Cartoons Books

There are numerous attempts at producing illustrated versions of the classic tales from around the world.

The series called "Classics Illustrated" is the definitive attempt at bringing all the great classics to the easy reach of us with beautiful illustrations, in the grand form of sequential art also known as Comics.

It invovled some of the finest artists, and produced a huge collection of stories. These were the results of the dream of Albert Kanter, materialising during the 40s,50s and the 60s, thrilling and educating and entertaining a generation with vivid, simple and beautiful versions of the well known classical tales such as the Three Musketeers, Ivanhoe, The Count of Monte Cristo, Arabian Nights, Robinson Crusoe to name a few.

I remember as a kid, I got hold of a used copy of 'The Salt Mountain' this was part of the Classics Illustrated Junior series, there was something absolutely stunning about it, the story, the pictures, the adventure. it captured the imagination.There was something special about it, which I could not find in any other story book, or series. I wasn't aware what series this was part of, who the publisher was, who the artist was. I was a kid, I simply enjoyed it. not a collector or a history buff. But several years later, when I tried to figure out more about that book, I simply couldn't, until recently the omnipotent WWW helped me learn about this amazing series. I was hooked. I am sure many of us can relate to this, and have a similar tale.

Now to the book.

This is a fantastic chronicle, of the happenings of the Classics Illustrated series, beginning with the beginning, Alber Kanter's dream, it takes us through the publications history of the various stories, and the involvment and influences of the numerous artists invovled in the effort. The evolution of the style and presentation of the books, such as the evolution from comics style to the painted covers etc. are all full of interesting information.

There were several editions, and series... Classics Illustrated, Classics Illustrated Junior, Classics Illustrated Specials, etc and several republishing attemts up until the turn of the century. All of this is detailed in the book with interesting facts.

This book lists all the stories that were published with details about the author, illustrator etc. as much as is available, also the listings from several publishers, and variations.

The book also contains pages and covers from several Classics Illustrated, mostly in black and white. There is a section of about 8 pages in color in special paper.

For the Classics Illustrated collector this sure will be a delight, as it would be to anyone interested in the grandeur of sequential art.

When I was just a boy (many years ago), for a treat to myself, I bought the Classics Illustrated comics. The art work and plot were so engaging that I still carry some of those images around in my mind. Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island" and Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" and many others were indelibly imprinted on my brain so that they could never be forgotten. Little did I realize that these illustrated novels were real literature, that they would lead many years later to actually reading those works. When I spied the life-sized book "Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History with Illustrations," I could not resist buying this book. When it arrived, I began reading a serious history of the Classics Illustrated publications, their awkward beginning and about the lives of their illustrators, and how the U.S. Postal Service effectively drove Classics Illustrated out of business. (It seems that the post office considered this comic a book and not a periodical.) Colorful images taken from the book abound throughout this edition. It's ironic that this very volume of literature is in danger of becoming a classic itself.

CLASSSICS ILLUSTRATED comprised such a crucial, influential, and above all, entertaining part of my youth that they have never entirely left me, and in fact I still have my entire childhood collection, and then some. The author of this book, William B. Jones, notes that his approach to the subject is meant to be objective in nature; but of course anyone raised on CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED can never be completely objective about them, and time and again Jones' understandable passion for these books seeps through. Nor is it simply nostalgia: when I go back to reread old issues it is mainly for the inherent richness of the storytelling and artwork they contain. Where in all comic book history is there a work so profound and moving as the Norman Nodel-illustrated LES MISERABLES, or as sad and tragic as the Angelo Torres-illustrated TOILERS OF THE SEA? Where is the comic book art that can excel, for its sense of historical time and place and fine drawing, John Severin's treatment of the Alamo and the Mexican War in BLAZING THE TRAILS WEST? Has there ever been a swashbuckling comic book so superbly ALIVE as George Evans' treatment of THE THREE MUSKETEERS? As for THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, I wholly agree with the author that it was never adapted so effectively, in any medium, as it was in CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED. I could go on. This is not to say that there weren't issues that were pretty bad, especially in the early days, and Mr. Jones freely admits this. But for those who are already familiar with this series, and especially for those who aren't, I cheerfully recommend this book as a kind of bible to CI and its several related series. I learned so much that was new to me about the issues, the artists, the editors, and the evolution and ultimate decline of the publishing house, Gilberton Company. The packaging and layout and paper quality of the book is a delight. Bravo, Mr. Jones! And bravo, CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED!

Ever said that line? Then you'll love this beautifully written and lovingly researched book about the history of Classics Illustrated.

Jones manages to evoke the characters of the men and women who contributed to this fascinating niche of Americana: illustrators, editors, publishers, and even its detractors. Interviews were obviously thorough, chapters are meticulously footnoted, and yet it reads like ...well, like an engrossing classic tale of adventure! Pick a chapter at random or read from cover-to-cover... it's consistently a winner.

