Comic Books Books

You really can't go wrong here...$13 or $14 for a book with wonderful artwork and brief history lessons and a companion CD with some truly timeless music.

Not a general fan of the genre, but I actually found the country music included on the CD to be the most interesting. But really every song is special.

A must have for any Crumb or roots music fan.

In 20/20 hindsight (or hindsound?) I bought the book intending to learn about music. Taken purely as an introduction to three genres of early American music, the book is a success. The pictures (and introduction to R. Crumb the artist) were a huge bonus. Wow! The CD with it completes the trifecta.

This is a fantastic introduction to multiple artistic elements - perhaps a few that will catch the reader/viewer/listener off guard. Enjoy!

Richard Nevins of Rounder Records first came up with the idea for Robert Crumb to illustrate a series of early Blues, Jazz, and Old Time Music and Bluegrass greats along the lines of the baseball cards of his childhood. Crumb went for the idea and produced what became three boxes of cards with illustrations taken from old photos on the front and write-ups about the players on the back (many of them by Nevins).

Now the famous fine arts publisher Abrams Books has designed and published a superb volume that includes the Crumb artwork as never before -- in brilliant color and on a larger scale than the cards -- along with expanded bios and a bonus CD that samples some of this great American roots music. Anyone interested in high-level cartoon art and this powerful expressive music will want to own this book.

I have the original jazz card set by R. Crumb, so I was very happy to receive this re-compendium as a gift. The reproductions of the artwork are better than the cards, and Zwigoff's introduction is amusing. The CD is a great bonus, also. One goof I noticed is that the final cut is not Jimmy Noone's "King Joe," but Paul Whiteman's Orchestra with Bing Crosby's vocal, "From Monday On," featuring a good Bix Beiderbecke solo.

Wow! Every so often you run across something that knocks your socks off. R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz, & Country left me barefooted.

In the 1980s, Robert Crumb, whom Robert Hughes appropriately once called the "Breughel of the 20th century," created sets of trading cards featuring some of his favorite blues, jazz, and country musicians. (The plan was to include one card per LP sold by innovative record firm Yazoo.) This collection, edited by Terry Zwigoff, the same guy who directed the documentary "Crumb," pulls together the illustrations from all three sets. They're wonderful. The blues and country illustrations are drawn, and are vintage Crumb: crosshatched, brooding characters. The jazz illustrations are water-colored. They're identifiably Crumb, but have a definitely different feel to them.

Crumb is a fascinating genius. Although his art and comics tend to be avant-garde (a term he might well disdain) and iconoclastic, Crumb also has a real affinity for late 19th and early 20th century American culture. Part of this love for an earlier time, no doubt, stems from his intense dislike of the fast-paced, loud, and garish American culture he eventually fled in the 1990s (Crumb now lives in France). But part of it is that he thinks the music produced in the early 20th century represents folk art at its finest and purest, before music became an industry. Crumb began collecting old 78s when he was still a teenager, and his love for the older music has never waned.

And so to the piece de resistance of this book: the accompanying 21 cut CD. Crumb personally chose the pieces, and they're absolutely fantastic. Except for a couple of the blues and jazz musicians, all of the artists are virtually unknown except to the afficionado. But man oh man, are they wonderful. Skip James' rendering of "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" is a heart-breaker. Dock Boggs' "Sugar Baby" and Burnett & Rutherford's "All Night Long Blues" are haunting in their strange but beautiful ways. And no matter how bad things get, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra's "Kater Street Rag" will pick you up. My son and I have listened to the CD over and over and over, and we never get tired of it. He prefers the blues and jazz, I'm in love with the hillbilly blue grass cuts. But the whole CD--well, it just knocks your socks off.

Wow.
_____
* From R. Crumb's essay "To Be Interested in Old Music is To Be a Social Outcast!", The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book, p. 191. "You play old records for most people, and, if they listen at all, after the record's over they turn to you and say, 'So what is it you like ab out that old music?' You just want to throw up your hands."

This is my favorite book of all five books I have.You see it starts out with a couple skating competition that Ranma and Akane are in. Exept not only are they doing this to prove that Ranma can do any materials arts (even skating!) they also compete for the cute pig side of Ryoga who was captured by this new character (I forgot what her name was) during the time Akane was skating in the ice rink in volume 2.The new girl (who when ever finds something cute picks it up and names it)is also competing for what she calls the cute pig side of Ryoga Charrelote! Akane being mad at the fact gets into the competition. But during the competition there is a black out! I don't want to ruin the surprise and tell you the rest so i geuss you will have to figure out yourself buy it I'm sure you will love it . Oh! and it also has the first apperence of Shampoo! The kick butt chinese chick!

Just when it seems that things are going right for Ranma Saotome, they promptly go wrong again.

That's the way it is with the entrance of one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular characters, the won't-take-no-for-an-answer Amazon Shampoo. The third volume of "Ranma 1/2" has Ranma and Akane reaching a new level of interest in each other.... only to have Shampoo shatter it.

