Caricature Books

If you think you know Dr. Seuss, but haven't looked into his earlier career as a talented political cartoonist -- then you don't know the full range of the Dr.'s work!

Baby Boomers who memorized Seuss' poetry more completely than almost any other texts on which we were raised will enjoy seeing how Seuss spent his "war years" in the 1930s and 1940s.

His sharp-edged sense of satire skewered the rising Fascist tide in Europe -- and he threw a number of well-aimed darts at the handful of Americans who were in sympathy with early Fascist aims.

Now that this book is in paperback, which means it's a little less expensive, it's a great choice for fun reading about "our past," it's great as a gift -- and it's great for discussion groups to read, especially if you like to chew over global issues in your group.

Although the subject matter often is dark -- this is not a heavy book and it's vividly illustrated with Seuss' cartoons!

This book is an amazing part of history. Few people would have guessed that the famed and loved childrens story teller Dr. Seuss would have been a major force for WWII political cartoons. The books is sectioned by times and people and there is a description (both historical and chronological) for every cartoon. The images are moving and the book is a must for any collector of Seuss or lover of history.

I recieved my book quickly and in excellent condition. I'm very pleased with this service. I will continue to order from amazon.

Richard H. Minear examines and shows readers another side to Dr. Seuss. The cartoons discussed and shown in DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR: THE WORLD WAR II EDITORIAL CARTOONS OF THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL portray a somewhat dehumanizing portrait of the axis powers during World War II. They are a 180-degree turn away from Seuss works that have enchanted and delighted many children and adults. However, these WWII era cartoons draw a picture of what fears and persceptions many had during the war. Art Spiegelman comments that these are the "lost" collection of cartoons by Seuss that were drawn for New York's PM newspaper from 1941-1942, and specifically served as a propaganda tool; the cartoons earned a Pulitzer Prize for Dr. Seuss.

However, they are much more controversial to present day standards, and capture the mindset of the time in which they were drawn. And the enemy were portrayed as animal-like, a flock of cats, and fumbling human-like characters with gross depictions, which share similarities of how political cartoons had been drawn during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. These cartoons are yet another collection and historical picture of the past, and cannot be compared to the Sunday funnies.

Minear attempts to keep an objective eye on his examination and commentary of each cartoon. However, Minear's commentaries through out the book have an inkling of being subjective and opinionated when he discusses how the Japanese are portrayed . He is often critical of Seuss's consistency and accuracy of the historical record.

Nonetheless, DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR should be required reading in any history class that discusses World War perspectives. The issues in the book are historically, politically, and socially significant to World War II, and will help bring an understanding of this particular time in history.

Long before he started writing children's books, Theodor Geisel did advertising ("Quick Henry, the Flit!"), and even editorial cartooning. This book collects a large number of his WWII cartoon, and offers a fascinating commentary on those cartoons and on the man who drew them.

The militancy of these cartoons stands in stark contrast to the gentle goofiness of, for example, "One Fish, Two Fish." Of course, he took on Hitler, Mussolini, and other Axis leaders, using ridicule as his weapon against them. Other cartoons blast the appeasers and not-our-problem isolationists of the time. Interestingly, other cartoons came out with strongly anti-racist themes - a bit radical for the time, but he treated exclusion of blacks from wartime industry as a form of sabotage or treason. Minear's commentary offers helpful insight into the times in which the cartoons arose, and into some of the controversy they engendred, making its points with clear cross-references to specific cartoons.

It's hard to see these today as serious political statements. Too many of us grew up on The Cat in the Hat and other of Geisel's later work. When we see his distinctive lines and style, they can no longer carry the adult clout that they did in the 1940s. It's hard to see his artwork through the eyes of these cartoons' original readers, and to see the outrage that Seuss both satirized and ignited. It's worth the effort, though. WWII was a very different time than today, and did a lot to shape what today has become. Minear's book examines a unique facet of that time.

