Cartoons Books

When my cousin told me about pokemon adventures, I laughed at him but after reading it myself I can tell you that pokemon adventures is very different from the cartoon. A little bit more teen-adult oriented. Kind of like harry potter or incredibles story, where the audience is for kids but people who are kids at heart can enjoy it too!

This volume is my favorite, probably because it seems to be the most interesting one to read. Although the artwork is not extremely detailed, it still carries the story out quite well, and has lots of action. If you like Pokemon and manga, this book is for you. A fun read for younger audiences. (Hint: buying the graphic novel versions is actually cheaper than buying the individual comics!)

This book is the bomb of the series.
First Team Rocket attacks Saffron! Red, Blue and Green must work with each other to rescue Prof. Oak and to defeat Team rocket. Red meets with with Lt. Surge, Blue meets with Koga, and Green ends up with Sabrina! These evil Gym Leaders are arme with the 3 legendary bird Pokemon!
Next it's a show down with Blaine, Red, and Mewtwo! Can Red catch Mewtwo?
Then it's Red's biggest Gym Battle yet. With Giovanni! Can Red beat the leader of Team Rocket or will he have to work at Giovannis side for the rest of his life?
Lastly Red finally makes it to the Pokemon Leage. And what's green's problem when she was 5? Theres also this mysterious trainer calle " Dr. O " It's reds final battle to see who's better in the finals. Is it Red....Or Blue?
Read to find out!

This thick comic book is a bargain. It's much cheaper than the seperate comics, and easier to carry around.
This is Part 3 of a Pokemon trainer named Red. His rival is Blue, his theif friend is Green. First, he must stop Team Rocket from taking over his home town Pallet Town, then it's off to capture Mewtwp, and then to the League to battle Blue for the championship.
This comic is a little similiar to the T.V series. Red being Ash, Blue bieng Gary. But Red doesn't have pathetic Pokemon like Ash does, there is no anoying Jessie and James interupting and then blasting off again, and Gary is is same self.
This comic is a must have for collectors.

This is great. It's one of my favorite pokemon comics! It has lots of action mixed in with adventure, and unlike the other series, which goes by the name of "Pokemon" (Very origial, isn't it?) It features a new and original adventure with new characters and isn't a tv show rip off. In this one Red (the hero) must save the world from the plans of team rocket with the help of his friends and pokepals. In the end he enters the pokemon league; will he face Blue in the finals, and does he even stand a chance? And more importantly, who is the mystery trainer green must battle against? (You'll find out.) There are two others befor this, Legendary Pokemon and Desparado Pikachu. After this comes comics which are adapted from the Yellow version of the game.

For a great pokemon experience and lots of fun, get this befor the "This item is not stocked or has been discontinued." notice appears!

I kept seeing glimpses of Mitch OConnell books and stuff in various culture shops online (lastgasp) and finally decided to get a copy of 'pwease wuv me'. I discovered Mitch was selling new copies from his website so I ordered it there, and received a personally autographed copy. When it arrived I was in absolute awe. Thumbing through the pages of his past art and comics in the quiet of my apartment living room became a mind-blowing experience. It reminded me of other past occasions encountering for the first time beautiful, weird, amazing art work -- EC Mad comics, Robert Williams in Zap, Art Spiegelman's RAW, Durer's woodcuts, Posada's engravings, Himalayan thangkas. Mitch's work stands in a class all by itself; I can't really compare it to anything else I've seen. It's fine and compelling illustration work, and the subject matter feeds from some alternate plane of lost cultural memory, a bargain basement of our collective American insanity. The book by itself is worth having; it's one of my personal treasures, but I also had the good fortune (no idea if Mitch continues to do this) of having my copy stuffed with ephemeral extras between every page: postcards, sketch tracings, tattoo flash samples. The book sits fat on my shelf with these bonuses intact, and has become something of a holy relic in my collection. Take a niacin pill and you still won't get near the same flush of astonishment that Mitch's work provides. A must-have for anyone who loves art tapped into a strange and lovely world.

