Cartoons Books

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who grew up reading comic books in the 30s, the 40s, the 50s and the 60s. Joe Simon a pioneer in the industry, shows how the fictional world of comic books was a reflection of the real world with its trials and tribulations. The book puts fact and reality to fantasy characters. It is truly and fun and fascinating read. Lots of great memories for pre-baby boomers and baby boomers alike.

A secure and fast delivery. Great price, too. Thanks, Amazon!

The top headline of the book says it all.

`The Young men in the golden age of Comic Books were as bizarre as the characters they created.'

Joe Simon was one of those men. He, along with Jack Kirby, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Bob Kane, and a host of others toiled in the early comic book trenches blanketed in anonymity for decades. The major creators were well paid for a time, then their fortunes fell and many died in poverty, obscurity, and bitterness. Fortunately, with the rise of Comic Book Scholars and Historians, and the growing necessity to record the events of the Golden Age of Comics, we have `Comic Book Makers.'

The history of comic books is a twisted story. Fraught with danger, and drama, the publisher vs artist/writer power struggle threatened to destroy the very industry in its' infancy. Publishers like Donenfield, and Martin became wealthy, while those who created their `power', struggled to survive. Joe Simon was there. Bob Kane was there. And today, after decades of denial of many of the creators have finally received their due.

The Comic Book Makers is a powerful, and lively book. Co Written by one of comicdoms greatest talents, it exposes the comic book industry at its' creative and financial peak. Joe Simon was there for many of the quintesessential moments. Co creator of Captain America, friend of Siegel and Shuster, associate of Bob Kane, and long time friend of Stan Lee, he has been privy to many of the critical times in the industry.

Written in an episodal format, in each chapter he discusses the history of comics from various perspectives, and includes fascinating first person stories about the many influential comics professionals. Details of his conversations with Martin Goodman, Will Eisner, Victor Fox, Jacob Kurtzberg (Jack Kifby), Stan Lee (Stanley Lieber), Charles Biro, Creig Flessel, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Jack Liebowitz, Alfred Harvey, Allan Harvey, Harvey Kurtzman, William Gaines, Ham Fisher, Al Capp, add significant value to the book, giving it a `history' feel.

Sections on the Captain America wars with Marvel Comics, the witch hunt of the 1950's that led to the creation of the Comics Code Authority, his untold origin of Spider Man from 1953, Simon and Kirby's creation of the Romance Comic, and his last flings with King Kirby at DC on Sandman add more flavour to this tasty comic book morsel.

Illustrated profusely with both published and unpublished pieces from industry giants, his artwork for Boys Ranch, The Boy Commandos, The Fighting American, and ghost work for Palooka and Capp are represented in loving detail. The life of Joe Simon was NOT one of mediocrity, but one of creative excellence.

The Comic Book Makers is a joy to read, a joy to look at, and a book that I am proud to say that I own. Thanks Mr Simon,.

Comic Book Makers is available from Vanguard Productions, (www.creativemix.com/Vanguard) or your local comic store.

The point of view this book provides is truly one of a kind. It's the most well-written first hand Greatest Generation take on the American comic book. Joe Simon wore every hat during the golden age of comics: artist, writer, editor and publisher. He got around, knew all the big creative names, all the industry power brokers, as well as the mainstays of the business as it used to be, like page erasers and shop gofers. He knows the big stories, the scandals and lawsuits of the period. But the thing I value most about this book may be the small stories. It gives you a real sense of what it was like at the offices of Timely, DC and Harvey back in the day. This well-illustrated volume gives you a real texture and taste of a time that will never be repeated. For that, it's worth many times the price.

Highest recommendation.

There is an old adage that goes something like; 'Don't walk the walk unless you can talk the talk', and I have to say, when it comes to the history of comic books, Joe Simon can walk it and talk it with the best of them-he was there. He created or co-created: Captain America and Bucky, Boy Commandoes, Fighting American, Boys Ranch, The Fly, Manhunter, Sandman, The Newsboy Legion, the entire genre of romance comics and more. He worked on Dick Tracy, Captain Marvel, Joe Palooka, and many others uncredited. He was the first Editor-in-Chief at Marvel Comics, and at various times an editor at DC Comics, Archie, Harvey, and Fox Comics. His work has appeared in the New York Times, used for the Olympics, and he has been inducted into the International Comic Book Hall of Fame. Whew.