The day dawns for the martial-arts skating competition, and Ranma is more determined than ever to beat womanizing Mikado Sanzenin (who gave him his first kiss in the previous volume). But Ranma is given a savage beating that almost kills him -- and soon Ryoga/P-chan/Charlotte has entered the rink, determined to beat the figure skaters as well.

No sooner have Ranma and Akane gotten off the rink than a new problem arises: A Chinese girl batters through a wall, announcing "Ranma, I kill!" She's Shampoo, a Chinese Amazon whom Ranma defeated in one-on-one combat in China. Now Shampoo won't be satisfied until (female) Ranma is dead.

But when she encounters Ranma in his male form, and he accidently defeats her, Shampoo falls in love with him. Now Akane is seething with jealousy, and Ranma is trying to evade a new fiancee who wants him as a guy -- and wants him dead as a girl. Even worse, Shampoo's devotion to her new "groom" extends to giving Akane selective amnesia -- she remembers everything except Ranma.

Before this volume of "Ranma 1/2," the romantic problems were pretty straightforward, and the only rival was a guy who is too shy to say how he feels. But with the arrival of Shampoo, the tangled web of love starts to form -- and poor Ranma is stuck right in the middle of it.

There's more romance than martial-arts in this volume, despite the long-awaited skating match. Poor Ranma is being pursued romantically by a womanizing skater and a deranged Amazon, and it's rapidly becoming a lot more than his limited skills can handle. And only Ranma could pull off a little frilly skating dress.

Romantics will get a few thrills in this volume: Ranma threatens Mikado for saying that he'll kiss Akane, and later vows that he will make sure Akane remembers him. And when Akane takes her jealous frustrations about Ranma out on a straw dummy, she remembers his threat, and them gently hugs the dummy.

Romantic problems get more intense in the third volume of "Ranma 1/2," with the arrival of Shampoo, Fiancee No. 2. And things only get more complex later on....

I was having dinner with my boyfriend at his parents house and after dinner i noticed his sister had this book sitting out. As an avid book lover who devotes her entire being into reading a book, i naturaly inquired about it. My boyfriend and his dad gave it rave reviews and his sister was so far very amused and impressed. Such high ratings from non-book lovers! The sarcasm and humor (yes on every page) are a riot! What can i say - I'M HOOKED! :D

Living in Japan comes with numerous perks. First off, I can brush up on my marginally acceptable Japanese-speaking skills, but I also have access to some things that I just couldn't get enough of anywhere else. Well, Ranma 1/2 lurks near the top of that list.

Rumiko Takahashi, arguably one of the best and most creative writers of manga in history, presents us with the longest-running series of her impressive resume - the story of a teenaged martial arts master, Ranma Saotome, and his irresponsible trainer and father, Genma. Genma takes him to Jusenkyo, a collection of hot springs in China. If only Genma had known how to read Chinese, he would have known that the springs afflict those who fall into them with evil and seemingly irreversible curses - as Ranma and Genma unwittingly duel it out atop bamboo poles high over the springs, Ranma kicks his father into "The Spring of Drowned Giant Panda" ... surprise, out jumps a Giant Panda, ready to resume fighting. Bewildered, Ranma is hit by the panda into "The Spring of Drowned Young Girl", and meets the surface with the curse that haunts his life - you see, once Genma and Ranma make contact with cold water, Genma becomes a panda, and Ranma becomes a female version of himself. Not to completely worry though, because hot water will bring them back to normal every time. But that's only the beginning of the story. Genma trained with a man called Soun Tendo, the father of three teenage girls - Genma and Soun agreed to marry Ranma with one of his girls. The money-grabbing Nabiki and the impossibly-kind Kasumi, the elder sisters, elect the unwilling boy-hating Akane to become fiancees with this "hentai otoko", and this is the rocky start to the relationship that the series revolves around.

Having already read the entire Ranma 1/2 series, I can honestly say that the third book (fourth in Japan, somehow) was one of the best. It begins with the continuation of the ice-skating competition, with not only one, but TWO of the cutest scenes you'll ever see, plus a great appearance by Ryoga, who is lovestruck with Akane. It's after the competition ends that we're introduced to the sexy Chinese Amazon warrior girl, Shampoo. Female Ranma defeated Shampoo in a tournament of sorts while he was back in China. That's wonderful and all, but the only problem is that Shampoo gives "The Kiss of Death" to all females who defeat her - it's the vow that she'll hunt them down and kill them, whatever it takes. Well, she's followed Ranma into Japan, and now he's on the run again. Just one thing - she has never seen the male-version Ranma. He ends up defeating her as well. Expecting the worst, the terrified Ranma is pushed into another "Kiss of Death", but, somehow, this one is a bit different: Shampoo kisses him on the lips, and means it. The other half of Shampoo's vows are that if a male defeats her, she vows to marry him. And with that, Shampoo is trying to kill one half of Ranma, while trying desperately to seduce the other half. The irony here is obvious and hilarious, and it's situations like these that Rumiko Takahashi has the ability to work with flawlessly.