//wiredweird

The final word on guided climbing. If you want to know the truth about being dragged up Everest, this is the book for you.

I've been following Tami Knight's work for years, when she used to be published in Canadian mountaineering magazines. She was our little secret for years, and whenever we saw an American sitting there bemused by some Canadian mountaineering foible, we'd laugh and laugh and laugh. Then we read Tami and really laugh.

Anyway, given recent events on the Big Momo, people might think this book rude, crude and mean. It is. So is Tami Knight. Which is why it must be read. Knight puts her finger right on the main problems with mountaineering nowadays and pushes for all she's worth. Get this book now, before the Ethics Committee has it pulled.

Well, I agree this is the irreverence that the Everest genre was waiting for! I laughed quite a bit, and smiled at much of it.

The Dianas (Princesses that is) expedition really tickled my funny bone the most. How inspired to take two such icons, both ludicrously unattainable for most mere mortals, and marry them.

Humour is such a subjective thing, you will either love it or hate it. But don't condemn this take on Everest because of a misapprehension of what it is about. It is a cartoon book. It does actually say more about the reality of the sponsorship and money side of 'personal Everests' than all the thousands of words I have read on the subject thus far.

I thought I was buying another adventure narrative when I purchased this book, instead it is a bunch of comics that are, well, not comical. I just want you to be forewarned that this is not a real book.

And I thought only my hairdresser knew for sure what happened on that fated mountain. Read Tami's new book to find out what everybody else in the world failed to reveal. Or make up!

If you are looking to change your cartooning style or just want to learn how to draw "retro" styled cartoons, this is your book! Christopher Hart teaches you how to draw retro-styled cartoons by comparing the classic style and the retro style so you can pinpoint where you need to draw differently to achieve that retro look.

As always, a great learning guide for the beginner or the experienced cartoon artist.

This is another great title from Christopher Hart. In this book, he takes a look of some of the cartoons and animation that is popular today. This seems to be an era of the "retro" look and feel and Mr. Hart uses this book as a resouce to explore and teach these cool cartooning techniques!

Gift this book to yourself or the retro cartoon fan in your life!

You can't go wrong with this book. It really covers the subject matter completely.

Christoper Hart you did good!

Like all of Chris Hart's books, Cartoon Cool is filled with hack drawings and bad drawing advice.
If you really want to draw in the Retro style, here's a tip: Go look at the cartoons and the artists that inspired the retro style in the first place. Ed Benedict, Mary Blair, M. Sasek, 50's era Hank Ketcham, Gene Dietch.
These are the people that Craig McKracken and Genndy Tartokovsky and Lynne Naylor are inspired by.
Google the names. You'll have a wealth of material at your finger tips.
Here's another tip: REALLY learn how to draw things the way they really look.
You can't abstract something unless you know what it looks like.

Great for 8-15 age range. Artwork is fun and isn't intimidating to novice drawers. I'm a little out of the target age range and target skill set in my opinion, but even still I did pick up some clear, concise, and insightful tidbits on the style. If anyone is looking for drawing books for their kids, I'd keep Christopher Hart's name in mind.

An awful lot of fun to read. Moves quickly without leaving major gaps. It's a balanced telling of Lee's growth and influence within the comic book industry while addressing the changes the industry also went through. The book doesn't lay the story down in black and white. We hear of wise choices and poor choices made by most parties involved through Stan's years. If you have grievances with the man, you may feel it falls a little short; if you are a fan, you'll feel twinges of regret when some thoughts, actions, and motives are revealed. In either case, it's hard to dismiss the infectious spirit and nature Stan Lee carries with his work and you have to admit his influence continues to be felt in the comicbook/storytelling world.

This book has some pluses and minuses. It DOES desperately need illustrations; however it's well-written and a fascinating read. Raphael and Spurgeon do a great job of overviewing the history of comic books, describing the business side of the industry, and explaining the importance of Stan Lee's contribution. However the authors' finale is, IMHO, unfairly negative. Lee gets needled here, not I think out of bias, but as a bit of fudging the truth for entertainment purposes...