More great stuff from Mr. O'Connell. Only complaint is that this slim volume contains too little of his full color paintings. Hopefully his publishers are considering a third volume dedicated exclusively to this portion of his work.

PWEASE WUV ME MORE the art of Mitch O'Connell by MITCH O'CONNELL is a very colourful ,playful kitch take -on old skool type tattoos with a new funky twist . His artwork is sooo detailed and eyepopping . You can not smile and feel happy when viewing this book . it was worth every penny i spent and more , if youre into tattoos , mark Ryden , cartoons , and looking at new ideas , i would say buy it now because you will love it !!!:)

Please Wuv Me is a brilliant look into the mind of Mitch O'Connell. It has great ideas for tattoos and other artwork. I loved it!

I remember seeing Mitch's work as a kid and not having any money to buy the material because my cheap parents wouldn't give me an allowance. Years later, thanks to Amazon, they brought his work back to my attention. His work is brilliant, full of emotion, color, humor and thought and in a way I'm very much jeaolous of the man because I use to think along his lines. But unfortunately you can't get very far in life without conforming to it's way's and that is what I had to do.

So it is refreshing to see so much spirit in his work. His paintings and drawings are a raunchy blend of traditional cartooning, graphic design and advertising art that at times can be an overload to the senses.

I just don't get all that teary-jerking attention about a certain fictional, nearly anthropomorphic sheepdog that had been the part of a "For Better Or For Worse" family during the 1980s. It's just that Lynn Johnston had decided to give her strip a realistic touch, so the poor old poochie must eventually go. And with a big "bang", of course. So one day, the precocious young rugrat, April Patterson goes wandering off unsupervised to play on the bank of a big, raging creek just behind the family house and of course, she falls in! But the doggy, who of course possesses some very peculiar human-like intelligence, bravely dives right in to save the wee damsel in distress. And oh, yes - you know the rest. But - how would a standard household be complete without a nice, harmless domestic beast for the tots to torment? So our good ol' Farley makes it with a neighbor dog beforehand so he would father a exact copy of himself - only with a much longer and bushier tail to carry on the role as the comic strip's family dog. So you can put away your Kleenex, okay?

I am 33 years old and have read FBOFW since day one. When Farley joined the family, I was afraid that they wouldn't keep him. But every day he became more a part of the family than the day before. The days that featured Farley were the best. The day they couldn't revive him after he saved April was horrible. I am a grown man with a family of my own and I creid over the loss of this fictional dog. Even looking back now, I get teary eyed. I was so thankful when Lynn put this book out. If you only buy one FBOFW book, make it this one. You will stillbe able to watch the family grow and you will become very fond of this very important part of the Patterson family. Farley was indded a special friend and this book remembers him well.

This was one of those books that you can read over and over. I made the mistake one day of taking this book to work with me to read while I ate my lunch. At some points I was laughing so hard people started to give me strange looks. It also made me cry. You don't have to own a pet to appreciate this book. (But it helps.) I have been following Lynn's strip for the past year and I am gradually buying each and every one of her books.

I highly recommend this book!

This book is a must have for anybody who has ever shared a life with that special dog, and then suffered their loss. Not only will you remember all the little things that you thought you had forgotten,but this collection will allow you to laugh again.

It is also a book that any fan of Lynn Johnston's simply has to have in their collection. Farley was, and still is, such an important part of this family. It is fitting that this collection of strips was assembled as a final tribute to the dog that changed the family forever.

Lynn Johnston and her cartoon For Better or Worse is not really well known in Australia, so it was with a degree of apprehension that I decided to buy this book to see what her cartoons were like.

One of the best book purchases I've made as I soon went on to buy as many of her books as I can. Quite simply she has great drawing skills as unlike many other cartoonists objects she draws such as houses, cars, kitchens, people etc. look realistic.

Unlike other cartoons people and animals also 'age' in her cartoon strips. So you'll see the life of Farley from a young pup to his ultimate demise. Along the way you'll see not only Farley grow and change but also the Patterson family.

Her humour is often subtle so it might be suited to those who get a quiet chuckle out of the ordinary everyday things in life that happen. If you are after something along the lines of Gary Larson then this one might not be for you.

