Caricature Books

The best editorial cartoonists are people of true genius. Their ability to exaggerate facial and body features to make a point can at times be astounding. Pat Oliphant is such a person, having drawn some of the best cartoons of presidents Johnson through George Herbert Walker Bush. The best in this collection is one where a cowboy on a movie screen is riding into the sunset and giving the audience a hearty wave. Only two people are in the audience, one male and the other female. Even though we see only their backs, it is clear that they are Ronald and Nancy Reagan. This demonstrates Oliphant's ability to represent a person using a very small number of characteristics. Of course, this only works if the reader is aware of the people of the caricature.
All good editorial cartoons have a bite to them, and these definitely are in that category. They show the presidents at their weakest, accurately describing their failures using absurd circumstances. While the cartoons are funny, if you do not understand the historical context, by itself, the cartoon will not be understandable. Fortunately, there is companion text that explains the circumstances at the time the cartoon was published.
I love reading editorial cartoons, part propaganda, part political and social commentary and always part of that wonderful gift of free speech; they represent the best qualities of America. Genius and the right to speak your mind, even about those who run the country.

Oliphant is among my favorite political cartoonists even if I do not always share his opinions about a given subject. He is a master draftsman of caricature, to be sure, and -- in most instances -- allows his drawings to speak for themselves without benefit of a caption. What we have in this volume is a collection which spans a period of 25 years during which he attempted to provide, as he explains, "a graphic distillation of the personality of the strutting popinjay on last night's news. [His audience] wants a visual rendering of immediacy and endurance that can be cut from the printed page and saved on the refrigerator, or if disliked, can be ripped from the page, have rude recommendations scrawled upon it, and mailed back to the artist. Such people, pro and con, possess awareness and opinion, and as such are to be blessed." Reactions to Oliphant's work confirm the success of his efforts to achieve one of two reactions which Lucy Shelton Caswell has so aptly described as an "ah" of agreement or an "argh" of disgust.

Credit Alan Fern with providing an especially informative Introduction to this collection. Also credit Wendy Wick Reaves with providing the narrative which accompanies the caricatures of six Presidents, beginning with Lyndon Johnson and concluding with George H.W. Bush. That said, the selections themselves really require little explanation. The subjects are immediately recognizable and Oliphant's point-of-view toward each is never in doubt. Of special interest to me is the series of color plates, of which I was previously unaware. They are assembled in a special section. (Their item numbers are 13, 28, 29, 42, 49, 57, 73, 83, and 84.) We are also provided with a series of rough but quite clever sketches, reproduced from Oliphant's notebook.

I agree with Reaves that he "manages to scratch some personal itch arising from our own frustration with government leaders. But some of the enormous satisfaction we derive from his cartoons can be explained by his ability to go beyond the specific to elucidate the general trends in our national life." Frankly, writing a brief commentary on Oliphant's art poses many of the same challenges as would describing a performance by the Cirque du Soleil. They really need to be seen to be appreciated.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Oliphant's other published works as well as Attack of the Political Cartoonists which provides representative selections from almost 150 of Oliphant's contemporaries. They and we are in his substantial debt, especially as frustration with government leaders is, if anything, greater now than ever before.

Ali Farzat is probably one of the greatest cartoonists in the world today. he would have got way more publicity if he was not an Arab... his work is underrated... i loved this book

This just in from MEMRI - Syria is trying to prevent this book's distribution. Check out Farzat's cartoons in the Kuwaiti paper Al-Watan

One of the most brilliant pieces of political satire of the XXth century, Guston's series of drawings on what could be called "Nixon's adventures and woes" is magnificently rendered in these pages which enable the reader to follow the character's presidential career through the witty and implacable eye of a great artist. The illustrations are wonderful (you almost feel that you are holding the actual original drawings) and show the scope and depth of Guston's art, whose importance has steadily grown over the years. An interesting essay places these works in the historical context of the late 1960's and early 1970's, a period when the artist radically evolved from soft abstraction to crude figuration.

This is an amazing book. It's witty, scatalogical, AND handsome. STarting in 1969 and continuing up to the eve of Watergate, American modern artist Philip Guston developed a series of ruthless cartoons lampooning Richard Nixon's rise to power. Metanymic in strategy, Nixon's physiognomy is rendered as a very [...phallic] schnoz and [...similarly-themed]jowls; Kissinger is simply a pair of horn-rimmed glasses skipping along beside; etc. We see Nixon ascend from a homely quaker childhood, survive the Checkers scandal, and eventually triumph in his second bid for the presidency. We accompany him to Key Biscayne and to China...all via Guston's comic vision. This book is a must for anyone interested in the 1960s, in political cartoons, in Nixon, or in Philip Guston's career.

Ed Lordan captures many insights into political humor which are applicable to modern everday life. For example, in the preface alone, I learned Julius Caesar maintained an "Enemy List" (p. x, upper middle cartoon). I have been on such a list, and it is also seemingly carved in stone. Ironically, my list maker and local demagogue publicly advocates the strategies of Julius Caesar. Now if I only knew when Brutus will be making his appearance!

This broad compilation provides a nuanced and fascinating perspective on this important genre of political analysis . Anyone who follows politics will love this book!

This book I liked. Its where I learned how to make deviled eggs for the many work potluck and french toast for my family. Very funny and very easy recipes. This is a good book.

This book I liked. Its where I learned how to make deviled eggs for the many work potluck and french toast for my family. Very funny and very easy recipes. This is a good book.