As you can imagine, Akane (although she won't admit it) is quite jealous and annoyed by Shampoo's advances towards her fiancee - and although Ranma and Akane would rather die than admit any sort of more-than-platonic feelings for each other, we can start to see the sweet silhouette of some sort of attraction between them when Akane meets her first rival suitor for Ranma. Akane, being the violent tomboy, picks a fight with Shampoo. Ranma realizes that Akane is no match for Shampoo, so he comes to her rescue to find her lying on the ground - she wakes up with part of her memory gone - the part of her memory that has anything to do with Ranma, that is. Of course it's Shampoo's wily tricks that did this to her, and Ranma is determined to find the '911' formula shampoo that will bring her memory back. He ends up successful in bringing Akane's memory back, and all is well for everyone. Well, except for Shampoo. It's then that she discovers the shocking secret that Ranma keeps, and is devastated. She leaves (presumably for China) with tears in her eyes ... but distance makes the heart grow fonder, as they say.

If you're as in love with this series as I am, you must read on, it's definitely worth it. The beginning is all about introducing main characters and building the foundations of their relationship with everyone else, but as we progress through the story, the relationships start to develop and Rumiko Takahashi can leave us all with endearing smiles on our faces at this very sweet, hilarious, and exciting action-packed romantic-comedy.

Just when it seems that things are going right for Ranma Saotome, they promptly go wrong again.

That's the way it is with the entrance of one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular characters, the won't-take-no-for-an-answer Amazon Shampoo. The third volume of "Ranma 1/2" has Ranma and Akane reaching a new level of interest in each other.... only to have Shampoo shatter it.

The day dawns for the martial-arts skating competition, and Ranma is more determined than ever to beat womanizing Mikado Sanzenin (who gave him his first kiss in the previous volume). But Ranma is given a savage beating that almost kills him -- and soon Ryoga/P-chan/Charlotte has entered the rink, determined to beat the figure skaters as well.

No sooner have Ranma and Akane gotten off the rink than a new problem arises: A Chinese girl batters through a wall, announcing "Ranma, I kill!" She's Shampoo, a Chinese Amazon whom Ranma defeated in one-on-one combat in China. Now Shampoo won't be satisfied until (female) Ranma is dead.

But when she encounters Ranma in his male form, and he accidently defeats her, Shampoo falls in love with him. Now Akane is seething with jealousy, and Ranma is trying to evade a new fiancee who wants him as a guy -- and wants him dead as a girl. Even worse, Shampoo's devotion to her new "groom" extends to giving Akane selective amnesia -- she remembers everything except Ranma.

Before this volume of "Ranma 1/2," the romantic problems were pretty straightforward, and the only rival was a guy who is too shy to say how he feels. But with the arrival of Shampoo, the tangled web of love starts to form -- and poor Ranma is stuck right in the middle of it.

There's more romance than martial-arts in this volume, despite the long-awaited skating match. Poor Ranma is being pursued romantically by a womanizing skater and a deranged Amazon, and it's rapidly becoming a lot more than his limited skills can handle. And only Ranma could pull off a little frilly skating dress.

Romantics will get a few thrills in this volume: Ranma threatens Mikado for saying that he'll kiss Akane, and later vows that he will make sure Akane remembers him. And when Akane takes her jealous frustrations about Ranma out on a straw dummy, she remembers his threat, and them gently hugs the dummy.

Romantic problems get more intense in the third volume of "Ranma 1/2," with the arrival of Shampoo, Fiancee No. 2. And things only get more complex later on....

About the only negative I have is that the pictures were not bright, but the colors seemed to be faded. This is really minor. Overall I thought the book was excellent.

We read this to both of our girls when they were small 20 years ago. We wore out 2 books with them! We purchased more to give as gifts. Pictures are well drawn, colorful and stories are very acurate to scripture. We've even used the book in our deaf ministry as they are very visual learners as well,they love it!

A fair price and reasonable delivery....I'm satisfied

We got this for my son when he was 2. He would fall asleep looking at the pictures every night (for some reason we were in a phase where we left the light on for him). He pretty much memorized all the pictures in the book, because he would absolutely pore over them! That one is in pretty bad shape, so I'm buying another one. I'm planning on cutting the old one up and using some of the pictures to make cards to use for my pre-schoolers to put the story in order and also to use to do a Bible timeline. This has one story with 12 pictures per two-page spread. Longer stories (like Joseph, the Exodus, etc.) are told in several parts, so there's no skimping.

I purchased this for our son when he was about 10. He loved it, and is reading his same copy to his daughters now. This month, I purchased 3 more for our other grandchildren, and have given as a gift to a new Christian. I enjoy it too. It gives two sentences per picture in understandable language for any age.

Amazon says this is issues 1-18, but it isn't. I was worried since vol 3 is 13-20~. I didn't want to buy the 5 whole issues again, but thankfully just amazon was wrong. everywhere else says -12 and 13-. Aside from that, great book, great story, nice hard cover with a simple logo, looks better than a bible. I'm purchasing volume 3 and the Dead End Kids book very soon.

