Cartoons Books

I got into Hsu and Chan because of the magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly - now I'm more interested in finding out what new work Norm Scott has in store for us than in EGM! My only complaint is that there isn't a new volume out yet.

It is the one and only Hsu and Chan. Alternatively, the Tanaka brothers for short. Straight from the pages of one the most leading gaming magazines of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Hsu and Chan now have their very own comic book chock full of their misadventures! Hsu and Chan are video game designers with a very odd team of animals that follow along with the fun. Nevertheless, there are also rival game designers ready to pounce when the time is right. This book has everything from the powers of when eating a dragon's toung to why it is a good thing not to hit on a Russian mob boss. For people who enjoy slapstick comedy, this is the book for you!

Anything this man writes and/or draws is pure gold. Buy it now.

Since its appearances in the humble pages of EGM, since its dramatic and hilarious inception (Pocket Morons), since the creator's knighthood by England, Hsu and Chan has quickly established itself a cult favorite.

We don't mean a cult has actually formed AROUND the comic, but, quite frankly, someone should start one.

At any rate, visit http://www.ape-law.com/evilmonkey for more Jeremy Norman Scott goodies.

Robert Williams is one of the few bright lights in today's art world. Combining a staggering imagination with a powerful illustrative style, his works provoke and antagonize the viewer like no others, and demand scrutiny.

This book shows the evolution of this mad genius by taking us through all of his cartoons, comics, and illustrations, (no paintings) from his first commercial drawings to recent times. It is very interesting to see these after becoming familiar with his oil paintings. The quality of the various items within varies widely, from very crude, to masterly.

Some of his comics are extremely smuttty and raw, much more than most of his paintings even. But if you have a sick sense of humor, you'll appreciate them. If you're not familiar with his work, I'd recommend "Views From a Tortured Libido" or "Malicious Resplendence" as your first Robert Williams book.

If you like (or are a fan of) Robert Williams, or under ground comics, this is an amazing book. Buy it!

Robert Williams' comix are amazing. Very violent & vulgar, but amazingly executed. I prefer his black & white comic work over his oil paintings any day. Unforntunately his comic output is pretty small. Nonetheless the several comics presented here are amazing. Extremely detailed and bizarre and they ooze with a feeling of being high.
My personal favorite tale is "Mentor in the Mentor Jar". Insane ideas such as 'Gorilla Women of the Third Reich', Atrillo Trilobite and the fate of 'Mr. Baldpubis' puts Robt. Williams in a class all of his own.
Years ago I went and bought all the individual ZAP comics when i learned Mr. Williams did comic work. These issues are great for you can see the work of the other underground greats, but Hysteria in Remission presents Williams' work in a lovely LARGE format (even at the size, the detail boogles my grey matter) and on beautiful glossy paper rather than fading pulpy newsprint grade paper.
Get this book for the insane-ness, the fantastic execution in india ink and completeness of Williams' comic work (early days all the way up to model sheets for an animated series, Jack Clum, Dream interpreter done in 2001.
a great piece of work from Fantagraphics - THANK YOU.
Now i need to save up some cash to purchase MALICIOUS RESPLENDENCE....

This book has everything. The perfect, comprehensive companion to Fantagraphics' 1998 collection, MALICIOUS RESPLENDENCE. MALICIOUS has all of the paintings, while HYSTERIA has all of the comix and illustration. It is astounding how provocative and powerful this work is, and that so much of it has been allowed to slip out of print over the last 25 years despite Williams's extraordinary success in the fine art world. His comics bulge (as Jim Woodring says, "often literally") with greater imagination than even his paintings, what is amazing is how few people are doing comics like this anymore. There may have never been a better pure draughtsman in comics, his work rivals Crumb and even classic strip artists like Hal Foster or illustrators like Howard Pyle, but what truly sets Williams apart is the sheer visceral force of his imagery. If anything lives up to the old cliche of, "This will blow your mind," it's HYSTERIA IN REMISSION.

Sam Gross had me with the title and cover cartoon - it perfectly captures the essence of this collection. Some of these are simply humorous, most of them carry a sharp edge to the simple looking but marvelous drawings.

Fans of more recent cartoonists such as Gary Larson's Far Side would be well served to read this collection that predates Larson by several decades. While sadly lacking in Cows, plenty of other animals (cats, slothes, snails and kangaroos) appear in similar off beat ways, and there is a disturbingly large number of ginger bread men!

My only quibble with this is the format - with the relatively few number of pages, some of the drawings were a little lost in the hardcover inner fold. I think a larger layout would have given the drawings a better presentation.

Wonderful collection.