With The Comic Book Makers, Mr. Simon, along with his son Jim, have created a memoir regarding the early days of the comic industry, which is impressive in its execution. Do not think that this is some dry history lesson. They make the past come to life with humorous anecdotes and gorgeous full and half page art from some of the biggest names in the field at the time. Artists like Lou Fine, Dick Briefer, Joe Shuster, and Mr. Simon's frequent partner Jack Kirby, in glorious black and white so you can see the pages as they were intended. There is also a beautiful color section highlighting the art of such luminaries Jack Davis, Jack Kirby, as well as Mr. Simon's own work-truly beautiful.

He shares stores with such insight that even I, a long time comic fan and bit of an historian myself, learned something new-and let me tell you, that is no easy feat. The style of storytelling, as his art, is crisp and dynamic, humorous and insightful. You will learn new facts about the sale of Superman to National Periodical Publications, the near sweatshop conditions that artists used to work under, the birth of Captain America and the development of the character for the Saturday morning movie serials. He talks about the lawsuit of Superman vs. Captain Marvel regarding copyright infringement, and the birth of many characters; some faded into the annals of obscurity, while others have become classics like Li'l Abner and The Spirit.

I should also mention the beautiful work done by the publisher Vanguard Productions. I have had the pleasure to review several of their books, and I have to compliment them of the consistent quality and care to details they have shown with each of the releases I have read. This company is striving to honor the forbearers of the industry, and it shows in the work they do-my compliments to them.

The Comic Book Makers by Joe Simon and Jim Simon deserves to be on the shelf of any comic fan; it doesn't matter if they have been reading for decades or just picked up their first issue not too long ago. It is always important to know the roots of anything you love, and this shows them with the love and respect they deserve from a man who was there-and it just don't get no better than that.

The book is very helpful, especiallly formatted for the comic book fan. It is also great because of how it is organized. I think it is as good as Overstreet.

I picked up this book simply because I was interested in pricing my comicbook collection. Imagine my surprise when I read the wonderful editorial on heroes (both real-world, and the four-color kind) as well as the moving tribute to those heroes of the 9/11 tragedy. I highly recomend this book to everyone!

If you are looking for a great price guide to price out your comicbook collection, then this is the book for you! Fair, realistic pricing, and fine editorial content as well

As always, the Team of Malloy, Wells, and Sodaro bring sanity and clarity to the multi-tiered world of comicbook prices. This guide has consistently ranked as one of the best price guides on the market. Malloy truly has a handle on what stuff is truly worth. This edition is especially relevant in the post 9/11 world, as it contains a pair of stirring tributes to "Heroes" (both the four-color and the real-world kind). I heartily recommend this book

The 2007 edition of Comics Values Annual from Krause Publications is out and it continues to get better and better each and every year. This book gains momentum every year as an alternative to the more well-known Overstreet price guide. The main problem with Overstreet is the endless pages of dealer ads that grow longer each year. Who needs 150 pages of dealer ads anyway? Do people really order that many comics from dealers, especially with eBay? I also don't need the dozens of pages of dealer market reports that are basically already stale by the time the book comes out.I just want prices and information, which is what Comics Values Annual 2007 delivers in a no-frills package.

This edition gives a brief introduction on the industry, a grading guide, and features an interview with artist Joe Jusko. The CV Annual is very different from the Overstreet in its layout, Rather than simply list each title alphabetically, this guide lists titles alphabetically by MAJOR publisher beginning with DC and then continuing with Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Classics Illustrated, and then tossing in miscellaneous Golden Age titles, Misc. B & W, titles, and misc. color titles from modern publishers like Valiant, Gold Key, Gladstone, Malibu, etc...Now this may not be to every collector's liking as we've been conditioned to one type of delivery, but I personally like it. I mean it's still a Marvel and DC world to most collectors, especially in regards to Silver and Golden Age books so why have to thumb through all the junk no one's interested in when Marvel and DC have their own sections.