While occasionally too ready with a disavowal of nostalgia, Jones does not hesitate to reveal his personal lifelong love of the comic book series. Truly, the best works of fandom itself can be so endearing, so contagious with admiration and awe. This book is no exception. Like myself, Jones loved the comics when he was a kid. Just as publisher Albert Kanter intended, as an adult I've managed to read every word of the real Count of Montecristo and War of the Worlds and The Moonstone, but I first learned these vivid and amazing tales by reading the Classics versions. Jones augments my personal appreciation and gratitude in this excellent book.

His work was in-depth and, while certainly using a critic's eye, relatively even-handed when it comes to the series' contributors. Now, reading the book, Jones has even made me appreciate the work of Classics artists whose pages I'd previously disliked.

Excellent illustrations, particularly of rare pages and covers, fill the book. Nice personal photos of the artists and editors are a great touch, seeing as this is a book of both down-to-earth and scholarly sensibilities.

Only fault I can find is that the text sometimes refers to a page or panel or other artwork which is not actually reprinted in the book. It can be maddening, at times, because we want to see exactly what he's talking about. My family's incomplete collection lies in another continent, otherwise it would be nice to have it at hand for referencing these things. Keep yours at hand. The book, I suppose, would be gargantuan if Jones did include these bits. So, by rights, it is an excellent book, and I did enjoy reading it.

From 1941-71 Classics Illustrated comics introduced millions to abridged, comics-style version of literary masterpieces. Classics Illustrated tells of the birth of this popular medium, founded by Russian Jewish immigrant Kanter whose operations saw both the heyday and decline of the golden age of comics. The focuses on artists' creations is particularly involving.

Keith Knight quickly became one of my favorite cartoonists. His style is unique and his humor is positive and fresh. Sometimes his strip are political and may irritate a few readers. However, faithful readers will notice that Knight pokes fun at pretty much everyone (including himself) and that it's all in good fun. Along the way you'll be exposed to his quirky, engaging style and unique perspective. At the same time, "Keef" doesn't take himself too seriously and he somehow always makes me feel like I'm reading a comic written by a friend.
The book totals a whopping 500+ pages. And, the cartoons are reproduced in a large (8.5 x 11) format. This is a nice feature because Knight's cartoons are loaded with fun and some of the artwork and text can get small when reprinted in small formats. The result is lots of humor packaged into a VERY affordable and fun volume. Definitely, this volume is the biggest bargain on my bookshelf.

All of the sixty years of the K Chronicles drawn by Keith Knight. K Chronicles are the story of Mr. Knight, a good man who shows his humanity through Boston, SF and finally LA.

A new daily strip is being drawn by Mr. Knight, "The Knight Life." It is not about the days of chivalry.

Do not think that you can read this in one night. It is a thick book and would be hard to read in bed. And too hard to be a pillow.

This book is a delight. You'll laugh, you'll think, and most of all, you'll keep turning pages. I'm getting multiple copies to give to my traveling friends, who suffer through long layovers on planes and long rides on trains. They'll love it.

But they can't have my copy, huh-uh. And nobody gets to borrow it, either. So don't ask. It's the Kwintessence of Keeftoons...

I have been a fan of Keith Knight for years, and his humor is wise, and kind, yet incisive. What can I say? BUY THIS BOOK. You'll be sore from laughing before you get halfway through it.

I was surprised when I came across this book, because I have all of the individual books, including his "(th)ink" collection. For those who don't know much about Keith, let me just say that he is as individual a guy as you'll find: artist, satirist, rapper, etc. To get his entire collection in one place for such a great price is nothing to sneeze at.

If you are familiar with Harvey Pekar's "American Splender," McGruder's "Boondocks", or even "Candorville," you will love this collection. His wit, insight, and anecdotes make this the perfect collection for a person with even a mild interest in a good comic strip collection.

I've been a Foxtrot reader for a long time and personally I think there is something suspiciously wrong with people who don't find Bill Amend's characters funny as all get out. If you want a good laugh, check out Bill in your local newspaper, or better yet, get one of the Foxtrot books. They are all great, really, they are.

Like many of Mr. Amend's fans I'm a bit disappointed he's switching his strip to Sunday-only, but fortunately I can still read him daily in the Foxtrot books. Get them one and all and you can keep right on a laughing.

i think this book is sort of funny.i also think it needed some work.i like my other foxtrot book better.

I've always been a good fan of foxtrot, so I found this book quite good. Its kinda short though, and you finish it in about a half-hour to an hour. If you like long books, this wouldn't be to fun for you.

Another great Foxtrot. Its creator retired while he still had his edge and this book displays every bit of his wit. RIP Roger Foxx and family - and iguana. Buy this before they all disappear.