This second hardcover of the Runaways is as amazingly well-done as the first hardcover.

Included in this trade is Runaways Volume 2 issues #1-12, as well as the X-Men/Runaways Free Comic Book Day crossover from 2006.
The Story Arcs:
True Believers (issues 1-6)
Star-Crossed Lovers (issues 7-8)
East Coast/West Coast (issues 9-12)

The X-Men/Runaways crossover is correctly placed in this trade, after issue 12, where it takes place.

Superb characterizations extend the simple (yet extremely interesting) original idea that control and authority are two very different things.
These three hardcover volumes rework, refine and re-explore that idea brilliantly. The seven paperback volumes contain the same material.

Wikipedia may help you avoid buying parts of this amazing saga more than once.

It took awhile for this to arrive but it was worth it. An excellent follow up to the first volume. Runaways is probably BK Vaughan's best Marvel work. I can hardly wait for Volume 3. I wish that Marvel will collect the rest of Runaways issue even though its not by Vaughan in a similar hardcover format. (ie Runaways/Young Avengers: Civil War.
An excellent buy for me.

I said it before and I'll say it again. This is THE way to read Runaways. Under the attractive dust jacket, the cover is made up of a soft black vinyl material that is extremely durable. The book itself is huge, letting you appreciate the art in a way that it may not have been able to be appreciated in the original comics and the infinitely smaller digest trade paperbacks. Plus, the book is loaded with extras.

This time around, we get twelve issues. One six issue arc, one two issue mini-arc, and one four issue arc. The cherry that tops off this Comic Sundae is a twelve page Runaways/X-Men crossover story that was given out on Free Comic Book Day. Other than the original comic, you can't find this story anywhere else. But, that being said, there's no reason why you'd want to. The story is inconsequential and the art is horrific. It's cool as an extra, but don't look forward to it as an epic super-team crossover issue.

Now, about the actual story: I reviewed the individual arcs here Runaways Vol. 4: True Believers and here Runaways Vol. 5: Escape to New York, but I'll reiterate. The stories are great and the dialogue is snappy as always. This is Brian K. Vaughan here. Its elementary knowledge that he'll always deliver a story that'll make you laugh and nod appreciatively at the talent of his writing. The art ranges from okay to great; Alphona isn't great at drawing the major marvel superheroes, but he excels at drawing the major "Runaways" characters. Speaking of those good ol' kids, I'm sure you returning readers are wondering how they've been. Their lives are no less tumultuous than they were in Runaways, Vol. 1, but the situation(s) they're in are nowhere near as epic as that of the first eighteen issues. In fact, this entire volume feels like set-up for a big story to come. That's both exciting and disheartening. This book could've been bigger and included more plot development than hinting at what is going to come, but even so; the more-or-less standalone arcs of this series are always entertaining, funny, and often poignant and, as an aspiring writer, I can safely say that Vaughan's writing is inspiring.

8/10

I have had tons of pets. But none as demanding as cats. Now that I think about it cats are good training for dating, but I'm getting off track. Sumire Iwaya finds Momo, a homeless guy in a box, and takes him in. But in order for him to stay with her and eat her food he has to be her pet. Which is why he has a female dog's name. Now that seems simple, till her old flame shows up and wants to link up with her again. What if he wants to come over? What if he wants to have dinner with her? What if he wants to have sex with her? Things may get complex. I plan to keep an eye on this manga series.

I really can't add much to the detailed reviews already listed, so I'm just here to add more stars to this under publicized manga. I own volumes 1-13, and am eagerly awaiting the final volume- too bad they take four months in between each volume. This manga is intelligent and funny, with great romantic moments. And it is refreshing that all the main characters have well developed personalities, and are talented (as opposed to the stupid-but-sweet girl with smart guy dynamic you sometimes see playing out in shoujo manga.. eh..). This is definitely manga for an older teen or adults. Don't be turned off by the questionable title- you'll be missing out on a great story (in Japanese (Kimi wa Petto), the title literally means "You're My Pet" but I guess Tokyopop didn't find that catchy enough). Highly recommended.

Sumire Iwaya is a tall, workaholic, head-strong woman with a commanding personality. She has a smoking problem, tends to get drunk on wine, and dates men who are at her height or taller. In the first two pages of the manga, her personality and several of her habits are revealed, as well as her punching her now ex-boyfriend for cheating on her in the office. As she frustratingly tries to deal with her loss, she kicks a box lying at her doorstep and looks down in horror when she sees a body inside.

Enter Momo...or that's what Sumire decided to call her 'pet'. With a bouncy, energetic attitude, Momo, named after a real dog Sumire had a long time ago, allows Sumire's comfort as she washes him, feeds him, pets him and talks to him about her deepest feelings. Momo, in return, opens up to Sumire that he takes ballet classes and hopes to make a career in what he does. Like Sumire, he also has a tragic past, but he's a lot more quiet about it. Sumire aso has to hide Momo as her human pet from everyone in her office (they all think he's a cat!), especially her new love interest, a sexy man named Senpai Hasumi. While she struggles to let go of her feelings for Hasumi, she also can't seem to let go of Momo as well, being the one major conflict in the volumes to come.