I would highly recommend this as a great selection for anyone wanting to see what Lynn Johnstons cartoons are like or to anyone who has ever loved and lost a loyal freind. You might find that Farley's antics were quite similar in some respects to those of your own dog.

This cartoon compilation is an entertaining expression of various perspectives on the world to which I happen to agree, at a level deeper than discussed amongst polite company. If you want a one-page commentary on the essence of our existence, just take a look at page 68. Then when the message soaks in, go out and do something that makes you say "yee haw". 'nuff said.

Rationalization and self-delusion help us avoid embarrassing truths about ourselves, enable us to fake ourselves out as we all live through everyday dramas that seem terribly important at the time.

Wheeler goes straight for the jugular, skewering himself and ourselves, as he targets our dark secrets, revealing them to be the human condition rather than as the unmentionable neuroses we imagine them to be. I found myself laughing on every page, laughing at the author and laughing at myself as I realized, "It's not just me, but even better, it's FUNNY!"

Having followed Mr. Wheeler's career since his early collection Children With Glue, I had high hopes for this collection. And I must say it has surpassed all my hopes. I am loving this one. And would say that it is his best yet. Which given how great all collections of his work are - is high praise.

Actually, this is probably my favorite Shannon Wheeler book. Insightful, cutting, charming and as funny as anything else out there. Well worth it.

In the two decades that Shannon Wheeler has been publishing comics, he's always been able to put his finger on the pulse of the world surrounding him and his audience. From the snarky Children with Glue to shining a light on the underbelly of the counter culture movement with Too Much Coffee Man to the politically astute work of How To Be Happy, Shannon's evolution as an artist and an American Zeitgeistian prophet continues in Screw Heaven.

Artistically, he's moved towards a simpler, yet more expressive style, while the dialog and character interaction has become significantly more nuanced and well crafted. This volume graces both the coffee table and deserves a spot on the shelves of anyone who is a serious comics collector.

When I first picked up SHAKESPEARE CATS by the British artist Susan Herbert, I was struck by the cute and colorful illustrations showing cats, my favorite animals, as Shakespearean characters. I bought the book, and as I went through it page by page I found it educational, too. Herbert has accompanied each one of her drawings -- works of art in themselves -- with a short synopsis and the relevant quotation from the play. The trouble with cats, however, is that it is not always possible to do much more than suggest emotions in their faces, which are fairly "blank." This poses a problem with the more extreme emotions in Shakespeare: Herbert's Othello (a black cat) does not look enraged nor her Macbeth (a red-orange tabby) particularly horrified. Additionally, Herbert depicts mostly tabby (striped) cats, which will probably disappoint readers who like other kinds of cats. But if these are drawbacks, they are minor ones; Herbert is a gifted artist. Her scene-composition and her bright color-choices make each illustration a feast for the eyes. There are some subtly clever facial expressions, too, like Malvolio's (TWELFTH NIGHT) self-satisfied grin or Jacques (AS YOU LIKE IT) cynical smirk. And art enthusiasts will see Herbert's drawings of Romeo leaving Juliet's balcony or the sleeping princes from RICHARD III as homages to celebrated paintings by the nineteenth century artists Dicksee and Northcote; her crazed Ophelia (with tongue hanging out) might stand beside the famous depictions of that heroine by Waterhouse or Millais! I am happy to have discovered SHAKESPEARE CATS and Herbert and will seek out more of her books.

I hoped this was a story, but I will find a way to use the pretty pictures. The book isn't constructed in a way that I can encourage its use as a picture book for young children. I do like the fact that there is a passage beside each picture. That will be of some use.

I love this book, it's so adorable and beautiful, Susan Herbert is a great artist, I admire her a lot. You see wonderful pictures of cats playing roles of some of Shakespeare plays. It's a great book for kids and also for adult too.:) If you love cats your going to love this book.