Another big difference between the CV Annual 2007 and Overstreet is that this book only lists the NM price per issue while the Overstreet gives three prices. I can go either way on this one. On one hand, it's nice to have all three major grades listed. On the other hand, it's not all that hard to calculate the price yourself based on the grade. Plus, Overstreet has to end up using a miniscule typeface to fit all those prices in the book.

I think the biggest advantage of the CV Annual is that instead of listing a range of issue numbers, it lists each title number by number. This allows for more information to be supplied such as story arc name, character appearance, artist credits, etc. This is a BIG plus!

If you want a price guide that gets right down to it without all the fluff and waste, I cannot recommend the Comics Values Annual 2007 any more highly!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

What's to say? The greatest cartoon ever is out of print and can't be seen by anyone. Thankfully his animated work is available on DVD through Amazon and it's a humbling experience. Those were the first animated cartoons and in some respects they've seldom been equalled. His first one--THE first one--is a shocker, like some amateur building the Taj Mahal on the first try. In terms of raw, fantastic, dizzying, imagination coupled with stunning craftsmanship McCay may have no equal.

If this material is not made available pressure should be exerted somewhere, maybe with the Smithsonian, to release new editions. The lack of availability is almost criminal: like finding out that Don Quixote's gone out of print or something. Really, I'm not being hyperbolic. For all the interest there is in comic art these days, all the Manga, Fantastic Fours and graphic novels, this has to be accepted as the medium's Shakespeare.

Although originally published as a weekly comic strip at the turn of the century, time has hardly diminished the charm or imaginative experiences of Little Nemo. As an unscripted character in his episodic dreams, a little boy named Nemo endeavors to keep up with the developments in "Slumberland" as they rapidly unfold. Recurrent characters show up to join in on the adventures, usually already in progress, and to clue Nemo in on where he is expected to go. As in dreams, the logic is usually skewed, and the storylines quickly gain momentum till they peak in a cataclysmic event that ultimately awakens Little Nemo. The wonderfully illogical development of the dreams are still as fresh today as they were a century ago. The only reminder of the era they came from is the quaint clothing and manner of the characters. The innovative story developments, though, are still uniquely fresh, having come from the visionary mind of Winsor McCay, who is credited with being the father of modern animation.

Long before a little boy and his tiger explored the imagination with wry social commentary and surrealism, Winsor McCay did the same with this amazing series of full page newspaper comics. This is a veritable treasure trove of comics history.

Admittedly, the jokes are not the same as Calvin and Hobbes so do not expect the same feelings. I find that Nemo evokes more feelings of wonder and delight while C and H brings about the hearty "guffaw". Also, the ending of every episode is exactly the same in that Nemo awakes to find the night's adventures were all within his head.

On the other hand, this book gives wonderful background of McCay and his world as well as beautiful reprints of the original prints.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, childhood, comics, or the dreams of past days.

Winsor McCay has been forgotten by the mainstream Nostalgia R' US spoon-fed media circus that we are all tapped into. Winsor McCay was a pioneering creative genius. He may not have been the very first motion picture animator but created some of the first animated shorts which featured CHARACTERS. His first was Gertie the Dinosaur. McCay would actually tour with his short and interact with the dinosaur on the screen, making it roll over and other tricks. McCay's Little Nemo is a feast

for the eyes. His eye for detail gives us a window to the early days of the 20th Century. The characters are completly fantastic. He was decades ahead of his time.

Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is a rare combination of artistry and imagination that deserves to be considered the first classic comic strip. "The Yellow Kid" came first, but it never demonstrated the superb craftsmanship of McCay's work, which is done in a distinctive "art nouveau" style that presages the coming of surrealism. Within the frames of his story McCay was able to create illusions of vast size and space, showing a word that was remarkably futuristic. Each of Little Nemo's weekly adventures told of a dream of the tousle-haired boy (of about six?) and concluded with him falling out of bed or waking up. McCay's son Robert served as the model for Nemo. Before working on the Slumberland strips McCay had experimented with other comics including "Little Sammy Sneeze," "Hungry Henriette," "Poor Jake," "Tales of Jungle Imps," and "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" (the last one under the pseudonym Silas), but none of them even hinted at the splendor of "Little Nemo." In 1909 McCay would go on to create "Gertie the Dinosaur," the first commercially successful animated cartoon, which is probably how most people know of McCay's work. But that can only be because they have yet to be exposed to this comic strip.