Comic books were invented in 1934 and the first superhero, Superman, debuted in 1938. Stan Lee entered the field shortly afterwards as a go-fer at the publishing house of his cousin, Martin Goodman. Lee soldiered on for Goodman as the boom times gave way to bust, and essentially single-handedly kept Marvel going during the mediums' '50s decline. If Lee hadn't been Goodman's cousin, or if Lee had just given up on the medium and looked for other work, the history of comic books would have been VERY different. Instead Lee created the environment in which superheroes were reinvented in the '60s, reinvigorating the mainstream. He then became essentially a PR person for Marvel in Hollywood.

Lee is an engaging and relentless promoter of the medium in general and Marvel in particular, and in the cynical '80s he was castigated for taking too much credit for his role in creating characters produced by the collaborative model he invented for comic-book production. Raphael and Spurgeon give a qualified defense of Lee against these charges but are not, IMHO, entirely fair in evaluating Lee, particularly in the terms of the complex circumstances surrounding Jack Kirby's claims on the "Marvel Universe." Ultimately the authors condemn Lee as a phoney and almost a hack, a conclusion I think is very unfair.

As someone who was reading comics from the late '60s into the '70s, I don't remember fans of the MEDIUM under-appreciating the contributions of Kirby or Ditko. On the contrary, those interested in comics as an art form tended to give FAR more credit to the artists of the mainstream than to Lee and his fellow editor-writers at DC etc. Fans of the Marvel LINE undoubtedly did worship Lee - and therefore bought the comix, which was really the whole point of the Lee persona! As for Lee not giving credit to his collaborators, Marvel was THE comix publisher that trumpeted who the artists were: try reading a '60s Dell, Gold Key, Tower, or even DC comic and try to figure out who the penciller, inker, writer, or colorist were!!! Lee, editor, writer, office manager, chief-cook-and-bottle-washer, put that info on page one, in BIG letters: step one to getting the artists the credit and remuneration that even Bill Gaines never gave away. Kudos to Stan Lee!

Stan Lee has been the center of debate in the comic book world for years as to his being an innovative genius or a credit-stealing hack. As this book ably demonstrates the truth is closer to the middle. The authors use extensive research and in-depth interviews to make their case that despite Lee's grabbing of other credit that belonged to other artists, Lee's legitimate contributions to comic books should establish him as true innovator. The book asserts that Lee was able to create unique personalities and dialogue for his characters that distinguished them from other comic books as well as each other. This approach made Marvel's characters different from the cookie cutter personalities that DC had to offer at this time. However, Lee failed to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of other artists to his "Marvel Method," and this has hurt his reputation significantly. This book is balanced in its treatment of both Lee and his critics.

This is an intruiging narrative of Stan Lee's career & his influence on the American comic book industry. The title is a bit of an oversimplification, the industry went through many business cycles of highs & lows over the twentieth century. Marvel went from an IPO, bankruptcy, & than an unexpected resurgence in the past decade or two.

The author gives you a not so surprisingly "Marvel centric view," which is fine up to a point. I did find his describing the creation of Spiderman & the X-men very good. The former remains my favorite character. Had there been more on DC Comics Superman, European, & Japanese influences I might have given it 5 stars? But, Stan Lee & his cocreators at Marvel provides the reader with a deep & vivid life at the prolific & hectic early years with Lee presiding as editor & writer over many artists who worked slavishly for low pay.

I can see why so much bitterness & controversy erupted over the decades about Mr. Lee's putting his name on most Marvel productions was certainly shameless self promotion. On the whole, the writing is fairly measured to impart a balanced account. Noting that in the old system where work-for-hire was not well defined & comic book artists had little profile in the limelight. Tod McFarlane & Frank Miller appear to be the exceptions. as you get deeper into the book, you get the sense that Sstan Lee sided with the corporate side over the petitions by the artists out of necessity rather than malice on his part. Perhaps, Mr. Lee's convivial nature hid his own insecurities about his own talents?

