugrat, April Patterson goes wandering off unsupervised to play on the bank of a big, raging creek just behind the family house and of course, she falls in! But the doggy, who of course possesses some very peculiar human-like intelligence, bravely dives right in to save the wee damsel in distress. And oh, yes - you know the rest. But - how would a standard household be complete without a nice, harmless domestic beast for the tots to torment? So our good ol' Farley makes it with a neighbor dog beforehand so he would father a exact copy of himself - only with a much longer and bushier tail to carry on the role as the comic strip's family dog. So you can put away your Kleenex, okay?

I am 33 years old and have read FBOFW since day one. When Farley joined the family, I was afraid that they wouldn't keep him. But every day he became more a part of the family than the day before. The days that featured Farley were the best. The day they couldn't revive him after he saved April was horrible. I am a grown man with a family of my own and I creid over the loss of this fictional dog. Even looking back now, I get teary eyed. I was so thankful when Lynn put this book out. If you only buy one FBOFW book, make it this one. You will stillbe able to watch the family grow and you will become very fond of this very important part of the Patterson family. Farley was indded a special friend and this book remembers him well.

This was one of those books that you can read over and over. I made the mistake one day of taking this book to work with me to read while I ate my lunch. At some points I was laughing so hard people started to give me strange looks. It also made me cry. You don't have to own a pet to appreciate this book. (But it helps.) I have been following Lynn's strip for the past year and I am gradually buying each and every one of her books.

I highly recommend this book!

This book is a must have for anybody who has ever shared a life with that special dog, and then suffered their loss. Not only will you remember all the little things that you thought you had forgotten,but this collection will allow you to laugh again.

It is also a book that any fan of Lynn Johnston's simply has to have in their collection. Farley was, and still is, such an important part of this family. It is fitting that this collection of strips was assembled as a final tribute to the dog that changed the family forever.

Lynn Johnston and her cartoon For Better or Worse is not really well known in Australia, so it was with a degree of apprehension that I decided to buy this book to see what her cartoons were like.

One of the best book purchases I've made as I soon went on to buy as many of her books as I can. Quite simply she has great drawing skills as unlike many other cartoonists objects she draws such as houses, cars, kitchens, people etc. look realistic.

Unlike other cartoons people and animals also 'age' in her cartoon strips. So you'll see the life of Farley from a young pup to his ultimate demise. Along the way you'll see not only Farley grow and change but also the Patterson family.

Her humour is often subtle so it might be suited to those who get a quiet chuckle out of the ordinary everyday things in life that happen. If you are after something along the lines of Gary Larson then this one might not be for you.

I would highly recommend this as a great selection for anyone wanting to see what Lynn Johnstons cartoons are like or to anyone who has ever loved and lost a loyal freind. You might find that Farley's antics were quite similar in some respects to those of your own dog.

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.

Actually, this is probably my favorite Shannon Wheeler book. Insightful, cutting, charming and as funny as anything else out there. Well worth it.

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.

When I first picked up SHAKESPEARE CATS by the British artist Susan Herbert, I was struck by the cute and colorful illustrations showing cats, my favorite animals, as Shakespearean characters. I bought the book, and as I went through it page by page I found it educational, too. Herbert has accompanied each one of her drawings -- works of art in themselves -- with a short synopsis and the relevant quotation from the play. The trouble with cats, however, is that it is not always possible to do much more than suggest emotions in their faces, which are fairly "blank." This poses a problem with the more extreme emotions in Shakespeare: Herbert's Othello (a black cat) does not look enraged nor her Macbeth (a red-orange tabby) particularly horrified. Additionally, Herbert depicts mostly tabby (striped) cats, which will probably disappoint readers who like other kinds of cats. But if these are drawbacks, they are minor ones; Herbert is a gifted artist. Her scene-composition and her bright color-choices make each illustration a feast for the eyes. There are some subtly clever facial expressions, too, like Malvolio's (TWELFTH NIGHT) self-satisfied grin or Jacques (AS YOU LIKE IT) cynical smirk. And art enthusiasts will see Herbert's drawings of Romeo leaving Juliet's balcony or the sleeping princes from RICHARD III as homages to celebrated paintings by the nineteenth century artists Dicksee and Northcote; her crazed Ophelia (with tongue hanging out) might stand beside the famous depictions of that heroine by Waterhouse or Millais! I am happy to have discovered SHAKESPEARE CATS and Herbert and will seek out more of her books.

I hoped this was a story, but I will find a way to use the pretty pictures. The book isn't constructed in a way that I can encourage its use as a picture book for young children. I do like the fact that there is a passage beside each picture. That will be of some use.

I love this book, it's so adorable and beautiful, Susan Herbert is a great artist, I admire her a lot. You see wonderful pictures of cats playing roles of some of Shakespeare plays. It's a great book for kids and also for adult too.:) If you love cats your going to love this book.