I have been a faithful FoxTrot reader for years. Roger, Andy and their kids Peter, Paige and Jason are always good for a reality check with a large dose of laughter. I've got two girls and let me tell you, I see a lot of my kids in Paige with, I believe, even a healthy dose of Jason thrown in. And they have Peter's bottomless stomach. Of course, they're faithful FoxTrot readers too. I used to read the strip to them, explain what was going on, but now they get it just fine and we three all laugh together. Then my girls try and explain the strip to their dad, who pretends he doesn't get it.

The FoxTrot folks are a great family, one we sort of got used to checking up on every day, so we took the news that Mr. Amend was going to cease daily distribution of his wonderfully funny people and turn his strip to Sunday only, with a bit of sadness. Still, we have these terrific FoxTrot books to keep us going with our FoxTrot fix. Mr. Amend is to be commended for his great gift to our culture and his great gift to so many lives. I truly believe a laugh a day, helps keep the blues away and the FoxTrot gang are always good for a laugh. Heck there are a lot of laughs in the FoxTrot books. I know, I have them all and I am, along with my girls and my hubby dear, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, we don't have an iguana, but my girls do have a pet gecko and, you guessed it, his name is Quincy.

My seven-year old, now eight, has read this book over and over again! I like the descriptions of game rules that are worked into the text.

An Important Business Man runs into another Important Business Man on Wall Street:

I.B.M. 1: So, have you heard about the story/illustration merger?

I.B.M. 2: Yes, yes, but that's only affecting teens.

IBM 1: Well that's true, male teenagers have been reaping big rewards. But it's having trickle-down effects to younger children as well.

IBM 2: Ha! Look, the next thing you're going to be telling me is that girls will be seeing some benefits. Man, are you out of touch or what?

IBM 1: Well then let me show you (hands over a copy of "Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen Will Travel"). The evidence is right here. The merger has been very successful. It's about a girl who is forced to go camping with relatives she doesn't like. The book itself is the sketchbook that she brought on her trip. It's amazing, she documents everything that happened.

IBM 2: Alright, some kid's drawings. How is this a book?

IBM 1: The story is in there too. It's sort of like a cross between a sketchbook and a diary. Over the course of seven days, Ellie gets to know these people that she had judged as being weird. You ever meet someone you didn't think you'd get along with and end up becoming friends? Ellie goes through that in this book.

IBM 2: So there's some stuff in there about being open-minded and giving people a chance?

IBM 1: Yep. There's a lot of humor too. If you've even been camping you know there's a lot of situations to draw from.

IBM 2: What's camping? It that like when you have to go to your second choice restaurant?

IBM 1: Uh, no. I'm sure you've seen it: tents, forests, campfires. Although in "Have Pen, Will Travel" Ellie and her relatives do "fake camping", as she calls it - they stay in a cabin. Look, you're a friend, so I'm going to let you in on this. I just bought 1000 shares of Graphic Novels for Upper Elementary Girls, and I suggest you do the same.

IBM 2: Well that stock has been on the rise lately, especially when the "Babymouse" IPO went public. I may just take your advice.

IBM 1: (iPhone rings) Well, I have to take this call. Back to work!

IBM 2: (Putting book in briefcase) Is it okay if I borrow this book? I think my daughter might be interested.

IBM 1: (Cracking a sly grin) Not a problem.

This story is the book I would have loved to have read as a kid. It is on for 9-12 year olds, and makes the reader feel every part of what it is like to feel unheard, unseen, and unappreciated. A great debut for this new writer/illustrator. Can't wait for the next book!

As far as I can tell, there's no known solution to the problem of being an adult reviewer who reviews children's books from an adult perspective. I don't care how immature you are or how stuck you might be in your second childhood, since you will never be able to replicate the feeling of being a kid picking up a book and reading it for the very first time. It just ain't gonna happen. No, see, when YOU pick up a book you're carrying years worth of baggage on your shoulders. You're viewing the story through the filter of your own perspective and what you see will inevitably be tainted by your past. I'm telling you all of this up front because in order to convey just how much I adored "Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel," I need to make it clear that a significant percentage of that love is rooted in my own experiences as a kid. Author Ruth McNally Barshaw has successfully nailed what it feels like to be a child going on a summer vacation in Michigan. I was a Michigan child. I "camped" in cabins and experienced many of the same things as the heroine of this book. But even if I'd grown up in Bemidji, Minnesota or Walla Walla, Washington, I'm almost certain that I would still have adored this book as a kid. It's another example of the "illustrated novel" brought to brilliant, vibrant life.