It hardly needs to be said how wonderful Gross' cartoons are. Fabulously absurd, and so refreshingly undiplomatic in taste. And beautifully drawn. No-one ever bettered him at The New Yorker. But pleeeeeese ... what is this idiotic description of this edition as a "lavish" production?! The binding is the usual non-hardcover hardcover, i.e. wretched glue, the paper is not much better than cheap blotting paper, and the reproduction is scandalously poor. Blurred lines and washed out grey. Wonderful art, deplorable production. I'm just waiting for a monograph on Gross that covers all his work. Along with Addams, Steig, Arno and Steinberg, this guy is at the top of the tree. However all this being said, I'd rather have a dodgy copy of Gross than none at all.

I was just looking through all my fathers books that were given to him by my great grandmother and my grandmother, I saw the title of this book and HAD to see what it was, I read it and looked and I laughed so hard, even at my age it was funny, I think everyone should read this book!

Sam Gross has contributed his offbeat cartoons for years to such publications as The New Yorker, Esquire, and Good Housekeeping. This collection, "I Am Blind and My Dog is Dead," dates back to 1977 and it is laugh-out-loud funny.

Gross looks at the world obliquely and this book reflects his unique vision. He is cheerfully tactless and politically incorrect: Three women sit in church while one of them is accidentally being strangled with her rosary beads; two researchers observe a group of blind men being dragged to and fro by high-jumping "seeing-eye kangaroos." He makes us see the world in a new way: An alien dog-like creature from another planet bays at the earth; a grumpy cleaning lady sweeps away severed heads that have collected near a guillotine. He defies our expectations: A woman beats her mattress outside her window and money flies out; two people visit the cemetery--a grieving widow leaves flowers for her dear departed, while a grumpy man throws worms on the grave of (presumably) his despised ex-wife.

These beautifully shaded black and white drawings, some of which have no captions, are expressive, imaginative, and original. As a librarian, I particularly liked the one of a studious toddler reading in a playpen with built-in bookshelves (what a great baby gift!). Some of the cartoons are subtle; others rely on screamingly obvious sight gags. With a few exceptions, they are entertaining and sometimes even thought-provoking. Although not everyone will appreciate "I Am Blind and My Dog is Dead," it is bound to amuse cartoon-lovers who enjoy comedy with a wry twist.

Most of us should have a little more death and funeral-related information in our knowledge base, and it would be a good idea to get it before we actually need it. But who wants to read about dying? I knew I'd need some guidance in this area eventually, so when I saw Ms. Carlson's book I thought I'd give it a read. Her "But Seriously..." sections contained all the information I'm likely to need, surrounded by pages and pages of humor, good humor. Jokes and cartoons -- there's something for everyone in "I Died Laughing: Funeral Education with a Light Touch." Humorists will be especially pleased.

Death is not a topic many of us enjoy talking about, and as a result many people are unprepared for the business side of death once it strikes close to home. The underlying goal of this little book is to increase readers' knowledge of death, funerals, and the like. Thus, there is information on burial vaults, caskets, funeral homes, cremation, etc.; much of this information is useful and interesting. There are even money-saving tips for families in financial straits. Surrounding these tips and suggestions, though, are an assortment of humorous remarks and stories: famous last words, cartoons, jokes, funny epitaphs, poems, and recollections. You will also find "A Dying Person's Bill of Rights" and--my favorite--a list of suggestions for "Putting the 'Fun' Back in Funerals." This book is in no way irreverent or disrespectful of the dead and those who mourn for them, and there are no religious overtones that might upset certain readers. This short little book (it can easily be read in half an hour) will certainly not make you an expert on funerals, but there is some good information to be found on the serious pages scattered throughout the book, not least of which is a discussion of the information funeral homes are required by law to give you in writing before you make any buying decision. The author emphasizes the fact that you are not required to accept everything the funeral director recommends and stresses the importance of reading through the price guidelines and relevant information before making your decision. No matter how much we deny it, death is a part of life we all must face, and this little book celebrates life through its humor and makes death a little easier for people to consider and talk about.

If you are going to die please purchase this book. "I Died Laughing Funeral
Education with a Light Touch" will help you laugh your way into planning your funeral your way to the low cost funeral. It will help you lower the cost of your family funerals.
Funeral directors to be effective and friendly in awkward social situations, must have this book in their possession. Open your wallet Mr. Funeral Director. This book will float you to the ceiling in laughter just like in the Movie "Mary Poppins".
The Historical references on death will get you laughing and thinking. Sometimes the "but seriously sections" will take you to new funeral options, a good thing. Five stars all the way. Practical, timeless and funny. "Page 54" "Putting the Fun back in Funerals"and "page 89" "A Dying Persons Bill of Rights" make this work a fun read.