Shakespeare people also tend to be cat people: why is that? In this case, Susan Herbert has created a beautiful book for cat fans and Bard fans alike. I have all of Herbert's books, and "Shakespeare Cats" is definitely my favorite. It depicts famous moments from many of Shakespeare's plays with intricate detail, and the cats look like they're in the most natural settings in the world! It's hard to pick out my favorite illustrations, but the "Midsummer Night's Dream" picture stands out, as does the humorous painting from "The Taming of the Shrew." All of the paintings are wonderful, and this is an adorable book that you will treasure forever.

Susan Herbert is, first and foremost, a truly gifted artist. Her style, talent, color choices, all show a mastery of skill. Aside from that, though, she's also an imaginative woman who tryle appreciates the feline, as evidenced by her series of wonderful illustrated cat books.

This book, "Shakespeare Cats", functions firstly as simply an enjoyable coffee-table book for frequent perusal. On another level, though, Herbert has cleverly illustrated 32 of Shakespeare's works, and with detail. The setting of each piece, the costumes, the detail of scene-setting -- all of this shows that in addition to being a cat-lover and an artist, Herbert is also not too shabby as a Shakespearean scholar as well.

This is a GOOD solid book that addresses surface anatomy.
I recommend this book for seasoned artists having a rough time
transitioning from fine art to comic art. Plus this is a good reference
for budding and intermediate artists as well.
I think artists that want to explore making web-comics
and desire to create clean, crisp, deleniated fiures/ faces
will benefit from a book like this.

This one of the BETTER books by Hart.

For starters, this book is by Christopher Hart, so naturally it's a great buy for people interested in the subject.
This is a great book for people who prefer a more cartoony style to the graphic novel detail; I myself love drawing cartoons (including many Disney ones) and this book is wonderful in teaching you how to do your own, as well as be a most excellent reference guide for muscles, bones, and character ideas.
A TOTAL recommendation if you want to try the more cartoony style.

But if you're more into the hard-core graphic novels (like the newer X-Men series), I totally recommend Christopher Hart's "Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy: The Ultimate Reference for Comic Book Artists."

Simplified Anatomy for The Comic Book Artist teaches a new streamlined style of comics. In true Christopher Hart style, he breaks the concepts down for the reader, so that he or she can learn and progress quickly. This was very enjoyable, enlightening, and entertaining, and I highly recommend it.

The only bad thing about this book is consistency due to the many different artists that worked on it. With that in mind this book is well worth having and a good resource about the adventure or Bruce Timm style of drawing.

Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist is comic art instruction Guru Christopher Hart's latest book and one of his best yet. Hart has been doing comic art instruction books for many years with a long list of titles to his credit. In this latest book, Hart tackles the modern, more simplified, and streamlined comic book art. Inspired by recent animated series such as Batman, Teen Titans, and Justice League, we are seeing more and more comics today being produced in this more simplified, animated looking style. This modern style has done a couple of things for the comic industry. First, it's far less time consuming to produce this type of art than traditional comic art...less time means less money. Second, and no knock on those artists, but obviously you can get away with somewhat less talent with this style as there is a minimum of detail required. Finally, much of this art today is being produced on computer, again saving time and money. This certainly accounts for the recent popularity of this style of art.

Hart takes a step-by-step approach to his instructions. On one page he shows an example of a piece of art done in traditional style and next to it, the same piece done in the simplified style. Basically this is simply a matter of less definition being added to the character. Less muscle definition, fewer or no bone structure outlines to the face and body, hair designed as "one piece" as opposed to drawing several lines of hair and curls, etc...The examples are striking in their sheer minimalism.

Now, this isn't merely a matter of taking out lines, but rather a complexly different approach to drawing figures. There's a whole change in thinking about how to construct the anatomy in this approach. Remember, you're not going for realism anymore. Fully the first 50 pages are spent just on the head and facial features. Hart will show you how to simplify the look of the eyes, nose, and mouth with dozens of examples included along the way.

Next up is the body and it's the same process as before. Simple bone and skeletal structures, simple muscle definition... Again, Hart shows dozens of examples of body types from heroes to regular guys to mad scientists. In this style, bodies are more angular...the hips and knees often come to an exaggerated point as opposed to the rounder look of traditional comic art. In defining muscles, that standard six-pack now becomes a two-pack...the shoulders and chest exceedingly broad and triangle-shaped.