How would you go about defining the word "torture"? If you were Ellie McDougal (McDoodle, to those in the know) you might define it as, "a family vacation with your monkey-boy little brother, annoying cousins, and boring aunt and uncle in the woods of Higgins Lake." Which, of course, is exactly what Ellie has been subjected to. Stuck with intolerable relatives, she decides to make the most of her ordeal by recording everything in her sketchbook (the one you, the reader, are reading) and getting some time away from the craziness. Of course, a series of incidents shows Ellie that maybe her extended family isn't the crew of monsters she thought they were. Maybe, in fact, they can all be a lot of fun and the summer isn't totally ruined after all. Maybe.

So what is this book exactly? I mean, on the outset it looks like a sketchbook with sentences in between the pictures. Obviously there are a lot more written sections than drawn sections, but the pictures are pretty steady throughout. So how do you categorize this book? It's not a graphic novel, since the pictures are sporadic and pop up only at random intervals. It's not a comic book either, nor is it a straight written novel. At this point in time, the only option left is the phrase, "illustrated novel". It's not perfect, but it's the only thing I've found to describe Barshaw's style. Plus it's a style, moreover, that I think is going to inspire a whole generation of kids. I can picture young 'uns bugging their parents to buy them sketchbooks and blank pages, just so that they can create highly illustrated personal diaries like Ellie/Ruth. Heck, while reading this I myself wished I knew how to draw, just so that I could jazz up my own life with pictures galore. And I know I can't be alone.

And man, did I like it. First of all, there were the obvious Michigan connections that drew me in. Using your hand to describe where you live in the state (complete with an image of a bunny jumping a mitten, in terms of the Upper and Lower Peninsulas). A kid from Kalamazoo (woo-hoo, hometown!). Visiting with other kids and finding that you don't like their cereals. Man, did that ring some bells! Ms. Barshaw has an almost eerie ability to either remember or channel instances from a kid's daily life that are all but forgotten by adults. Plus she just hits characters dead on. The "villains" at the beginning successfully become real three-dimensional people by the story's end. The sketches are great fun, and then there are some great ideas for games. Ms. Barshaw knows that you have to break up your narrative sometimes with an interesting little sidenote here and there. In this case, the sidenotes are games complete with instructions for Human Pretzel, Spoons (something I'd like to try out), Sardines, and others.

The temptation here is to call this book something trite like, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid but for girls!" or some such nonsense. Don't get me wrong. I loved "Diary of a Wimpy Kid too, but I am of the firm belief that, like this book, it is a title that goes beyond gender. Everyone can relate to Ellie. I mean, seriously, who likes to be peed on in the middle of the night? Nobody. But any book with a girl on the cover can be a hard sell to boys. Here's what I'm suggesting, then. When a kid comes to you asking for a copy of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and you're all out of copies, cough surreptitiously into your hand and say, "Sorry, kid. All out. We got something just as good in the back, y'know. As funny as `Wimpy Kid' and there's a lot more pranks and games and wars between kids but ...," shake your head, "I dunno. You might not get it. I mean, it's hilarious, and gross, and it has all these great drawings and sketches, but maybe you're just too young..." After that, reel `em in, give them the book, and watch it fly off your shelves in no time.

Part Harriet the Spy, and part Amelia's Notebook, "Ellie McDoodle" is just one of those books you can't help but enjoy. It flies low on the radar, so I suggest discovering it for yourself. There's never been a better time to indulge in a book that can offer you cool pictures, great characters, a fun story, and a little redemption on the side. A small pure gem.

It's camping time for Ellie McDougal but she's not happy about it. Ellie's parents have to go out of town, so she and her baby brother, Ben-Ben, will be going with their Aunt Ug, Uncle Ewing and cousins Erick, Deanna, and Tiffie. All of the camping supplies are packed and ready to go, including Ellie's sketchbook. Will the trip be as bad as Ellie is afraid it will be?

Through the pages of Ellie's sketchbook, she tells the story of her camping trip. She meets a 13-year-old boy by the name of Scott. He is one interesting character, as he speaks French, Japanese, and English. He wants to learn to draw, which is something that Ellie can help him with. He has to leave but never tells Ellie that he is leaving Campsite 137. She is saddened by her friend leaving. Her opinions of her relatives change throughout the book. In the beginning, she thinks of Erick as being a dinosaur but that changes as it goes along. Erick also collects frogs and thinks he has found the best frog, but holds him too tight -- Oh, no!

The illustrations are very cute and add meaning to the story. The characters you meet in this book are very unusual. The storyline keeps young readers interested. This is a must read for children ages 9-12 who would love to be entertained with a good story and a very easy read. With fewer words and many pictures on each page than most books for this age group, this is a delight. Pack up your bags and get ready for a camping adventure with Ellie along -- it's bound to be a great time! I hope that there are more exciting adventures of ELLIE MCDOODLE books in the future.

Reviewed by: Bri P.