The good thing about the first volume is that although it tends to rush into things quite too fast (Kissing Momo already?), it keeps you reading to find out if Sumire will have one of her bitchy moments, seeing more of Momo's hilarious antics, and to see the slowly developing relationship between Sumire and Hasumi. The humor is spot-on, with Momo taking the role of a dog a bit too seriously as he shakes himself dry after a bath, or curling up on the couch the same way a dog would do.

It's a romantic comedy that can be pretty humorous and some parts had me laughing outright. You can feel for Sumire and her struggles between a man she loves, and the 'pet' she took in. And her love for Momo shows, especially when Momo takes off for ballet 'unannounced', leaving Sumire in a nervous breakdown of guilt and indepression. To anyone who likes romance that isn't afraid to take itself to some funny levels, this manga is for you. Good stuff.

I've read a lot of manga in my time, and this is, by far, one of the best. Tramps Like Us is an off-beat romantic story about a young(ish) professional woman who takes in a 17-year-old boy as a pet. What I really like about this manga is that it doesn't fit into the classic romantic comedy manga format. Speaking about the series in general (not just Volume 1), Sumire does have a boyfriend, an ex that she arguably hasn't gotten over, and issues with her family. But what makes the story (in Volume 1) is when she takes in an injured boy as a pet, naming him "Momo" after her dog that died when she was a child. This causes trouble as Momo seems to have some deeper feelings for Sumire, and suspicion arises when Sumire won't bring her boyfriend over to her house because of her "dog". She eventually has to learn to divide her time between the two, all while keeping her boyfriend from knowing that she's keeping a boy as a pet.

The manga is also very well written and well drawn. I saw the TV series, "Kimi Wa Pet" that was based on the manga, and it was good but it didn't seem to measure up to this manga. I like Yayoi Ogawa's style and use of facial expressions. Also the end and beginning of chapter artwork is always really cute. :) If you love manga, are just getting into it, or want to try it, I highly recommend this series. Even reading through just the first novel gets you hooked. It's sweet, addictive and original...you'll love it!

The title Tramps Like Us could refer to the fact that the main character, Sumire - a girl in her late twenties, offers to take in a homeless young man for a night as a gesture of goodwill ... but I prefer to think it refers to the characters's quest to find their place in the world. All the characters in this series are "homeless" as they are looking for their place to belong, whether it be at work or in a relationship.

Normally in stories featuring a twenty-something girl, like Bridget Jones, the main character deals with problems such as looking slim and trying to cope with work. However Yayoi bravely gives us a main character who is so attractive she resembles a model, is highly educated, and, apart from a few hiccups, has a successful career. Yayoi shows us the inner thoughts of this "perfect" woman, who is actually very insecure and lonely. She has to cope with her workmates misinterpreting her shyness with being an a cold hearted [...]. Women dislike her because she is so goodlooking, while men feel threatened by her high education, tallness, and career success. After being dumped by her boyfriend, when he makes his secret girl-friend pregnant, she makes a vow never to date anyone who is shorter than her, makes less money, or is not as qualified as she is.

One night she finds a young man living homeless outside her house. After letting him stay one night and, in a bid to make him leave and as a joke, she offers him the chance to live in her flat as long as he agrees to be her "pet." And to her surprise, he agrees! Sumire names him Momo, the same name as her childhood dog, and treats him exactly as she would a dog. She gives him a home, feeds him, and tells him her problems. As she does not think of him as a "man" she is completely at ease to be herself and does not feel the need to pretend to be "perfect" as she does with the men she dates. However, because she thinks of him as a pet, she does not think of the possibility of a relationship with him. Before she realises it, he becomes her confident and her emotional support. Problems arise when she meets up with her first boyfriend/crush, the goodlooking, successful, and really nice guy Hasumi. Her relationship with him in college ended prematurely in college and they both see this as a second chance. However she cannot admit to Hasumi that she keeps a young man as a pet.

Yayoi gives us three dimensional, very human characters. Both Hasumi and Momo, while being completely different in looks and personality, are both sweet, attractive and considerate. Sumire is also very likeable. She is only truly comfortable in jogging bottoms, smoking, playing playstation games, or watching trashy tv. These are her secret vices that only her best-friend and Momo can see. It is a welcome change to read a romance with older characters, from the normal high school stories, and Yayoi delivers honest believable three dimensional characters, attractive art, and a very addictive romantic (and often funny) storyline.

The story is about finding companionship, about how the prospect of love can be so close to you that you miss it, about the difficulties a successful career woman has in a male dominated work environment, about how women are faced with the prospect of choosing between marriage and work, and about finding your place in the world. A place where you can be truly free to be yourself, comfortable in the knowledge that you are loved for your faults as well as your successes.

It's Gorey at his best continued. I am not exactly sure if the book i supposed to be a continuation of Amphigorey, but it has more of Edward Gorey. Content is different from the original Amphigorey, with the exception of the Chinese Obelisk. This book has included draft version of the work, as well as the final one (final one appears in the first book as well).