Hart rounds out the book with a look at forced perspective, getting your characters to look like they are virtually jumping out of the page at you. Honestly, I believe that this book and this style of art has opened up a lot of doors to artists who maybe were not quite good enough to make it with traditional comic art. It's also allows small press publishers to compete against the bigger publishers. Heck, you even see this style of artwork showing up at major publishers like Image and Dark Horse.

It's another well-done book by Hart and perfect for the aspiring comic book artist.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This was my first comic, and I loved it. What I didn't know was that not all of the comics are as good as this one, this has got to be the best! It has very funny comics inside that are both unique from the T.V. show but still very exciting to read!
I'll be brief. The first comic is about Flanders becoing bad and evil after he was missing for a couple of days. The second comic is a mini western type comic of the simpsons. The next comic is about the simpsons entering a human science experiment where they are tested if they can survive living in a dome and live off the land. The next comic is a mini comic about skinner telling about the life in the army. The next comic is about bart and millhouse making a comic, trying to sell it, but instead having the company steal thier idea. The next comic is a mini comic about jimbo and his gang breaking rules in thier school and getting in trouble with the principle and cops. The next comic is about homer taking over the duff company. Then there is a mini itchy and scrthcy cartoon. Then a mini comic about grampa simpson talking about modern day collectibles.
Very funny comic collection. I reccomend it extremely. You won't be dissapointed.

This book consised of Flanders goes bad, Simpsons under glase, Art for Bart and Weres The Beers are...

Even though the book was good I suggest you watch the T.V. show first

Excellent comic book full of all the favorite Simpsons characters (Krusty, McBain, Kent Brockman, grandpa, the Flanders, etc.) including advertisements, Itchy & Scratchy shorts, and more! Here's what's in this issue:

"Fallen Flanders"--Ned Flanders sitting on the couch in his underwear drinking beer and burping at the T.V.? Ned Flanders spraypainting "For a Good Time, Call Maude" on the side of a building? Ned Flanders stealing candy from a baby? What's going on?!? Bart and Lisa get help from McBain in this mystery which also continues the storyline started in "Dead to the Last Drop" in Simpsons Comics Spectacular.

"The Kwik-e and the Dead"--Go back to Springfield's frontier days when Mr. Burns owned "only half" the town and Joe Quimby's nickname was "Carbon."

"Survival of the Fattest"--My favorite story in this book. This plot could easily be a T.V. episode. An environmental research biosphere comes to Springfield (at first, Homer thinks it's a "bimbosphere" strip joint). After grueling tryouts (and Homer's cheating), the Simpsons find themselves in competition with the Flanders!

"Spare the Rod, Spoil the Grunt"--Principal Skinner defends his new "spanked straight" discipline policy by telling a tale of his Vietnam days.

"Give Me Merchandising or Give Me Death"--Comic book scouts steal Milhouse and Bart's ideas for a new superhero. See how Bart uses some comic art trickery to get revenge.

"Rebel Without a Clutch"--A short from Jimbo's "Wedgie" comics. Watch Jimbo hotwire a motorbike and create choas at a school art festival.

"To Heir is Homer"--Homer inherits 51% of the Duff Beer plant, and guess who owns the other 49%. This story would also make an excellent T.V. episode. See the source of Duff's unique taste, Duff Springs (closed by order of President Truman).

"Nostalgia Ain't What it Used to Be"--Grandpa and Jasper check out a "Collectorama" convention and can't believe what people would pay for a Lance Murdock Suicycle or a Larva Girl doll "with deluxe pupating action." By the way, if anyone has a Malibu Stacey doll with the party dress that converts to a radiation suit, Smithers is looking for one.