This book has tons of jokes and cartoons with a death theme. Most of them are pretty funny. Interspersed are some 'but seriously' pages with real information about various aspects of death, dying and funerals. There is a table of contents in the front so you can go right to the serious stuff if you want. There is also a good list of funeral directors in the back of the book.

This was the best PEANUTS book I have ever read! All my friends wanted to borrow it from me but I told them that they could get a copy on www.amazon.com.

This book turned out to be better than I thought. I was expecting a thin paperback, but it is chock full of delightful Peanuts Gang antics. A Great Deal!!

This book is great. It shows most of the Peanuts strips for the year of 1992. It has some awesome strips, like the one where it shows Marcie without her glasses, something I had never seen before(her eyes look just like everybody else's). The only complaint that I have is that it doesn't show most of the Sunday strips in the year. But other than that, this book is a great collection for any Peanuts fan!

Another great collection of Peanuts strips. A single year's worth in a single volume. Hundreds of laughs that will tug your heart.

I would have to say- this is the best collection of far side i have read yet! it is the funniest (i've read) and also the most witty (i've read)

Ahh, Gary Larson does it again with another compilation of his crazy, weird, sometimes unusual cartoons. Join him this time with hijinks at the zoo, Nature scenes we rarely see, the Mr Potato Head court case, cavemen adventures, ducks and many more hilarious situations from the funnier side of life. Recommended to everyone!!!!

I thought this was a great book. Good to read when you have to stop and go. you also learned about historic moments, science and ecology. I garantee it will make you smile when you dont feel well. I would suggest you read it now.

This book has humor you can only find in a Far Side book. It has some of the funniest comics ever made by Larson!You'll laugh so hard your house might shake a little! You'll want to see the comics over and over again! I recommend this book for Far Side fans or for people that want a laugh.

This is a wonderful book for fans of DTWOF with little cartoons from calanders and what not. However, it is not a part of the series, so people looking for additions to the narrative of the books will be disappointed or a bit frustrated. But aside from that, this is a book full of goodies, perfect to savor a little bit at a time.

Even as a white middle class hetero, I enjoy following on an ocassional basis the progress of Ms. Bechdel's cast of characters. It's rare to find a cartoonist who has so sucessfully kept a shtick going so long without becoming hopelessly stale (although perhaps it's a bit easier for a self-consciously running commentary on society and politics wherre the material is a little more dynamic than, say, the antics of Dennis the Menace or Little Jeffrey)....

Bechdel's prose here is as smart and funny as readers of the regular strip would expect. It starts as a memoir as she describes her beginnings and progression as a cartoonist, and includes lots of early drawings and strips. The bulk of the book is made up of stuff never seen in the DTWOF volumes: strips from her calendars, strips made for other magazines or special occasions, and autobiographical work. It's great stuff, always funny, and everyone with a sense of humor should buy it right away.

I first learned about Madam & Eve when taking the African Politics class at my school. When it came time to do term papers, I ended up exploring the issues in Madam & Eve (which meant I read all the books my prof had - and scared my roommates because I kept breaking into laughter). Madam & Eve is a wonderful comic, very smart and VERY funny. I recommend it to anyone who likes political commentary, as well as a good laugh.

The best of the first five years of South Africa's (and a few other places) favourite couple, Madam & Eve. This book provides a history, a deeper look into and of course, their greatest hits. I've got em all, mostly all signed by the authors and i'm told my collection is getting worth a few hundred dollars now! New edition out every year, get em while you can, you won't be disappointed.

All Madam and Eve comic books are great. They are full of comics about things happening in South Africa, toyi toyi, government, hijacking and problems between white and black people. These books are really funny, but you have to know certain things aboutt the country to understand some of the comics.

If you are a South African, former South African, or anyone, this book is a MUST HAVE! These are some of the best comics on Earth. This is the type of book that you pick up and read in one sitting, even though it is a comic book. This book is actually a wonderful collection of most of the comics past, and includes commentary of how the comic has changed and just tid bits of knowledge from the author. This is a must have for any Madam and Eve fans and for anyone who has never heard of Madam and Eve. You will love this book. I gaurantee it.

My daughter loves James, Martha, Sweetie, et al. She loves to quote James, and make up her own "James-isms". One awesome thing I want to mention is that my daughter wrote a fan letter to James and Mark Tonra answered her with an original sketch, written on the letter she sent! That tells me what a good guy he is.

I first fell in love with James over the internet, saving every days' individual strips. It's truely a pleasure to find out that Mark Tonra's work has found it's way to a book. I am so glad to be able to have them in a dead-tree format that I can share with my own little James (we call him "Nathan" ^_^).