This is definitely a quality addition to one's Gorey library. However, if you're going to own only one Amphigorey, make it Amphigorey Also, in which he has truly mastered his own peculiar style.

This excellent follow-up anthology contains such classic Gorey works as The Beastly Baby, The Pious Infant, The Gilded Bat, The Chinese Obelisks, The Deranged Cousins, and The Disrespectful Summons.

I don't care if you've never in your life read Edward Gorey, I don't care if "it's not your thing," I don't care about any silly excuse. If you haven't read this book than you are not complete, and there's only one way to fix the problem.

Edward Gorey is satiric genius, and when he isn't being sarcastic and whimsical then he is beautiful and poetic (although come to think of it, he's always poetic, isn't he?). Being an Amphigorey, this book has loads or nonsense stuff crammed together with some of his best work. I can't imagine that anyone with any kind of imagination could read through it without finding at least one thing that they adored.

The contents of Gorey's collections with personal rates for each work:

AMPHIGOREY:
The Unstrung Harp (1953) ========================= ****1/2
The Listing Attic (1954) ========================= *****
The Doubtful Guest (1957) ======================== ****1/2
The Object-Lesson (1958) ========================= ****
The Bug Book (1959) ============================== ***1/2
The Fatal Lozenge (1960) ========================= *****
The Hapless Child (1961) ========================= *****
The Curious Sofa (1961) ========================== ****1/2
The Willowdale Handcar (1962) ==================== ****1/2
The Gashlycrumb Tinies (1963) ==================== *****
The Insect God (1963) ============================ *****
The West Wing (1963) ============================= ***1/2
The Wuggly Ump (1963) ============================ ****1/2
The Sinking Spell (1964) ========================= ****1/2
The Remembered Visit (1965) ====================== ****

AMPHIGOREY TOO:
The Beastly Baby (1962) =================== *****
The Nursery Frieza (1964) ================= -
The Pious Infant (1966) =================== ****1/2
The Evil Garden (1966) ==================== ****1/2
The Inanimate Tragedy (1966) ============== ****
The Gilded Bat (1966) ===================== ****
The Iron Tonic (1969) ===================== ****
The Osbick Bird (1970) ==================== ****1/2
The Chinese Obelisks (Sketch) (1970) ====== ***
The Chinese Obelisks (1970) =============== ****
The Deranged Cousins (1970) =============== ****1/2
The Eleventh Episode (1971) =============== ****
The Untitled Book (1971) ================== ***1/2
The Lavander Leotard ===================== ***
Direspecful Sermons ======================= ****1/2
The Abandoned Sock (1972) ================= ****
The Lost Lions (1973) ===================== ****
Story for Sara ============================ ****
The Salt Herring ========================== ***
Leaves for a Mislaid Album (1972) ========= ***
A Limerick (1973) ========================= ****1/2

AMPHIGOREY ALSO:
The Utter Zoo (1967) ======================== *****
The Blue Aspic (1968) ======================= ****1/2
The Epileptic Bicycle (1969) ================ ****
The Sopping Thrusday (1970) ================= ****1/2
The Grand Passion (1976) =================== **1/2
Les Passementeries Horribles ================ ***
The Ecletic Abecedarium ===================== ***
L'eure Bleau ================================ ***
The Broken Spoke (1976) ===================== ****
The Awdrey-Gore Legacy (1972) =============== ****
The Glorious Nosebleed (1975) =============== ****
The Loathsome Couple (1977) ================= ****1/2
The Green Beads (1978) ====================== ****
Les Urnes Utiles ============================ ***
The Stupid Joke (1980-1982) ================ ****1/2
The Prune People (1983) ===================== ****
The Tuning Fork ============================= ****1/2

AMPHIGOREY AGAIN:
The Galoshes of Remorse (illustration) ==========
Signs of Spring ================================= ***1/2
Seasonal Confusion ============================== ***1/2
Random Walk ===================================== ***1/2
Category (illustration) =========================
The Other Statue (1968) ========================= ****
10 Impossible Objects =========================== -
The Universal Solvent (1989) ==================== -
Scénes de Ballet ================================ ***1/2
Verse Advice ==================================== ***
The Deadly Blotter (1997) ======================= ***
Creativity ====================================== ***
The Retrieved Locket (1994) ===================== ***
The Water Flowers (1982) ======================== ***1/2
The Haunted The-Cosy (1988) ===================== ***1/2
Christmas Wrap-up (illustration) ================
The Headless Bust (1999) ======================== ****
The Just Dessert (1997) ========================= **1/2
The Admonitory Hippopotamus ===================== ***1/2
Negected Murderesses (1980) ===================== ***1/2
Tragédies Topiaries ============================= ****
The Raging Tide (1987) ========================== ****
The Unknown Vegetable (1995) ==================== ****
Another Random Walk ============================= ***1/2
Serious Life: A Cruise ========================== ***1/2
Figbash Acrobate (Illustrations) ================
La Malle Saignante ============================== ****
The Izzard Book ================================= ***

I think this was my favorite volume in the series so far. The first two were fun and entertaining, but in this one the plot becomes thicker, more complicated, and we start to see glimpses of a rich backstory behind the characters Grandma Ben and Thorn. People who liked the first two books will be sure to like this one, too.