The "Little Nemo in Slumberland" comics in this book originally appeared in the "New York Herald" Sunday color supplement from October 15, 1905 to March 31, 1907 and are faithfully reproduced in their original colors from rare, vintage file-copy pages in the hands of a few choice collectors. There is even a special strip that appeared in the European edition of the "Herald" that was never printed in the U.S. The strip continued until 1911 and those strips are published in the other volumes in this series. In these early adventures Little Nemo first enters Slumberland and learns to cope with his unpredictable flying bed, pursues the beautiful Princess of Slumber, searches for the castle of King Morpheus, and endures the ministrations of Dr. Pill. Nemo also meets up with the devilish Flip, a green-faced clown in a plug hat and ermine collared jacket, who starts off always trying to summon the Dawn and wake Nemo from his dreams but then becomes our little heroes boon companion in his Slumberland adventures which involved an impressive array of strange giants, beautiful mermaids, humongous elephants, mysterious space creatures, exotic parades, fantastic dirigible rides, a jolly green dragon, and anything else McCay could imagine.

By both artistic and historical standards "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is the first truly great comic strip. When you look at the great strips that followed, such as George Herriman's "Krazy Kat," George McManus' "Bringing Up Father," Bud Fisher's "Mutt and Jeff," and Frank King's "Gasoline Alley," they are all decidedly different from what McCay was doing, although the use of "art nouveau" interiors and zany byplay by McManus is clearly an homage to "Little Nemo" as far as I am concerned. There is a sense in which those who see nothing similar appearing on the funny pages until Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" have a point, although I would acknowledge Snoopy's imaginative life in "Peanuts" as well.

This volume includes "Perchance to Dream," an essay by Richard Marschall, who I think was the single biggest contributor of the strips reprinted in this volume. The essay provides a concise summary of McCay's life and career, with examples of some of his earlier work, "Little Nemo" postcards, and an incredibly detailed editorial cartoon. But the most important thing is that Marschall's efforts have preserved the premier American comic strip for the enjoyment of posterity. There has never been a more magical comic strip. Never.

Entertaining and packed with excitement the compilation offered on the pages of Coolhead Luke is intended for the middle grade reader. Writer White is a media consultant who strings words together for pleasure. In the back of the volume she incorporate a Glossary of expressions relating to poetry along with a collection of optional questions for teachers to use with groups of children.

Laughable compositions having titles which include -Coolhead Luke-, -Ebenezer Nooze-, and -The Eyes Have It- set the tone for this work of verses and whimsical imagery. While aboard the -Freaky Bus- the reader will meet Old Baldy Bob, whose nose is gigantic, Stretch Joe whose neck is eight feet tall or so, as well as Bewildered Bill and Eraser Head McGee. Other verse lead the reader to a serpent hat, the King of Mud or even a cuddly Cyclops.

The commencement of the book includes the writer's notes to parents as poet White explains how at an early age her illustrator son Colin was interested in faces. Even as a very young toddler Colin started to become aware of faces in the outlines on curtains or leaves on trees. He began sketching faces at age two.

As his depictions progressed the writer noticed the representation seemed to have a tale to tell, thus the stanzas to go together with the illustrations was born.

Professor Bickle, we realize is in a pickle for the reason that he has a mouse who is fickle. A Motley Three is made of up of she, he and me. We have Lunch with the Mussies. And, we discover, nothing upsets Coolhead Luke.

Illustrator White is an upper middle grade student in Massachusetts where he goes on with producing drawings and other art work.

In concert, the White team of Mother and son, have created a characteristic and thought-provoking anthology of verse and art. Writer White tells the reader that the drawings set down on the pages of Coolhead Luke were fashioned by Colin when he was ten years old.

I have found my own class of students take pleasure in poetry. I like the addition of the glossary explaining Haiku, Rhyming Couplets, Rhyme Scheme and Structure along with Limericks. Following the glossary are helpful suggestions telling how to locate some of the poetic forms in the works offered on the pages of the book.

While my First Grade students are a bit young to truly understand the whimsy found in Illustrator White's work, they do take pleasure in the tempo and pulse of the poems themselves as they listen while I read the verses aloud. We often sing My Country Tis of Thee as one element of our daily opening exercise and after I read Coolhead Luke are learning to sing My Country's Teeth I See for the fun of it.