Shakespeare people also tend to be cat people: why is that? In this case, Susan Herbert has created a beautiful book for cat fans and Bard fans alike. I have all of Herbert's books, and "Shakespeare Cats" is definitely my favorite. It depicts famous moments from many of Shakespeare's plays with intricate detail, and the cats look like they're in the most natural settings in the world! It's hard to pick out my favorite illustrations, but the "Midsummer Night's Dream" picture stands out, as does the humorous painting from "The Taming of the Shrew." All of the paintings are wonderful, and this is an adorable book that you will treasure forever.

Susan Herbert is, first and foremost, a truly gifted artist. Her style, talent, color choices, all show a mastery of skill. Aside from that, though, she's also an imaginative woman who tryle appreciates the feline, as evidenced by her series of wonderful illustrated cat books.

This book, "Shakespeare Cats", functions firstly as simply an enjoyable coffee-table book for frequent perusal. On another level, though, Herbert has cleverly illustrated 32 of Shakespeare's works, and with detail. The setting of each piece, the costumes, the detail of scene-setting -- all of this shows that in addition to being a cat-lover and an artist, Herbert is also not too shabby as a Shakespearean scholar as well.

This was my first comic, and I loved it. What I didn't know was that not all of the comics are as good as this one, this has got to be the best! It has very funny comics inside that are both unique from the T.V. show but still very exciting to read!
I'll be brief. The first comic is about Flanders becoing bad and evil after he was missing for a couple of days. The second comic is a mini western type comic of the simpsons. The next comic is about the simpsons entering a human science experiment where they are tested if they can survive living in a dome and live off the land. The next comic is a mini comic about skinner telling about the life in the army. The next comic is about bart and millhouse making a comic, trying to sell it, but instead having the company steal thier idea. The next comic is a mini comic about jimbo and his gang breaking rules in thier school and getting in trouble with the principle and cops. The next comic is about homer taking over the duff company. Then there is a mini itchy and scrthcy cartoon. Then a mini comic about grampa simpson talking about modern day collectibles.
Very funny comic collection. I reccomend it extremely. You won't be dissapointed.

This book consised of Flanders goes bad, Simpsons under glase, Art for Bart and Weres The Beers are...

Even though the book was good I suggest you watch the T.V. show first

Excellent comic book full of all the favorite Simpsons characters (Krusty, McBain, Kent Brockman, grandpa, the Flanders, etc.) including advertisements, Itchy & Scratchy shorts, and more! Here's what's in this issue:

"Fallen Flanders"--Ned Flanders sitting on the couch in his underwear drinking beer and burping at the T.V.? Ned Flanders spraypainting "For a Good Time, Call Maude" on the side of a building? Ned Flanders stealing candy from a baby? What's going on?!? Bart and Lisa get help from McBain in this mystery which also continues the storyline started in "Dead to the Last Drop" in Simpsons Comics Spectacular.

"The Kwik-e and the Dead"--Go back to Springfield's frontier days when Mr. Burns owned "only half" the town and Joe Quimby's nickname was "Carbon."

"Survival of the Fattest"--My favorite story in this book. This plot could easily be a T.V. episode. An environmental research biosphere comes to Springfield (at first, Homer thinks it's a "bimbosphere" strip joint). After grueling tryouts (and Homer's cheating), the Simpsons find themselves in competition with the Flanders!

"Spare the Rod, Spoil the Grunt"--Principal Skinner defends his new "spanked straight" discipline policy by telling a tale of his Vietnam days.

"Give Me Merchandising or Give Me Death"--Comic book scouts steal Milhouse and Bart's ideas for a new superhero. See how Bart uses some comic art trickery to get revenge.

"Rebel Without a Clutch"--A short from Jimbo's "Wedgie" comics. Watch Jimbo hotwire a motorbike and create choas at a school art festival.

"To Heir is Homer"--Homer inherits 51% of the Duff Beer plant, and guess who owns the other 49%. This story would also make an excellent T.V. episode. See the source of Duff's unique taste, Duff Springs (closed by order of President Truman).

"Nostalgia Ain't What it Used to Be"--Grandpa and Jasper check out a "Collectorama" convention and can't believe what people would pay for a Lance Murdock Suicycle or a Larva Girl doll "with deluxe pupating action." By the way, if anyone has a Malibu Stacey doll with the party dress that converts to a radiation suit, Smithers is looking for one.

Just got this for Christmas and it's a good book. The first story, "Fallen Flanders" could be the weakest, but it's still pretty good, just too creepy for the Simpsons. It should've been saved for the yearly Treehouse Of Horror edition. The next story, "Survivor Of The Fattest" is the funniest one because it sets it up so anything can happen. The Simpsons and the Flandereses get stranded inside a biodome for a year. It's a fun story, with a very clever Star Wars ref worked in. From there, it's "Give Me Merchandising Or Give me Death," in which Bart & Milhouse's underground comic is stolen from under their feet by Mr. Burns' Boffo Comics. With lots of subtle self references and parodies this is a keeper. The book ends with "To Heir Is Homer" in which Homer ends up inheiriting the Duff Beer enterprise... partially owned by, who else? Monty Burns. In order the stories would be 1) Survivor Of The Fattest 2) To Heir Is Homer 3) Give me Merchandising and 4) Fallen Flanders, but they're all good for a laugh.