This is my 1st Graphic Novel that I have read. Jeff Smith is a great author and illustrator. The words along with the pictures tell a great story. Jeff uses many story elements in his book Eyes of the storm. His plot has several conflicts in it. He uses mainly person-against-person, with it being the Bone cousins and village people against the rat creatures. Jeff Smith uses flashbacks and foreshadowing in dreams to let Thorn know what her past was like. He uses cliff hangers to make the story more suspenseful. Amongst all of this, Jeff Smith knows how to lighten the atmosphere by putting humor in the right places. This book kept me wanting more. I can't wait to get a hold of the next volume. This will not be my last graphic novel that I read.

The Bone books are the gratest comics I have Ever read

check em' out ;)

This book I just read is about a boy named Bone. Bone's friend started a cow race, and convinced everyone to bet on a cow that didn't even exist. So now they have to wash dishes at a bar to pay back what they destroyed. They have weird dreams about their past. So they spend days trying to figure out what their dreams were about. There are furry creatures in the woods trying to kill them.
Bone was the main character in the story he is the coolest and funniest in the book. There grandma reminds me of my grandma from when I was 3. She told me that there as no such thing as ghosts. I figured out that there was such thing as ghosts when I was 5. My favorite part in the story is when Bone realized that their dreams where real. If you like comic books then you will like the Bone series. This book was made to be read by kids 11 and older.

These books are fantastic! I have two 7yr old boys that cry if I don't read this book to them at night.

Parents:
Imagine using, I won't read to you tonight if you don't stop right now, and it works...that's how good this series is. At first I thought the book might be a little too scary for them but they were hooked and it wasn't until book 4 that I had to consider sensoring some of the language (things like "idiot"). Any book that brings kids back to the well again and again is worth purchasing.

This product was received in a timely manner and in excellent shape. Was very satisfied.

My son fell in love with this books. Its a good way of having him improve his reading skill...

Book 6 of Jeff Smith's graphic novel Bone series, Bone: Old Man's Cave features a showdown between the Hooded One and the valley folk - and Bone and Phoney Bone at the center of controversy. A secret sacrificial moonlight ceremony threatens them in another fine Bone presentation.

I can see why Bone is so popular! This volume is truly a great continuation of the series. The plot continues to become more complicated and intriguing, and the characters are still as likeable and endearing as ever. I can't wait to read the next volume!

I'm a fanatic of bone products, so i think they are the most wonderful things i have ever bought.

For a die-hard Peanuts fan, this series is a must-have!

This series is going to be a regular drain on my bank balance for the coming decade, as that is how long it is going to take Fantagraphics to finish publishing this collection, if they stick to their published schedule.

Be warned: The Sunday strips are not in colour unlike the Calvin & Hobbes and the Farside collection in which even the black and white strips are printed on colour pages. This quite pisses me off...

Finally, a Peanuts collection in chronological order and nothing left out. It's going to be a long wait indeed...

I've always thought of creating a bookshelf of hard cover with all my favourite comic strips, when I could afford them... Calvin & Hobbes, Farside, Tintin, Asterix & of course Peanuts.

I have the first two, and I'm on my way with Peanuts... It's going to be a long and interesting 11 years...

There was a time when the newspaper comic strip was HUGE. In the early 1900s, the success of a newspaper was in part due to the comics it featured. That era has long since disappeared, and it often seems that the comic strip is a neglected relic. There are still some good comics out there, but they are getting rarer and the newspapers treat them with less and less respect, cramming many onto a single page that used to hold just a few.

Where does Peanuts fit into all this? Well, it is the most popular comic strip of all time. Does any other strip have anything close to its legacy of movies, TV shows, plays, books and merchandise? And happily, it is deserving of its success; it is arguably the best comic strip ever, and certainly one of the top ten or so. As a result, it is not hard to see why the newspapers continue to publish old strips years after its creator, Charles Schulz had died. They don't stop printing it or allow another artist to take it over. The comic strips overall are a pale shadow of what they once were, so repeats of Peanuts can prosper because nothing new can replace them.

Volume 4 of the Complete Peanuts is where the characters are really beginning to show their full development. We have Lucy, the champion fussbudget and Linus, her philosophical brother with a dependence on his security blanket. Schroeder is the budding musical genius. Patty, Violet and Shermy are mostly supporting characters at this point; they will be eventually replaced by other characters (but not in this volume).

The two key roles, however, are those of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Snoopy is up to his usual antics, pretending to be a vulture, grabbing at Linus's blanket and relaxing in his water bowl. He also starts his practice of lying on top of his dog house, although his first attempts are not all that successful. Charlie Brown is, well, Charlie Brown, the ultimate loser who the Fates themselves conspire against. Kites won't fly for him, pens constantly smear and if, by some remote chance, his baseball team is doing okay, they heavens themselves will open up and rain out the game. His "friends" are often cruel to him (with the exception of the benevolent Linus and the aloof Schroeder). In a way, the main theme of Peanuts is defined in the very first strip (in volume 1) when Shermy says, "Good old Charlie Brown...How I hate him." This seems to be the way the whole world thinks of this hapless character.