I got the feeling that some points were discarded & the book is only a half history. Nonetheless, it fills the void in an industry that never got the respect it deserved & I give it four stars. Perhaps, someday someone will write a complete history of this fascinating topic?

This book gives an excellent overview of Stan Lee and his contribution to Marvel and the history of comics. It came across as a balanced view, praising Lee's strengths as well as showing his weaknesses (and we all have them.)

As I read, though, I wanted more detailed information on the 1960s glory years of Marvel; instead, this decade had the same amount of information as the rest and sometimes not as specific. I would've liked some interviews with others as to what they thought of Lee's working relationship with Kirby and Ditko, for example. Overall, though, highly recommended!

This book is informative without being overly silly. I'm over 40 and I learned things in it about myself that I didn't know. As a mom, I also appreciate the fact that when my child is ready to know more about sex, this will be an interesting and informative resource to be consulted.

Thought-provoking, educational, and very funny! All of Gonick's books are top-notch and this one is no exception. Gonick handles sensitive topics with humor and clarity, without dumbing down or trivializing the message. Truly a book that will teach you about things you might have been afraid to ask about! The parts regarding sexually transmited diseases and sex-crimes can be a bit rough, but Gonick's style disarms some of the tension here.

If you like any of Gonick's other books, you will like this book. The book nicely handles a taboo topic with Larry Gonick's usual flair of solid information mixed with humor. Highly recommend.

If you are skittish about delving into the mechanics of reproduction with a pre-teen or new teen (probably because they would rather talk about this with a parent even less than...well, any other thing in the freakin' universe), this is a perfect book to surreptitiously leave on a bookshelf. I bought it and had it in my bedroom to review before turning it over to my son. A couple of days later, I realized that it was missing, and found it hastily tossed beneath the bed -- so the Theory of Pubescent Auto-gravitation to Sex Information definitely works. However, this is a last resort. If you find it difficult to talk directly, the best alternative is really a balanced "abstinence PLUS full disclosure" seminar run by people the kids can talk to. My church offered one like this and I believe the kids respond much more positively to being treated with respect regarding serious subjects. This book has that same idea behind its surface goofiness.

I would recomend this book for every one. It is funny and entertaining enought to keep a person reading but it contains enough information to get something out of the book. The book has a rather small section (5-15 pages) on how to fix sexual problems, but the main focus on the book is more on explaining and listing human sexual nature.

I'm not a very avid reader, but this one is pretty fun to read, and it's pretty basic(definitely not difficult reading!).

I would recommend it! It's pretty nice to get a foundation on some fairly important history. It's relative to other important facts in history or in life.

I have the 1988 edition so I can't vouch for this edition.
But I have to say if it is anything like this one then by all means grab it. A very readable style with plenty of humours illustrations that make this an unputdownable book. Don't let the cartoons fool you though, you will learn alot.

'Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter' by Donald Palmer lives up to the promise in its title; It is a very brief overview on the history of philosophy, covering most major philosophers through history, starting with the Greek philosophers, and ending with the modern philosophies.

It is an extremely light read. I found myself reading far ahead of the assigned chapters, simply because I was enjoying myself. The illustrations are humorous, though sometimes silly, especially for a text book.

The light reading can also be problematic. I found myself referring to other resources for a full understanding, because the author did not cover (I felt) enough ground on most subjects, leaving me without only a surface understanding of the concepts.

This book would be better suited to a high school class, rather than a serious, college course.

Overall, the text was refreshingly enjoyable, though oftentimes fell short.

This book got me to look at philosophy more... It's a great book if you just need a reference, without a lot of analysis by critics, or the actual philosophers themselves, which can get mind-numbing at times. It's great to get, if just for the cartoons (you end up having to read the text to make sense out of most of the cartoons). But no, I don't know if I can explain the naked-male-prostitute-riding-on-a-bicyle cartoon, which is actually in here (and not a figment of my imagination). But don't let that keep you from buying...