This is only the fifth in the series of 15 graphic novels for this series and there are some great single stories here, but the value of this series is in the whole series. It is in my opinion the best Japanese Manga series available. It's overall story is close to earth with no robots or aliens and the problems encountered are true to life, which makes this such a great series. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a great Manga series that is touching, romantic and heart warming.

When Kyoko gets together with her family to commemorate the 3 year anniversary of her husband's death, an uncomfortable topic comes up. Her relatives begin to pressure her about when she's going to remarry, settle down, and have some kids! Kyoko begins to scout what Yusaku and Mitaka's attitudes towards marriage are and what they would expect out of a wife. Neither prospect seems especially attractive. Kyoko isn't the only one wavering between two lovers as Yusaku is still seing Kozue a bit, and Kyoko even catches him trying to sneak an inebriated girl he just met into a love hotel! The big event in this volume is that Yusaku's ancient and tiny grandma who could almost double for Yoda comes to visit Maison Ikkoku. She has her own designs on hooking up Yusaku with a good woman, and she's willing to step on his toes to get it done.

Maison Ikkoku reads to me like a slice of life independent American comic. This would be a good manga for a non-manga reader because it's just about normal life. Rumiko Takahashi is a genius when it comes to taking ordinary events and milking them for comedy. It's almost like watching Seinfeld in its mix of surreal moments of humor with human truth on how the human animal reacts to situations. Volume 5 of Maison Ikkoku continues the excellence this series started with and gives you the feeling that it will never decline as it goes forward.

The fifth Ikkoku graphic novel is good. But they're all great, so this being great is nothing special.

OH, BABY
Kyoko's mom pressures her to remarry so she can have grandchildren.
MY NOTES
Contains some pretty funny visions Kyoko has of whether she marries Godai or Mitaka. And it all ends in a SLAP!

A VERY TIGHT GAME
The Cha Cha Maru baseball team steps up at bat!
MY NOTES
18 to 11 already?! Are they playing baseball or basketball?!

SHALL WE... REST A WHILE?
Godai goes to a love hotel with a girl, but is caught by Kyoko.
MY NOTES
Godai truly needs to grow a brain cell.

GRANDMA GOES TO TOWN
Grandma Yukari arrives at Ikkoku to visit. Also, Godai and Kyoko are forced to take Yukari to her Tokyo reunion.
MY NOTES
These old women are SENILE! Getting names confused and jumping from emotions are proof!

STOP FOLLOWING ME!
Yukari follows Yusaku on his date with Kozue.
MY NOTES
No important notes. It's just a funny chapter.

COME ON A MY HOUSE
Mitaka invites Grandma Yukari and her grandchild (who he thinks is Kyoko) to his house.
MY NOTES
REALLY funny! Especially when Yukari tells the story of her marrying Grandpa Godai.

GRANNY'S OL' PLUM WINE
Soichiro (the dog) gets drunk!
MY NOTES
That's one grabby little pooch!

PLAYING HICKEY
Kyoko gets jealous over a hickey on Godai's shoulder. Little does she know, Sakamoto accidentally gave Godai that hickey.
MY NOTES
Just cause he's spineless and clumsy doesn't mean he doesn't have-Plenty of GIRLS!

A HOT WIND
On a trip to Okinawa, Godai runs into a very `talkative' girl name Konatsu.
MY NOTES
A good chapter. It's pretty appealing, but I can't figure out why.

OK. That's all.

Another delightful book in the Maison Ikkoku series. I seem to be repeating myself quite often with these words, but anyway good book. The book begins off with the usual struggle: Kyoko vs her parents this time the topic of argument is grandchildren, and leave it to Mrs. Chigusa to drive bamboo shoots underneath Kyoko's fingernails. Mrs. Chigusa even invites Mitaka out for coffee, and of course Mrs. Ichinose and Yusaku are with them. The main highlight of this book, however, is the arrival of Godai's Grandmother Yukari. She meddles in Yusaku's life trying to find out his loves, so she seems to pick up very quickly that Godai has feelings for the beautiful Kyoko. She even gets Mitaka to take the gang to his apartment so Godai can check out his competition, and let's say that Godai falls quite far behind Mitaka in the material world, but Godai is our hero he will persevere. hehe

After a long stretch of melodrama, Rumiko Takahashi deals with some more lighthearted material in the fifth "Maison Ikkoku" volume. Now rereleased in their original order, this charming little collection mixes drama, comedy, and romance in equal measure.

Yusaku Godai has just returned from his stint in self-imposed exile... and he has a bad cold, Kyoko isn't home, and the other tenants are tormenting him. No sooner has he recovered than it's the holidays, and despite his poverty Yusaku manages to give his beloved manager a special gift for Christmas. But Valentine's day brings a new set of problems when Kozue gives him a gift of pansies (meaning: Keep me in your heart), and Kyoko finds out about them.