Just got this for Christmas and it's a good book. The first story, "Fallen Flanders" could be the weakest, but it's still pretty good, just too creepy for the Simpsons. It should've been saved for the yearly Treehouse Of Horror edition. The next story, "Survivor Of The Fattest" is the funniest one because it sets it up so anything can happen. The Simpsons and the Flandereses get stranded inside a biodome for a year. It's a fun story, with a very clever Star Wars ref worked in. From there, it's "Give Me Merchandising Or Give me Death," in which Bart & Milhouse's underground comic is stolen from under their feet by Mr. Burns' Boffo Comics. With lots of subtle self references and parodies this is a keeper. The book ends with "To Heir Is Homer" in which Homer ends up inheiriting the Duff Beer enterprise... partially owned by, who else? Monty Burns. In order the stories would be 1) Survivor Of The Fattest 2) To Heir Is Homer 3) Give me Merchandising and 4) Fallen Flanders, but they're all good for a laugh.

This is a fun book to read. In addition to being well written and informative, this book opened up to me the wonderful world of comics/graphic novels (MAGIC KNIGHTS RAYEARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)I think it is a really good book for if you want to start on drawing comics but you just don't know if you have the patience to fit all those little drawings into little boxes. That's kinda how I felt at first but now I love drawing comics.

I've checked this book out from the library at least five times. It always helps to inspire me and either remind me of old ideas or give me fresh ones. This book doesn't actually teach you how to draw. For that, I'd suggest "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." This book teaches you how to develop plot ideas, create your own studio, do drawing exercises, create characters, etc... It has interviews with famous comic artists and kid artists. It has drawing book suggestions and ways to promote your work. It's a really helpful book that I would definately recommend.

I recommend the book simply because I'm one of the "young artists" featured (names David Barnes). They even let me do a booksigning...a really great experience!

This book is very helpful. I can now draw comics very well!!!

Comic book fans of all ages who want to create some memorable works of their own receive basic tips on everything from starting a cartoon studio and choosing characters and plots to honing drawing skills and submitting work to comics companies. A kid-friendly, chatty tone makes it easy for younger artists to become involved.

Great comic by an incredible cartoonist! Loved it! I highly recommend checking him out! You'll be glad you did!

A strange remark, but true. Not only is Spooner very humorous, but it draws elements from the real world and other comic strips into its plot. Spooner and Roxanne, like most couples, are complete opposites,as Roxanne is a independent free-thinking woman while Spooner is a man naive about his new role as a caring family man, something that Roxanne constantly refers to. He looks at another women while he goes to a movie with Roxanne( for which he gets a black eye.), forgets certain things( such as a song he sang to Roxanne while dating.), burps loudly when Roxanne tries to ignite some romance, and makes bad remarks about his wife's cooking. While Spooner refuses to grow up into the ideal husband, Roxanne tries her best to mold Spooner, through Emotional Inventory and discussions about the future, when she will no longer be so beautiful. One of the clever things Mr. Dawson is to create Cal, a older man experienced in marital affairs who has had three wives, who provides some humorous commentary on the difficulties of marriage. Dawson looks at both the anxieties and perks that Spooner and Roxanne get from their union; Roxanne wants to start a family, but has to get her career off the ground while Spooner is pleased to have Roxanne for himself, but is annoyed by her refusal to dress sexy( In one strip, Spooner claims Roxanne was easy, which was why he married her. Spooner's parental potential is shown in several strips, although the strips end with a different conclusion than Roxanne or Spooner would expect; in one strip, after holding a little baby, Spooner is unnerved by a goggly-eyed Roxanne and the baby rattle and bottles he " sees. " above her head. The one limitation is that we know very little about Spooner and Roxanne's lives before they were married, although one strip suggests that they met in college, via the term " Went steady. " Spooner is a strip that infuses humor into any panel, even when a strip deals with something very serious like birth control. Some of the best strips in this book are " Image Strips. " where a certain image, seen or unseen, is formed by Spooner or Roxanne after which the other may think of a image of their own: While working in the backyard, Spooner and Roxanne conjure up contrasting images, Roxanne envisioning Spooner as a successful lawyer while Spooner envisions Roxanne as a Superheroine. One of the color strips has a image formed by the real world when Roxanne and Spooner go to a dance club, but sit quietly at a table. At home, however, they dance to their heart's content. I wish that this strip was still in print, as it is the most original strip I have read so far in this new decade.