Target audience is middle grade and older readers. Interesting work produced by Mother and son White family members, happy to recommend for the personal pleasure reading collection, as well as classroom, school and public library collections.

Molly Martin
Reviewer

This is a great book! The illustrations by Colin White are original and sometimes profoundly insightful. The poems by his mother, Jen Lasker White, perfectly match the style, intent and wit of Colin's art work. Although this book is fun for everyone, books of poems that boys love are few and far between. This one truly delights and inspires my 10 year old son. And that ain't easy! Kudos to Jen and Colin!
Leslie O'Flaherty, writer, poet, singer, teacher

Coolhead Luke is a very special children's book for all ages. Jen White's humorous verses beautifully highlight Colin's original, entertaining drawings and at the same time teach important and meaningful lessons that children can easily absorb. Once you read this mother son collaboration with your child, you will want to buy books for all his or her friends, and so will your child! Coolhead Luke would be a great birthday or Christmas present for a grandchild, too. Tasha Halpert author of Heartwings: Love Notes for a Joyous Life

I read this book with my 8 year old son who LOVED it. The pictures remind my son of the silly books he likes to read. The poems that go with the pictures could not be more clever. Seriously!! We have our favorites picked out but found them all to be great fun.



The idea that this was written by a mother connecting to her son's art work is what clinched it. Something about that bond that speaks volumes.

Coolhead Luke is a fabulous collaborative effort between mother and son.
The son's wildly insightful drawings are perfectly matched by his mother's
lyrical verse-stories that delight with intelligence, insight, plain fun,
and wise moral endings outside of any overt religious bias. This is a
5-star book for middle-school kids and every imaginable adult! Read it out
loud (as all poetry should be read) and find yourself belly-laughing while
caught in the nets of surprisingly delightful insights in rhyme.

I like Cow&Boy very much. But..as with any of these comics compendiums..it is sometimes too much of a good thing. The M-Sat four panels or eight on Sunday is just right.....but suddenly you are overwhelmed; limit your daily reading of this book and you'll love this strip forever.

I very much enjoyed this first cartoon book of Cow and Boy--easily worth the money.

I love this comic because it is both insightful and funny. It does not fall back on tired norms like most comics. The character also have believe ability and depth. But most of all its funny in a way that refreshingly different than the rest of the every 5 day comics, I will surely get the next book he publishes.

Cow and Boy is hysterical! My kids love Cow, who is clearly the conscience for Billy (aka Boy). Great for adults and kids of all ages.

I have purchased several of these books to give to friends. Cow competing in the county fair, Billy going to school, and Cow in a bunny costume are just a few of the highlights of the first year of this comic strip. Who knew a cow could be so funny.

You may think, that the world we live in makes no sense. You may desperate to find poetry, pure joy and deep understanding of the true nature of things. Then please, take a wonderful moment of freedom and happyness and browse through "the Dao of Zhuangzi". The art of Tsai Chih Chung is unique and the message is enlightning.

This is an excellent introdution to Daoist thought, as well as thourough review.I am a fan of C.C.Tsai's other works and this is one of my favorites.

I have became interested in this book after reading "The Tao Speaks" by the same author. Previously, I have read the Tao Te Ching years ago, and found it a mostly unintelligible and illogical document. For years I have given up on trying to understand anything because it made little sense. That is, until I met this wonderful cartoon series by Zhizhong Cai. Here I found even some of the most complicated and esoteric principles of Taoism explained using brilliant flowing art and very simple examples from ordinary experience. The Zhuangzi is the perhaps lesser known of the two masterpieces of Taoist literature. I actually like it more than the Tao Te Ching. [Zhuangzi is the one who dreamed about a butterfly, and woke up wondering whether he's really Zhuangzi who dreamed of a butterfly, or whether he's really a butterfly who's now dreaming he's Zhuangzi]. I find the cartoon panels very illuminating and hilariously funny at the same time. It makes the principles of Zhuangzi much more lucid and vivid, and easier to remember and understand.