I bought this book for my Philosophy 101 class. I tried to sell it back but the bookstore wouldn't let me. Although I hated the idea that I wouldn't be getting my 30 bucks back, little did I know that this book would serve as an important tool for my Literary/Criticism class (which I am currently taking). It definitely clarifies complicated theories with a touch of humor added to the descriptions. There are also sketches in the book that are also humorous, yet provide the reader with a mental image on the topic at hand.

A delightful exploration of what humans can learn from animals. The illustrations are spare and charming, the text amusing, compelling and true. I would recommend it as a gift for teenaged girls, and cat lovers of all ages.

My family has a cat (Sassy) that is approximately one year old. She is currently in the transition stage from being an energetic kitten interested in everything to a tamer version that is more content. When reading this book I recognized Sassy on every page. Each page contains an illustration with caption that also relates to our human traits of trying to get through the trials of life. My favorite was the page that showed a human bathroom with things strewn everywhere with the caption, "Get someone else to clean your bathroom." Funny and entertaining, this book will strike the truth bone of every person who owns or has owned a cat.

For any cat lover out there, this is a delightful little comic book. Every page has a little piece of advice (like: "Help put away groceries") and then has an adorable sketch of a white cat illustrating the point (crawling into the paper bag for a nap).

Cat lovers know that you can learn many valuable life lessons from the feline(s) that allow us to share their living space with them. Suzy Becker's cute, sweet and simple book only proves it. Any cat lover/owner will love having it.

A sweet and sharp little book to have if you own cats and you are observant of their personalities. I'm happy I bought it

This book is great for getting proper perspective and foreshortening etc. into your action drawings. I'll take a whole lot more of them! Perfect for graphic novel or comic illustration where you don't have models available for reference shots, or you need an inspirational shot for a particular mood. Like I said, my only complaint is that I want more! It includes a CD also so you can reference that as well, but I haven't checked to see if that has different poses or not yet. Hopefully it does. As an accurate anatomical reference for drawing humans or heroes in action, it is great! It does what it sets out to do. Top Notch.

Do you ever get that perfect composition in your head but can't seem to work it out when sketching? I know I do. As a comic book artist and cover painter I have the usual reference library of cheesecake pin-ups, muscle magazines, and old comics laying about. A new addition to my reference library is People and Poses. This is a terrific resource and helps me nail the anatomy in my drawings and paintings the first time. People and Poses brings me real life, right now, awesome poses to help me turn my creative ideas into reality. A must for any artist's library.

Brian Miller, Author: Hi-Fi Color For Comics: Digital Techniques for Professional Results

Fantastic reference book for action poses. Has great pictures at varied angles and perspectives. Very comprehensive. Comes with a disc that has even more images and features. Nice little addition of industry talent giving their approach to figure drawing/cartooning. A good book for artist's of all
skill levels.

As a beginning professional comic book artist, I've had a lot of trouble nailing certain poses that have to deal with obscure angles and foreshortening. This book has made things a lot easier, as there are a ton of very helpful photos and tutorials in it. The bonus CD is also a great addition.

A good comic book artist should always be prepared to know how to draw anything at any given time. One should also always draw what's right for the story and not take too many shortcuts. While this is hard to do, it it will help you grow as an artist and stand out in the competitive world of comics. And for the difficult aspects of human anatomy and poses, this book should serve as a great reference guide to artists of any level.

I'm surprised by all the positive reviews that this book/CD has been given. I bought it based on the feedback from other buyers and I was pretty disappointed.

The lighting of most of the models is pretty good but the angle of too many of the photos is either straight-on or shot from above. This causes the models to look squatty and distorted. The choices for female models was pretty poor. I'm sure they are very beautiful in real life but their body types are not suited for this type of photography. I also discovered that there are photos featured in the book that are not included on the CD or website link. I was also disappointed to discover that the photos are not high resolution. They are only 72 dpi and not very good quality.