There isn't much in the way of laughs in the funny pages these days, but when Spooner ran, that was a different story. Now, you can have the original runs PLUS strips that never made the cut past the editors!
Great stuff for newlyweds and long time married couples alike.
Do yourself a favor and read this, you'll laugh the whole way through.

SPOONER is so real. That's the best thing I can think to say. While the funny gags and great illustrations are enough to give kids the giggles, the real humor is in the relationship between Spooner and Roxanne.

If you enjoy reading a comic and then passing it to your signifagant other this comic is for you.
If you enjoy any of those Tom Hanks/ Meg Ryan movies this comic is for you
If you enjoy the show Mad About You, then this comic is for you.
Spooner is one of those rare comics that while you are reading it you feel as though you are looking into a mirror of your own life.
Highly Reccomended!!!

great stuff if you love Mad magazine. i enjoyed reading the history of the comic and it's Cuban creator.

Something somehow was richer in character about Prohias's many Black Spy vs. White Spy cartoons in Mad Magazine and this make me think he was really the best of the Mad artists to tackle this subject (maybe times were just better in the 60's than in the late 80's-2007, the period this book covers) still I much like the many original ideas the later generations of Mad artists came up (like the two page in-color caveman one in this book).

I purchased the Spy vs Spy2 book as an Xmas gift for my 12 year old son. He receives Mad magazine. He always loves to show me the Spy pages. He loved the book so much, he just ordered the first Spy vs Spy book. His best friend also spent a good deal of time pouring over the pages at his last sleepover. We hope you continue to keep these products available.

Watson-Guptill Publications and MAD Magazine presented the first SPY VS. SPY: THE COMPETE CASEBOOK to much acclaim, and fans of the first will want its sequel, SPY VS. SPY 2. It packs in observations from a political cartoonist and includes over 200 color and black and whit cartoons, including the original Sunday newspaper comic strip written by Edwing and Manak - the complete run of which appears here for the first time under one cover. It's a `must' for any Spy Vs. Spy fan.

If you are a fan of Mad Magazine then there's simply no way you cannot be a fan of Spy Vs. Spy. Created by Cuban cartoonist Antonio Prohias, the strip has been a fixture in Mad Magazine since 1961. The political cartoonist fled his homeland in 1960, just before Dictator Fidel Castro took over the Cuban papers. Prohias retired from the strip in 1988 and passed away ten years later, but his creation has lived on in the capable hands of new cartoonist who have even brought the strip to greater heights be producing it in color Sunday newspaper strips, video games, as well as getting their own animated commercials for Mountain Dew.

This 320 page, oversized trade paperback features the work of the men who took over for Prohias, first the team of writer Don "Duck" Edwing and artists Bob Clark and Dave Manak, followed by artist/writer Peter Kuper, the current force behind the strip. In addition to presenting hundreds of Spy Vs. Spy strips, the book featured a short biography of Prohias, and interview with Kuper, and several other short features.

While Edwing and his partners continued to produce the strip in much the way that it had been for nearly 30 years, Kuper came in with an entirely new look. Contrary to what many may think, Kuper doesn't achieve his look through airbrushing. In fact, he actually explains his creative process in the book. While the grainy look may not have been immediately accepted by longtime fans, no one can deny the incredible influence that he's had on the characters and how the black& white spies have continued to flourish under his watch. In 2001, Kuper began doing his Mad strips in color, giving it a complete different look. Perhaps it was Kuper saying that the world of spies simply is no longer black & white...or maybe he just wanted to do them in color.

In 2002, Spy Vs. Spy became syndicated in Sunday newspapers, with story and art by Edwing and Manak. The strip ran for only 39 weeks, in part because some editors deemed it inappropriate in the case of Mid-East violence. Thankfully, Watson-Guptill has seen fit to reprint all 39 of those strips in this edition. It's a wonderful book and one of the most legendary strips ever.

reviewed by Tim Janson