This book is a little bigger than the Dao speaks, containing almost 125 pages each having roughly 6 panels per page. The art is very beautiful and interesting. Further, the edition I have (which is square in shape) has a side panel in every page containing the text of the Zhuangzi in Chinese (reading top to bottom the traditional way). I found that very interesting and adds an artistic touch to the volume. It is also useful to me since I am currently learning Chinese. Note that (1) there are two books about Zhuangzi: this one and another called "The Zhuangzi Speaks", and that (2) there is an older edition of this series which omits this panel (so the book has a more rectangular aspect ratio). What I don't like is that they changes the titles of the books between the two series (used to be "The Sayings of Zhuangzi" Books 1 and 2). So once I bought Book 2 thinking it corresponds to the book I don't have ("The Zhuangzi Speaks"), and ended up with the same book I possess. So be careful. In any case it wasn't such a big mistake, as the price was right and I ended up giving the second book as a gift.

Modern language and ancient wisdom juxtapose nicely with simple, fun graphic illustrations.

Just getting started on your desire to understand eastern philosophies? Have you stood at the bookstore for hours pouring over where to start and what to buy?

Any of this authors books are a wonderful place to start. The reason? Because these books are all about the title subject in a nutshell, easy to read as a comic book, the story lines and illustrations are wonderful, and after you read this as well as all the other books by Tsai, you will have a great, well rounded start on your path and will know what you want to study more deeply!

To add, when others ask you about your interest in eastern philosophy, you can get them started here as well, because these books are fun, consise, and you know they will enjoy them over and over again!

I first bought this as a matter of mild interest--I liked the cover art.

But I got a big suprise! Caldwell has real talent! His cross between cartoon zaniness & noir sensibilities is a crowd-pleaser, & darn easy on the eyes.

While the rabbit character could use some development, the villainess, Madame Bleu, is a full-bore loon, & suitable for catch & release into Gotham City. Not that Gotham has any shortage of villains, mind you...


All in all, this gives you a heckava lotta bang for your buck, & I bought the second volume. I hope there is a third. Caldwell is well worth your time & money.

He has been my favourite author and artist after the first encounter with his book, Action Cartooning! This small comic book printed on newsprint was a good read, enjoyable, fast paced and fun. The actions were dynamic and were drawn with lots of energy. For first time readers, this is a must-buy. For all time fan like me, it would be a great collection!

Caldwell's work is absolutely inspiring. His style with dynamic characters, rich backgrounds, and superb villians makes for very entertaining reading. The characters he has created are some of the most interesting and original that I have seen in quite some time. The Dare Detectives only flaw is that the story is over far too soon. If you are a fan of comic art, this is a must buy.

This is a really fun comic, from the badguy pandas
to the clumsy toby,and of course the price, This comic gets a 5 star review

At just 6 bucks, or less, a 96-page color digest comic is already a great deal-- but animator Ben Caldwell's witty and well-thought out story, and stunning, animated art make this my favorite comic of 2004. Dare Detectives is a bit of a mystery, featuring a likeable, and interesting cast of characters-- the cigar-chomping Ms. Dare, her loveable, yet goofy muscular helper, and...a surly rabbit. The baddies are made up of monsters, dragons, and PANDA BEARS. There is also a making of section in the back-- very cool. This book is cool for kids of all ages- in a Looney Tunes sort of way!

The one panel gag cartoon is a classic in comic strip lore and nobody did it better than Hank Ketcham. Ketcham's talent is on full display in the first volume of The Complete Dennis The Menace.

Like the Peanuts collection, this first volume is an attractively packaged hardbound edition and includes a bookmark that is attached to the spine. Instead of chapters, the cartoons are broken in months. There is some background material on how Dennis came to be and information on Hank Ketcham.

Dennis is still in many newspapers. He is handled by Ketcham's former assistance Marcus Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton, the recent winner of the Reuben Award for best newspaper cartoon of the year, is one of the nicest artists in comics today.

All current Dennis readers will enjoy the first appearance of this Menace. Others that have not read Dennis in while; will enjoy the flood of memories of this Holy Terror. So, take some time to visit with your 'ol pal Dennis

I was a little worried when I bought this book as I thought since I had grown up with some of the later Dennis Cartoons, Going back this far might not be as enjoyable as I found it. I had some trouble going back and looking at the old Peanuts. Not quite as good as they became later on in my estimation. However this Book is a masterpiece by Ketcham. Dennis may be Younger but is still as funny as ever. It's kind of cool to watch the characters looks and personalities take on shape. This book has me smiling on almost every page and on many totally laughing until my eyes were watering. If you like Dennis the Menace? You won't be disappointed!