Things get more complicated when a frustrated Kozue asks Mitaka for advice on men -- and people think that Mitaka is secretly involved with Yusaku's girlfriend. But Yusaku has bigger problems: he finds himself threatened by the memory of Kyoko's late husband Soichiro, when Kyoko's father-in-law asks him to bring her Soichiro's old diary. And Kyoko finds a strange entry in the diary, but the postcard that was tucked inside is missing. It fell out in Yusaku's bag. Will he do the right thing and return it to her?

Since the previous volume of "Maison Ikkoku" had lots of drama and misery and angst, Takahashi lightens things up here. Kyoko's imagination runs wild when she's urged to have kids -- she sees herself surrounded by dozens of squalling babies. Soichiro's food-diary is pretty odd. Yusaku's hormones run wild when Kyoko buys a leotard. And finally the "ship of fools" plays dress up with their high-school clothes -- yes, even the relatively sane Kyoko joins in.

But the romance ante is upped too, as Yusaku and Kyoko accidently kiss (after Akemi drunkenly smooches both of them), and Yusaku goes to great lengths to prove himself to the woman he adores. The two of them aren't involved -- and won't become so for a long time -- but Takahashi knows how to stretch out romantic tension without making it snap.

Our loser hero has grown up a little, and become more responsible and less of a goofball. And Kyoko (who is having sexy dreams about Yusaku) is definitely starting to move past Soichiro, although she's still definitely hung up on her late husband. And except for the beleagered preteen Kentaro, the other inhabitants of Maison Ikkoku are as nutty as ever.

In its fifth volume, "Maison Ikkoku" opts for fluffier standalone fare, but it's still quite touching and romantic. An entertaining continuing story.

This collection of Tony Carrillo's wonderful new comic strip F MINUS shows why he is gaining in popularity across the country. His offbeat humor is both original and right on the money.

His Spartan art only complements the humor and makes it a stand out in the current field of The Far Side wannabes in today's newspapers and bookstores.

Here's hoping there are many more collections of this laugh out loud strip in the years to come.

Having spent a few years at Arizona State when F-Minus was run in the campus paper, I've seen pretty much the whole collection. This book is an excellent collection of comics run over the first year of syndication, and it contains some of my favorites.

That being said, it needs more of the work Tony did in the ASU newspaper. I'm not sure if there's an issue with the syndication/copyright/whatever that prevents those from being included, but there are only about five pages worth of ASU-era F-Minus comics. Hopefully the rest surface (or have surfaced) somewhere for posterity's sake.

I really enjoy this book, my kind of sense of humor. With this book, now I don't have to refer back to my hard drive where I save my favorite F-Minus comics when I need a laugh. If you enjoy Garfield comics or not, you will definitely enjoy this book!

This book is excellent for any fan of f-minus. It always fun to see comics from his college years as well as his comics from the first year of syndication. I highly recommend getting this book.

What a great book. I've been a fan of F-Minus and Carrillo for a while, but this book is full of comics that I have read and some that are new to me and each one is better than the last. I'm just waiting for the sequel.

I bought this book expecting one of those 'Making of . . .' creations, but ended up being pretty disappointed. Don't get me wrong, this guide is very informative, amusing and candy for the eyes . . . but for children. Or, for adults with inner children. Seeing as I'm a cynical teenager, it didn't do much for me :)

If you want to learn even more about the ocean -- check out Captain Jon Explores the Ocean on DVD - also available on Amazon.

This book is really cool and it gave me a lot of information on Finding Nemo that I didn't know about before.
But I did see a couple of errors in the book.
But the only errors were length and stuff like that....so it really doesn't matter that much.
Besides that the book gives you information on just about everyone in the movie and information on the type of fish that the characters are,like I never knew that Dory and Bubbles were related,let me tell you how:
Dory is a Regal Tang.
Bubbles is a Yellow Tang. cool huh....?
Anyway, its a good book to read when you're bored or while you're watching the movie.
This book is auesome.
sincerly,
Kenny (jellyman)

I have been researching Finding Nemo for three months now and of all the stuff I might get besides two books ( including this one)and a CD, this is probably the most awesome. When I first read it, I knew everyting and I have read it five times. I have memorized this awesome book and I highly reccomend it for all those fans out there!(But none as dedicated as me.)Also, I reccomend Don't Invite A Shark to Dinner and Other Lessons from the Sea. It, too, is an awesome book and I have memorized that as well. Hi, Erin Wilser!!!

This was the neatest Finding Nemo book! It has all you need to know about the little secret things about Finding Nemo! In fact, it's my favorite book! Finding Nemo is my favorite movie, and now I have a favorite book to match it! I especially like how even the moonfish and jellyfish get their own page full of information. The tank gang's bios were very interesting, as were overlooking of the dentist's office. Thank you Nemo!