There are very few books like this on the market and something like this is a nice alternative to the expense and time associated with shooting your own photos. Unfortunately, this book will not be the alternative I was looking for. Hopefully Scalera will release a future edition that will address these problems.

When I finish a book that really touches me, I have to sit still and hold it close to me for a few minutes. And I like to wait a couple of days before I write a review for it to mull over it, so I can really know the words to describe it.
I have never read anything by Jules Feiffer before but I have heard of his cartoons and was interested in his work. I first saw "The Man in the Ceiling" in a bookstore and picked it up briefly and leafed through the pages. I would have bought it...but I was broke.
So once I got my next allowance I made sure to add it to my Amazon shopping cart for purchase. When I recieved all the books I had ordered, I immediately dove right into "The Man in the Ceiling".
This is a graceful, insighful and sensitive look into the life of young aspiring artist, Jimmy Jibbet. Jimmy has a father who is overworked, a mother who is distracted with her own art, a sister with a temper, and another sister who always pesters Jimmy when he is trying to draw. There are two different fathers for Jimmy; cartoon Father and real Father. Cartoon Father (the one that Jimmy draws) takes Jimmy camping and calls him 'kiddo', even though in real life, Father does nothing of the sort. He doesn't know how to deal with an artist son. If he had it his way, Jimmy would play baseball like the popular Charley Beemer, who critiques Jimmy's work and contributes to Jimmy's frustration as an artist. And Jimmy cannot, for the life of him, play basebasll, or draw good hands.
The book is paced beautifully and the art really adds to the capturing simplicity of the text and the honest, raw emotions displayed on the faces of the characters. Jimmy sometimes leaves his drawings lying out on the floor and wishes that Father would tell Jimmy to pick them up, and then looking closer at them and being impressed. Lisi and Susu, Jimmy's sisters, are always distracting him from his quiet time he reserves for drawing; Lisi with her volcanic, sporadic temper and Susu with her general pestering. And Mother always ignores it when Jimmy screams and cries. Lisi's? Never ignored. Susu's? Always answered.
And the only way that Jimmy copes is in the hope that he will one day be a great cartoonist.
There is something about this graphic novel that really reaches out and grabs your heart, as you can see the defeat and worry and happiness and sorrow and anger in the eyes. I am thirteen, and I can really relate to Jimmy and how he feels like he will never be an artist. I, on the other hand, want badly to be an author of inspirational, but not soggily sentimental books such as this, that will touch you, and then, sort of sneak up on you and surprise you. This book did that to me many times throughout the course of reading it.
I would reccommend this book to anyone of any age that has ever felt hopeless in the conviction that they will never become what they dream, no matter if you hammering YOU into the ground or someone else. For anyone who is struggling with their art; whether it be writing, cartooning, painting, or whatever else--you should read this book. There is Jimmy Jibbet in all of us, and we all have our 'hands'. But the understated beauty of Jimmy's final work will linger in your mind and will keep you believing and wanting to move forward, because you have something to contribute to the world. You have something to give.

I am a writer and artist who found this little gem a rewarding affirmation. When the disappointments come from critique and rejection, I think of Jimmy and how he grew. I loved how Feiffer showed the variety of personalities that affect an artist (the good and the bad). I loved how we saw other artists and how they struggle with their work and demands for their time, and how the struggling never goes away. I loved how Feiffer, a seasoned pro, drew as the boy, complete with misspellings and a simple worldview. Which is a little like a virtuoso playing off-key, but he pulled it off. (I totally bought there was a Jimmy out there with an innate gift for composition; I'm glad he didn't choose to pretend Jimmy hadn't learned it yet.) It's supposed to be a kid's book, but honestly it's a lesson for anyone who creates. I have put Jimmy's final creation on my wall as an inspiration. Thank you, Mr. Feiffer, for this heartfelt lesson on creative growth, from someone who has been at it for a long time and has, more times than I care to admit, almost given up.