If you have a toddler or love kids and how they can seem to be more adult than some adults, you will -love- this book.

I really dig this comic strip. At first glance, you might think it's just about some baby, but James' insight and wisdom on growing up and living a good life is way beyond his years...from friendship to mischief makers to hot baby-sitters, James has a way of working himself into the most unsuspecting hearts.

The word on the street is that a second James collection will be coming out in Spring of 2003...keep your eyes peeled for another whopping dose of James goodness!

When I saw this book I took a look and decided to see what it was worth. I really liked.
James is a unique character. A young kid with a huge personality and a great "dark" side that allows him to pursue new disaster with a smile. It really is a young kid discovering the world.
The drawings are clean and minimal great to read and probably look great on the newspaper too.
I look forward to the next book from Mark Tonra and "James", it muat be great!

What makes "Janet and Me" so beautiful is that it combines all of the complex and conflicting elements that are such an important part of being the caregiver to the person who is the love of your life: the tenderness, the fear, the rage, and the anger at a heartless medical system that turns a deaf ear when people are at their most vulnerable. This is, without a doubt, one of THE most touching books about love, loss, caregiving and true friendship that I have ever read. I can't recommend any book more highly! (A shortened version of "Janet and Me" is also contained in the wonderful book on caregiving, "An Uncertain Inheritance," which is also sold on Amazon.com.)

Julia Schopick
www.HonestMedicine.com

This book describes in both narrative form and cartoons the story of Stan Mack's relationship with his long-time partner, Janet, and how he coped with her illness and subsequent death from cancer. Two primary themes emerged, with the first theme focusing on their love and commitment to each other. You finish the book thinking that they were lucky to have had each other in their lives. Stan's tender and total caregiving of Janet during the terminal phase of her illness was particularly impressive. The second theme concerned the reactions of the medical establishment to terminal disease, and the discomfort medical professionals have in confronting the fact that they will not always be able to cure their patients. One of the most heartrending parts of the book is toward the end, when Stan and Janet try repeatedly, in vain, to contact her physician (who had been wonderfully supportive at the beginning of her treatment) to ask whether her chemotherapy should be discontinued and what could be done instead. It was only when Stan started hospice care that Janet started receiving the home help and other sources of support that she needed to improve the quality of her remaining days.

Indeed, one of the features of this book that cancer patients and their families might find most helpful is that Mack provides a more realistic picture of the day-to-day aspects of caring for a terminally ill loved one. You get the sense that he wants to prevent others the trial-and-error efforts he had to go through to figure out what worked best. A related moral is that persistence is needed in dealing with insurance companies and the medical establishment. Lastly, his is a precautionary tale of the legal difficulties facing unmarried partners. Janet's will, naming Stan as executor, was challenged by her relatives, resulting in a legal battle that took over a year to resolve.

This last paragraph probably makes the book sound like it is cut and dried and concerned only with practical and logistical details. That is not at all the case. It is, first and foremost, a story of love and loss, and you will almost certainly be unable to read this book without being moved to tears by the depth of Mack's love and pain. But perhaps the greatest strength of this book is that Mack points out that, in real life, love and loss doesn't proceed like you see on bad made-for-TV specials, or "Love Story," where the heroine drifts off to sleep after a very short and essentially painless illness. In real life, love and loss are embedded in a host of not-so-pleasant details like "what kind of bedpan is best for the advanced cancer patient?" (answer: full-size bedside commode) and "how can I get her to take her pain medicine if she can no longer swallow?" The beauty of this book is that Mack shows so compellingly how love can shine through and conquer all those messy details.

I could barely put it down. It was painful to read, but worth every minute of the pain. Stan Mack is a person anyone would want to have around in a crisis. He is a rock, exhausted but understanding.
I met Janet Bode briefly twice. She approached me because, as she said, "I recognize your hairstyle!" I was bald at the time, having also undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer. We ended up having a long talk, and I was devastated a year and a half later to run into her again, and see that she was bald again. She was beautiful, not just cute.
This is a wonderful book. I am giving a copy to a friend of mine who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This book is a unique, honest, and bravely told story of powerful emotions, true love, beautiful friendship, and perseverance. The author conveys the wide-ranging emotions of Janet, himself, and those around him without dodging a single one--no matter how hard-hitting, no matter how far out in left field. It's all here--the sadness of course, but also the anger, the humor, the desperation, the sarcasm. It's incredibly real and raw. The illustrations and "comic" style, rather than creating a lighter feel, enrich the story and make it even more accessbile to the reader. At the end, you feel you really know Stan and Janet and you really like them. It left me with a renewed faith in love, friendship, and the power of real human connections.