Dennis the Menace was arguably the greatest single panel comic strip of all time (sorry, Family Circus fans). This book reprints every panel from the first two years of the strip's existence. Sunday pages are not included, since those are not single panels and wouldn't fit in the book. This is great stuff; really funny. If you like Dennis the Menace, you'll love this book.

Special thanks to Fantagraphic Books for making this available and to my brother-in-law for getting it for me as a birthday present! This volume features the early days of Dennis Mitchell, his dog and his long suffering parents. You won't see much of poor ol' Mr. Wilson, whom Dennis unintentionally drives crazy, although his wife Mrs. Wilson is in a few cartoons. Dennis' pal Joey and nemesis Margaret aren't seen much either. There's a brief biography (written by Brian Walker) of Hank Ketchum whom also had a son named Dennis. Walker also gives a brief biography of the Mitchell family. And, of course, there's the cartoons: the barbers hate cutting Dennis' hair: "Be fair, Bert, I cut his hair the last time!", babysitters dread him: "I'll never forget the time I sat with that kid! See this scar?", he calls the fire department when Daddy Henry is burning leaves in the yard, he often dresses up as a cowboy: "Hi, gal, I'ma hankerin' for a cookie!", he loves his cookies but hates his vegetables, brings strangers home to lunch: "Hi mom, this poor guy hasn't had a bite to eat since yesterday!", and is untidy, much to mommy Alice's chagrin: "Christmas is over, Dennis. Go in and pick up your toys... and that means every last fragment!" Is he a menace? Not really, just a fun loving, curious kid who needs a lot of attention!

A few physical humor references to teeth knocking, baseball bats, and blackjacks were a bit jarring, but the complete reprinting of Hank Ketcham's opus is infinitely superior to the sanitizing that appeared in the you know what blockbuster. Kudos to Fantagraphics Books! After only a few pages, the reader may begin to wax nostalgic for the days when weekly magazines were chocked full of gag cartoons. Brian Walker's introduction actually sheds as much biographical information on the Mitchell family as it does on Ketcham. Good job! 589 panels printed chronolgically from day one. I just hope the kid makes enough money to print many subsequent volumes. Readers may also enjoy Hank Ketcham's "The Merchant of Dennis the Menace."

I'm glad that I waited long enough for the next book (1957-1958) to arrive so I could purchase this book. I'm quite fond of Dennis the Menace as far as I can remember - a great seller in everything!

Many talented people lose their "Id". Shultz in the last fifteen years, Ketchum much earlier. When the Dennis TV Show first appeared, he was mean! But the letters came in and they niced him up. This is also when the comic crapped out. No more cutting off little girl's pigtails, swinging them in the breeze, or insulting guests or running aound the hood nekkid. No, Dennis turned into another generic kid, who caused trouble by not shutting a door or waking up Mr. Wilson. A real shame because Hetcham was the Babe Ruth of comics for 10 years and I guess we should be grateful for that and for this wonderful series of books.
Jump the shark, anyone?

The brain child of cartoonist Hank Ketcham, Dennis the Menace became an American favorite and a staple of the comic section of newspapers across the country. Ketcham's mischievous little boy was so popular that the character also appeared in comic books, a television series, and even the movies. Fantagraphic Books has been compiling the Dennis the Menace series for a new generation of readers and has now released the third volume which covers the newspaper cartoons published from 1955 and 1956. Very highly recommended for academic and community library American Popular Culture reference collections, this Dennis the Menace series is a 'must' for American comics buffs in general, and the legions of Hank Ketcham fans particular. For those new to this series, or who have an interest in American comics art and history, visit the Fantagraphics Books website for a complete listing of their available cartoon and graphic novel titles.