I don't remember how I came upon this book, or really how this book found its way to me. I was around twelve years old when I first read it and it resonated with me. Everyone feels out-of-place at times, as if we are constantly trying to fill shoes too large or too grandiose for our feet. Jimmy, our underdog, understands this feeling of inadequacy, and Feiffer articulates it with the syntax and sadness of any child--or adult--who has felt unloved and unwanted. Jimmy wants to be a hero, but more than that he wants a hero to whom he can look for guidance and advice but finds no one. His journey from eager, malleable child to defined young man is one of the most fascinating and poignant metamorphoses in any book I have come across.

Often in books written by authors whose ages are far removed from their respective protagonists, their main characters' voices become mixed with the adults who write them. Jimmy's voice is authentic in part because Feiffer intersperses Jimmy's story with Jimmy's own comics, which represent visually Jimmy's change.

A truly wonderful read, especially for the perceptive child and sensitive adult. The final moments of the book alone are worth the read.

Picked this up after "A barrel of laughs, a vale of tears", and found it merely diverting rather than life changing. It's a nice enough story, and probably means a lot to him as a drawing artist, but doesn't resonate as well to the non-pencil holder, I think.

-dB

The Man in the Ceiling, by Jules Feiffer
Review by Jack Humsey

This story is about a boy named Jimmy, who thinks he is a failure. Jimmy is eleven years old, and is very quiet and artistic. He mostly draws comics like the ones in comic books. He finds the true meaning of effort and confidence through his ambition to become a famous cartoonist. Jimmy's family is very odd in many ways. His dad is all about business and his mom, like Jimmy, is an artist. But they both don't understand why Jimmy's hobby and ambition is drawing cartoons. His biggest fans are his younger and older sisters. But his older sister pushes him around and is angry all the time.
I think the strengths of the book are the transitions. They are very dramatic. The characters go from loneliness to happiness. I think transitions are important in books because they help the reader get the feeling of the settings and people.
It was hard for me to choose something to criticize. But if I had to choose, I would change the father's personality. At the beginning of the book he wasn't interested in his son's work at all, but after the success of the weird uncle's play, the father realized that his son is very unique. That didn't entirely make sense to me.
This book would help some readers build their own confidence. It would be good for people who are artistic and imaginative, people who prefer to work alone. People who are lonely would relate to this book.

My brother got me this book a couple years ago. I loved it and I'm a huge fan of Piraro's work.

See Dan Piraro Live
Dan Piraro, Clearwater Florida, April 1, 2007 [...]Piraro, the award-winning syndicated cartoonist will present a CHARITY EVENT entitled: Cartoons, Comedy, and Compassion -- get tickets today at BizarroArtist (dot) org.

This is a case of preacher and choir in that I love anything that portrays our moron-in-chief as the idiot he is. This is a little more sinister than the usual bush-panning, but that makes it all the more credible. Too sad, too true!

I was very annoyed at Marilyn Mal's comments about GWB protecting us from terrorism. I am sick and tired of hearing that. GWB lied to us about why he was going into Iraq and turned it around. Very naive people. I am not liberal nor conservative and am quite fed up with those thinking that if I don't support the mess in Iraq that I'm unamerican. I feel we need to finish the mess in Afganistan. Get your head out of the sand and see what else GWB has done. Everything has gone down in the dumps since he took office and it will continue!!!

I was introduced to this book yesterday and immediately had to buy a copy for myself to share with my friends and family.
So many Americans have their heads in the sand during this administration and think these are the "moral" ones. Look again. We have all been deceived and it is becoming more apparent with each passing day.
If left unchecked, we will have the ultra-rich and the very poor and nobody in the Middle Class.
Great conversation starter.

This book is great. It definitely sums up the situation and does so in a respectable manner. A friend brought a copy to work to share and I immediately had to buy one to share with my friends and family. I highly recommend getting a copy.