I've been a professional animator for over 10 years and I found this to be a valuable resource. It's written by some very talented people over at Animax Entertainment, who have tons of production experience. It offers great organizational tips and tricks for building and animating your characters. It also gives so much insight from the perspective of working on a larger productive team. Sure it's easy to develop your own ways of working when you work by yourself, but the suggestions in this book are a very smart and efficient approach for working on any sized project. They also give you a list of plugins that will help... and even describe how to make them work for you. And the information on how to make use of After Effects is just fantastic. I've adopted so many time-saving ways to work... things I never knew about in all of my years using Flash! I am using this book constantly for reference as I work on my new cartoon project. Thanks guys!

I found very helpful the guides given by the authors. I was trying to figure out how develop a short cartoon animation in a correct way and after I read this book I found the answers. Thanks!

If you're looking for a book that teaches you how to draw in Flash, this is not the book for you. It will, however, teach you the nuts and bolts of animation, the technical information necessary to make animation less time consuming, which is a must-have imo.

This book is a must for everyone who is tired of animating on paper and wishes to digitalize their work completely in Flash or After Effects. The book covers many great aspects including; making shortcuts of your workflow with user made extensions, brilliant tips & tricks and personal advices how to make life easier for the animators.

This book is also amazing for those who already have knowledge of Flash or After Effects, but wish to enhance their skills or take their production to the next level.

After reading this book, my animation workflow and quality improved.

Best recommendations from here.


-Alex Volkov (Flash Animator)

There are many books about cartoon animation in Flash. What sets this book apart from the rest is the approach the authors have taken to make this book much more than just another step-by-step book about drawing and animating characters. Foundation Flash Cartoon Animation is for the animator who needs to stretch beyond the mechanics of the Flash tools and perfect the decision-making process necessary to become a productive animator. One of the biggest questions that is answered in this book is when to use Flash and how to use it most efficiently. The next question is what tasks are beyond Flash's capabilities and when to turn to another software such as After Effects.

The authors assume that the reader has a basic knowledge of Flash and the principles of animation. Because of this, you will find only a few step-by-step examples. What they do cover thoroughly is every phase of the production process for cartoon animation from planning, storyboards and animatics to post-production and delivery. The approach for this book is to examine working examples which can be downloaded from the publisher's website.

If you have ever created a complex character animation including lip synching and facial expressions, then you know that your character must be divided into a large number of individual animated parts. This is why the authors dedicate a whole chapter to organization and using the Flash library system to build character libraries. As you progress through the process from head comps and onward, the authors show when it is best to draw from scratch and when to use Flash symbols. Storyboards and animatics are next in the production process and the book covers several decisions that must be made such as choosing between traditional, hand-drawn storyboards and the digital method in Flash.

Moving from the planning stages to character creation, the authors discuss the technical and organizational issues such as Flash file structures and project architecture. They take a look at several working examples to give the reader a comprehensive overview of this topic. One of the most helpful aspects of this book is how the authors help you decide when Flash is not enough to get the job done and how to expand Flash's capabilities with plug-ins. They discuss several of their favorites, how to find more on the web and when to make your own.

One of the most important decisions that an animator will need to make is the choice between traditional frame by frame animation and tweening. The authors share their four step process for frame by frame animation and then discuss tweening and how to avoid common mistakes.

I mentioned earlier that the authors discuss the use of a dedicated motion graphic software such as After Effects to take your Flash project to a higher level of quality and sophistication. They discuss some of the advantages to using After Effects for editing and composition such as complex camera movements and 3D effects.

Flash has been plagued by one major drawback since its conception a decade ago and that is the extreme "digital" look of the vector artwork created in Flash. The authors share several tips and suggestions for enhancing your Flash project to achieve a more "hand-drawn" appearance to your animation including line styles and color choices. They also cover the digital equivalents for traditionally hand-drawn special effects such as distortion, drag, fade in/out and blurs.

This book was a joint effort of several authors. Tim Jones is an Emmy Award-winning producer and writer and head of production at ANIMAX Entertainment. Barry J. Kelly is an Emmy Award-winning editor and artist and is also a member of ANIMAX Entertainment. Allan S. Rosson is animation director at ANIMAX Entertainment and has over twenty years experience as an animator. David Wolfe was an animator at ANIMAX Entertainment and is now with Cartoon Network Studios.

Is Jim Davis trying to pull a George Lucas on us? All of these re-released full-color books are missing the final page of the original release books.

This re-release Third Book (Bigger Than Life) is missing the "Garfield Up Close And Personal" special page that was the final page of the original release.

It would be a shame to have the special comic lost to time. Luckily I have all the originals.

Normally I should give a 1-Star rating to show my displeasure with the missing content of this release. However, I simply can't bring myself to give a poor rating to a Garfield book.