Poe and Gorey fans should take a look at this. Molly Barker's work is lighter and less ornate than Poe's prose, and less comic and more contemplative and fluid than Gorey's work. The loose and evocative line of her etchings and the tensed flow of her prose create a most atmospheric and poetic narrative.

Barker's work has been released in only 2 ways: (1) in limited-edition fine art books of bound prints, for the art collector's market, and (2) through City Lights, a small press in California, for the general reader. Her work has had less attention than it deserves due to its limited distribution.

Ms. Barker's landscapes are eerie and dark, reminiscent of Poe. They describe the alienation of the human condition with poetry and beautiful illustrations

Great Book!!!!Wonderful pictures!!!!Sempe is a wonderful artist!!!For all ages!!!

I am acquiring quite a collection of Sempe books, and this one really showcases his versatility. Color or black-and-white, utterly simple or nearly requiring a magnifying glass, each drawing is a little vignette of French life (traditional or modern) in which the artist's genuine fondness for his subjects really shines through. His economy of line, excellent use of white space, wealth of detail and sense of humor make these pictures that repay careful attention and give great pleasure to the viewer. You will enjoy this book if you have ever been to France or just wish to go, and if you enjoy detailed but light-hearted art.

Jen Sorensen's "Slowpoke" is one of best weekly strips out there. It's often political and always funny. This collection is plump and makes for some good reading. Brief comments and updates under each comic add to the collection.

One of Jen's strongest suits is her eye for pop culture weirdness. Hipsters, ipods, bizarre fashion trends, and eye glasses are fodder for some of the best cartoons in the book.

On the political front, there's plenty for folks who have followed the news over the past 8 years (a.k.a. elites). Historians may look back at strips like "The Privatization of Snow" and lament the days when the Globoplundimaxx Corp. wasn't yet a reality and only brilliant satire for us to enjoy. "Gay Republican Guilt Camp," however, may already exist in some form--but if you don't buy the book you'll never know what goes down in the confession booths.

I learned of Jen Sorensen's work online a few years ago (her strip does not run in my city's papers) and have been a devoted visitor to her website ever since. One Nation, Oh My God! brings back great memories of strips and comments I have read on her site over the past few years. Having them all in one handy tome has made for delightful evenings on the sofa. Jen has an uncanny knack for making points that desperately need to be made in a most eloquent and thoughtful (and hilarious) way.

No other cartoonist has the same sense of humor
as Jerry. Sometimes you have to go back to the
same cartoon several times before the true absurdity
of it really sinks in. After you see his bizarre
drawings accompanying our everyday, banal phrases,
you will not be able to say them again without
being reminded of the cartoons.

Here are some examples from this collection:

(1) We see a man in the kitchen banging a can
of vegetables onto the counter with a can opener
lying unused on the counter. His wife is looking
on with a frustrated look. The caption is:
"Cohabitation Axiom no. 6-The less it appears you
know how to do, the less you will have to do".

(2) A fellow is lying on his psychiatrist's couch
and behind him, the shrink is playing with a
rabbit doll. The patient is thinking to himself
"Why is Dr Reim's going on and on about green,
leafy vegetables?"

(3) We see laboratory rats in a cage with
microphones suspended above it. Off to the
side in the laboratory is a scientist sitting
dejectedly. The caption reads:
"After long years of study, Dr Bing was disheartened
to find the speech patters of the common rat consisted
primarily of expletives aimed directly at him".

(4) We are looking back stage at a talent show.
We see the back of a very large man. Looking
at him is one of the organizers with a shocked
look on his face. The caption reads:
"The next contestant is going to impersonate
North Dakota".

After you recover from busting a gut, get yourself
together and go out and get all of Jerry's books.

As always this book is funny as all the neighborhood books. Like the Far Side, but way funnier.

Praise for THE STORY OF THE JEWS by Stan Mack

"Funny and original, and it won't take 4,000 years to read."
-Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons

"Veteran cartoonist Stan Mack brings his hip, contemporary sensibility to bear upon the sacred precincts of Jewish history and the result is, unexpectedly, a joy to behold. The artful and varied drawings breathe an air of enchantment that will both beguile and instruct children while the often mischievous asides and commentary should bring a knowing smile to the lips of the most sophisticated adults. By sweeping away the cobwebs from Jewish history, Stan Mack has taken something familiar and made it fresh, piquant, and appealing to people of all ages."

- Ron Chernow, author of The Warburgs

"The work is wonderful! What a refreshing view of the story. I didn't want it to end."
- Leonard Nimoy

"No mordant minimalism, The Story of the Jews; Stan Mack puts it all out there, in a wonderfully funny and enlightening way."

- Ann Beattie, author of Another You

"Profound congratulations to Stan Mack on authoring this singular and most-needed history of the Jewish people. To say that it is highly-readable and extremely enjoyable is understating the obvious. The work presents concepts and ideas that, for other authors, might take pages or chapters to explain. But Stan Mack, through his imaginative drawings, delivers the concepts and convictions of the Jewish people in a charming and engrossing style. Mazel Tov: we really needed this opus to supplement all the other long and stogy Jewish history books."

- Rabbi Lawrence Goldmark, President, The Board of Rabbis of Southern California

Stan Mack has created an intelligent, funny book about Early American History. My students loved it, saying it motivated them more than any other material I had provided for them. They made constant references to funny asides from the comic strips, and they wanted to know if we would be using any more of it for the rest of the year. Alas, I can find no other volumes on American History by Stan Mack. Our loss! Tom, US History teacher