I love Dennis the Menace, he is so rotten, but oh so cute. Ketcham based Dennis on his own son, who ironically ended up time and time again a resident of the California Penal System..uh food for thought..but i digress...this is a fantastic collection and it is complete, which i appreicate, this is Ketcham at his best and Dennis where he should be, in the Fifties, really I hate to see Dennis with a cell phone or a computer, it just does not work, and the current incarnation of Dennis makes you want to scream, he is so bland and boring, it's like reading family circus, without the great drawing, it's so sad Ketcham sold out, I wish he had had the strength watterson had with Calvin, and let Dennis end with him. I recommend this to anyone with a sense of humor, you cant help but laugh at his antics and the funny way Ketcham draws his expressions, in a word: Classic. Highly recommended.

Dennis the Menace is one of those classic comic strips, like Charles Schulz' Peanuts, that will endure forever. Still, it doesn't hurt to have just a little bit of help and that's where the wonderful people of Fantagraphics come in...Just as they did with Peanuts, Fantagraphics has been reprinting Hank Ketcham's wonderful Dennis the Menace daily strips in chronological order. This is the third volume in the series and reprints each daily strip from 1955 - 1956.

By this time Ketcham had really hit his stride. Dennis Mitchell complete with overalls and cowlick, and his parents are now fully developed as is irascible neighbor Mr. Wilson who now becomes the main target of Dennis'..umm...mischievous behavior. The slice-of-American-Pie, 1950's life-style simply exudes from these strips. Dad is generally always wearing a tie and mom an apron in this ode to less complicated times. Ketcham's work certainly had a huge influence on the work of Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) and Bill Amend (Foxtrot) and their own, too smart of their own good creations of Calvin and Jason Fox.

Dennis is an equal opportunity offender whose wisecracks to police officers often get him, although more his dad, into hot water. If there's one strip that maybe defines Dennis best it may one from January 29, 1955 in which Dennis is dressed up in a suit and tie at a kids party but tells a little girl, "I Don't really look like this, Y'know." Absolutely classic! Then there is the call he gets from his parents to check on him as Dennis explains that the babysitter "chickened out and went home."

Another strip which perfectly defines his character is from July 11, 1955. Dennis has opened a fire hydrant and proclaims proudly, "Why should I shut it off? I start trouble, I don't stop it!" Never were truer words ever spoken in the annals of comic strips. Dennis' schemes range from trying to sell dad's neckties for .5 cents, to getting even with a cop by letting the air out of his patrol car tires. The Christmas strips are simply delightful as Dennis behaves as any other kid does as he scours the house to find his hidden presents, and wakes up mom & dad in the dim hours of the morning to let them know that Santa has arrived.

Ketcham was a brilliant cartoonist. He was capable of displaying such vivid emotions just with his character's expressions. You didn't need captions to know what they were thinking. We all knew a kid just like Dennis (or were one ourselves) and that's what makes Dennis so great, we can all relate to the character. This volume is testament to Dennis' enduring popularity, nicely packaged in a neat little 672 page hardcover book with dust-jacket.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

If you want to laugh, smile and feel good without leaving your house, buy this book. It is the best book ever written, and I promise you, you will carry it around with you to read and re-read through-out the day. Buy two, so you can cheer up a friend.

If you want to laugh, smile and feel good without leaving your house, buy this book. It is the best book ever written, and I promise you, you will carry it around with you to read and re-read through-out the day. Buy two, so you can cheer up a friend.

If you want to laugh, smile and feel good without leaving your house, buy this book. It is the best book ever written, and I promise you, you will carry it around with you to read and re-read through-out the day. Buy two, so you can cheer up a friend.

If you want to laugh, smile and feel good without leaving your house, buy this book. It is the best book ever written, and I promise you, you will carry it around with you to read and re-read through-out the day. Buy two, so you can cheer up a friend.

It's not often a book can make a person laugh out loud, but if there was one book that could guarantee it, it would be Steven Appleby's Encyclopedia of Personal Problems. Mr. Appleby is a creative genius. If you are a fan of Gary Larson (The Far Side), Matt Groening (Simpsons, Life in Hell), or have a warped sense of humor at all, this book is indispensable. The illustrations are brilliant, and the book is penned competeley in freehand. It's written like an encyclopedia, so you can look up a specific "personal problem", or just pop it open at random for a good laugh. I don't know if one could survive reading it cover to cover. It made my sister laugh to the point of tears after only one page. I warned you!