Gotta love Garfield the cat. He says things that a lot of us don't have the guts to say. He is lazy, loves to sleep although I think eating outweighs his love for sleep even more, doesn't enjoy getting physical exams, and enjoys abusing the family dog. As hysterically funny as the first two Garfield books are, I really think that "Bigger Than Life" takes Garfield to a whole new level of laziness and gluttony. The animation is a lot better as well. Here the reader is introduced to the world's cutest (and annoying) kitten Nermal. Originally Nermal belonged to Jon's parents however over the years, Jim Davis just had Nermal drop in unexpectedly. The early drawings of Nermal was just as crude as the early Garfield drawings were. One of the greatest moments in this book was when Garfield sneezed and Jon's breakfast ended up on his face. The other greatest moment that I still love is when Jon leaves the house to go jogging, and Garfield finds a loose thread. Garfield pulls it until...well, Jon returns home unepxectedly in his birthday suit. An absolutely priceless moment for me. I also thought when Garfield caught a code was hilarious.
Whenever I feel down, I know I can always count on Garfield making me laugh with his antics.

Garfield is great! I love his books, I want my mom and dad to get the newspaper every day just so I can get more Garfield! In his third book Jim Davis' illustrations are at their best. Also I am just bummed that the Garfield books are finally on color. Odie is my favorite character.

Although his first two books are good, this book is better and I would consider this to be Garfield's best book of the pre-'82 era. I like the part when Garfield scratches on Jon's chair and Nermal got blamed for it, that was hilarious, if you're a Garfield fan then you can't go wrong getting this book and be sure not to let your cat do what Garfield does otherwise there will be a lot hell to pay.

Contains all the daily and Sunday strips August 27, 1979 through March 30, 1980.

This is a great Garfield book! One of my favorites! Classic and Newie Garfield are both awsome. Some of the coolest strips eva in this one!! I love the one where Garfield sticks the chicken leg in Jon's ear: Jon: "Stay Away from my chicken leg, Garfield." Garfield: "Aw, stuff it in your ear! ROWR, FFT!" Jon: "What was that?! (chicken leg gets stuffed in his ear) Oh." Hahahahaha!!! How can you not laugh at that? I also like it when Jon tells this joke about Garfield sitting on the sofa: Jon: "Now Garfield, I wouldnt say that you're fat... But when you sit aroung the sofa, you SIT AROUND the sofa!" Garfield: (kicks Jon in the air) "Heads, he lives, tails, he dies!" Now, that was violent of Garfield 2 do dat, but, it wuz hilarious. Oh, its also funny when Irma first comes and finds a bad potato.

OK, thats all im doing for now. Buy this, NOW! Its the best classic ever!

"Garfield At Large" introduced the public to a fat, orange tabby cat named Garfield who has an enormous appetite for everything that is pasta, has a dork for an owner, and loves to sleep as much as he hates Mondays. The animation is a lot different from the Garfield we all know and love today. His body is bigger, smaller eyes, a t-shaped nose but his personality remains the same. "Garfield Gains Weight" is the second book of Garfield comic strips. Towards the end of "Garfield At Large", the animation begins to slowly evolve. In "Garfield Gains Weight", you can see the difference between the Garfield of the late '70s and the Garfield of the early '80s. The eyes are bigger and the ears are more pointy but Garfield's sharp wit remains firmly intact. One of my favorite strips in the book is when Jon makes a fat joke about Garfield and Garfield kicks Jon so hard that he spins. The reader is introduced to two new characters; Liz, Garfield's vet and Jon's unrequited love interest, and Irma, the sassy diner waitress. No matter how many times Jon asks Liz out for a date, Liz always finds a way to shoot Jon down which is always hilarious. I also love those moments when Jon tries to give Garfield a bath and Garfield fights back. Other great moments in the book is when Jon has Garfield performing tricks. That is probably the most exercise I have seen Garfield do in the 20 plus some years I have been reading the popular comic strip. My favorite strip in this book has to be when Garfield was so bored that he shoots a small pebble through a straw at Odie and total chaos breaks loose. That still cracks me up to this very day. Although I am a dog person at heart, Garfield the cat is my favorite cat. I have yet to be tired of the sarcastic fat cat.

This book is the best Garfield book of them all. Garfield is always embarrasing Jon and punting Odie. If you ask me my favorite strips are where he destroies the mailman and punts Odie.

I remember the first time I read this book 10 and 1/2 years ago. It is true 'classic' Garfield at his best. This is a must for any hardcore Garfield fan. New fans of Garfield will probably like this book, even though Garfield looks a lot of different as compared to his 'modern' look. I guess that goes to show how much Garfield has evolved in his 21 years, without losing his witty and sarcastic humor. If you do not have this book, then what are waiting for, buy it now! :)

Contains all the daily and Sunday strips January 23, 1979 through August 26, 1979.