Peanuts may seem to some to be just an overrated strip, but I don't think that's so. It may be overly merchandised, but the comic itself is a cornerstone of the genre and one of the most influential strips out there. This volume again shows why Peanuts is one of the all-time greats.

Here the Peanuts gang becomes familiar, as they start hitting the usual topics that would develop and blossom over the years. Every one of the main characters has secured their place, and Snoopy starts his development into the multi-faceted character we know and love.

Probably the best thing about the book is that we watch Charles M. Schultz modify and mollify his characters. In 1957, quite a few of the Sunday cartoons show Lucy becoming too much the bully, abusing her younger brother viciously without cause and causing no end of pain to Charlie Brown. During 1958, Lucy develops a vulnerability and Linus becomes more an actor, sometimes getting back at his sister and sometimes causing his sister's temper tantrum (it's easier watching her blow up when she has a cause). Schultz could have blown things with Lucy, but with a few modifications between her and Linus, a balance is made that makes things more interesting.

Now, here's to next April, and 1959-1960.

Everyone's favorite beagle comes into his own in this fourth volume of the best-selling COMPLETE PEANUTS series. Snoopy covets Linus's security blanket, indulges in imitations and impressions,joins the baseball team and, toward the end of the book, he even--an epochal development!--starts sleeping on the roof of his doghouse.

Of course, fans of Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, Patty, Pig-Pen, Shermy, Violet, and Charlie Brown will also find plenty of hilarious strips to enjoy as well including several hundred that have never seen print in book form before today.

Reading all the praise here, I was pretty anxious to receive this book, EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CARTOONING BUT WERE AFRAID TO DRAW. I expected to get inspired and learn techniques in writing and drawing I had not perhaps even considered before. In this respect, I can't hide my disappointment. I had not read for long before I realized that what this book had to offer would not be of much use to me. I am a self-taught cartoonist, I've been doing comic strips my entire life and all the advice this book provided I found to be completely obvious; not without relevance, certainly, but I didn't purchase this book to be told that "monsters get more effective if colorized green," or to study the contrast between a happy face and a sad face. Also, the drawings used to represent the points in the text are just about as stereotypical as they can get; I'm not saying I expected it to do the process of creating original characters and ideas for me, but in a book of this kind I find it of invaluable importance that the author is able to really inspire the reader to go ahead and make something good. After all, we've got HI AND LOIS and U.S. ACRES already, or what?

However, if you have just discovered that you got a knack for drawing and want to try it out as a cartoonist, but need guidance in the (very) main rules, this is a good book. If you have been part of this medium for a while and seek new opportunities to get inspired or learn new tricks, try elsewhere. Your own mind for instance.

I love how Christopher Hart really delves into the hard things to draw. Like hands and feet and expressions. This is a wonderful art resource. The pictures are fun and will help you generate many of your own ideas.

This would make a great gift!

Before I finished my third book I decided it needed cartoons to visually explain some ideas (a picture is worth 1000 words) and provide humor to a tough subject. I started checking with hiring a professional artist (or student artist) to do the work. It quickly became clear the task would be time consuming, expensive and I may not get what I wanted in the end.

First, it would be difficult to find someone who would be able to take what was in my mind and transfer it to a cartoon

Second, it became painfully clear it would be expensive (even with a student artist). I wanted around twenty five cartoons drawn.

Third, some individuals wanted to discuss contracts and usage.

My best option was to learn how to draw cartoons myself. I figured it would be less expensive (only the cost of books and art supplies), and frustrating and I would get exactly what was in my brain. It would take some time to become proficient, but it sounded like a fun project. I was fortunately right.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cartooning but Were Afraid to Ask by Christopher Hart and a couple other books helped me learn how to draw cartoons good enough to put in my latest book.

Christopher Hart has done several books on drawing comics. He provides excellent common sense content, and teaches the skill very well though his words and cartoons.

Some the sections that I found especially helpful were: Expressions, How to Draw Hands, The Art of Character Design, Body Types, Principles of Layout, Layouts from a Distance, The Special Effects Lab, Explosions and more.

After finishing my sketches, I used Adobe Elements software to polish up the work. I was very pleased with the final cartoons that went into my book..and there have been many positive comments about them from people who have the book!

Overall, this is a great resource for learning to draw cartoons!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain : How to Come Up With Jokes for Cartoons and Comic Strips

The Cartoonist's Workbook Drawing, Writing Gags, Selling

This a useful book for the artist (or developing artist) moving into cartoon drawing. The material is high quality, drawn and written by a professional with many years' work under his belt. You'll wish it were longer.

Far more detailed than the How to Draw Cartoons book by this author. There are examples of heads, eyes, noses, mouth, hands, and many other elements in good detail.