Humor Books

Mafalda's an icon...Through her words, we see a sense of humanity and realism that was hard to find when she was born...She speaks volumes about human nature, without saying much...that's her magic, that's why, 40 years on, she's still so fresh...It's a latin american classic, but her message is universal.

I read these comics back then when I was little girl.
In the 70's Mafalda was one of the most popular comics in the major newspapers in South America. Even now it is still humorous for the whole family, my children enjoy also the DVD.

This book is good, but I bought it thinking it was the complete collection of comics as you can find in little books (12 issues). This is not the complete collection, therefore, I think that "Todo Mafalda" is better.

I grew up reading Mafalda, and it is amazing to see how the political and social criticism that made us laugh 20 years ago still as valid today as it was back then. I was expecting the complete collection of stories, this volume provide you only with a sample of the best of them. But still a great collectors edition item.

Just wanted to say that this is not only a book that tell you about the situation in Argentina in those days (in a very sutil way). This book is going to make you LAUGH. It is a briliant, smart and a sarcastic book. Its characters come to life after reading a couple of pages, and after reading the first one, you just can't stop reading the others.
I had all the book but lost them, and know I want to get them again. The problem is that the shiping lasts to long...
I don't know if I would recomend these books from people who are not spanish speakers.

A great little book. Would recommend this book as a gift to dog lovers, or animal lovers.

I bought this for my friend who turned 40, based on the reviews I had read. I looked thru it, and it was great! I bought two more for both of our sons. GREAT book!! VERY funny!! And inspirational, too.

I always thought I'd like to be reincarnated as a dog, and after reading "Are You As Happy As Your Dog?", I KNOW I want to come back as one. I carry this little book in my purse and refer to it often. Although you can read it in about 15 minutes, you want to go back and re-read passages over and over. It made me laugh and it made me choke up with emotion. My girlfriend loved it so much she ordered 25 copies to give as gifts to all her friends and relatives.

One of those wonderful put-it-all-in-perspective-simply books. Bought it for a friend who needed some cheering up. I read this book and met the author Alan Cohen years ago. At that time, he said a little phrase that has stayed with me and influenced many of my decisions throughout life in big and positive ways--"If it has heart, do it." His little book is full of simple helpful truths.

Alan Cohen asks, 'Are You As Happy As Your Dog?' Let's examine it. My dog is fed three times a day, sleeps whenever he feels like it, has the run of the house and is walked, driven and pampered. My dog enjoys financial independence even though he hasn't worked a day in his life, pays no income tax, has no children with mohawks who stay out till 5 am, has never been embarrassed by having a credit card payment refused at the local supermarket and isn't nagged by either a boss, a spouse or self-doubt. My dog has never felt the urge to throttle the neighbour when he tunes his drag racer on Sunday morning and has never had to endure the torture of listening to televangelists like Benny 'The Rug' Hinn or multi-skilled motivational gurus. My dog doesn't need dentures, hair implants, elasticised trousers, eye-watering prostate probes, porthole-thick reading glasses, vials of Viagra, piles of Prozac or barrels of Botox.

I didn't need to read more than the book's title to answer Cohen's question. In fact, I couldn't read more than the title. I can't remember where I put my glasses.

Even if you're not single, there is remarkable charm and understanding in this little book about being a woman in what is STILL a remarkably marriage-obsessed society. It is a pleasure and a comfort to take part in poking fun of this reality. As ever, Author Rachel Carpenter's intellectual, dry wit comes through even in the context of the whimsical simplicity of the book. Anyone--male or female--who has ever actively looked for a life partner and consistently failed at doing so (in other words, everyone, right?) will gobble up these modern words of wisdom.

Whether you are happily married (like me) or still looking (like many of my girlfriends), this book is a good way to laugh at yourself. Even if you never looked for a partner you know someone who has offered you the perfect advice for finding a mate. I took the book to work and everyone enjoyed it and subsequently shared stories from their own experiences. Even the men loved it! They said it was fun to see us poke fun at ourselves.

A friend of mine had this book sitting on her coffee table and I opened it up and couldn't put it down. This is one of the funniest parodies I've seen in years. I was laughing out loud from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had the whole thing figured out, Carpenter would come up with another unexpected and delightfully amusing twist. I've bought four and am giving them as Valentine's gifts. Even my mother (married for 50 years!) loves it. Does anyone know who Rachel Carpenter is? Has she written other stuff? I searched her name on amazon and couldn't find other books but I'd sure love to read a novel if she's got one. Wow!

My husband brought this book to work today to show to his coworkers. It is kind of cute that he is responding so well to a pink chick book...So its clearly not just for girls.

Hilarious! A chick looking for her husband, from ballroom dance classes to AA meetings with amusing results. Does she find him? I don't want to ruin the surprise! Suffice to say, along the journey, she realizes that whether or not she finds The Man, she can lead a fulfilling, rich life.

Hoping for Tony Kornheiser's Pumping Irony? How about Dave Barry or Carl Haaisen? Fahgetaboutit... This book is sick, sick, sick. I can't wait for his second effort. Telling it like is, Iron Mike style.

Iron Mike's scathing commentaries on the state of the nation and the world are dead on and absolutely hilarious. This book will make you think about how ridiculous our society can be, without being preachy. We are let in on the private life of Iron Mike; he introduces us to a regular cast of supporting characters who accompany him on his adventures. My personal favorite is his accountant (you'll see what I mean). There are plenty of celebrity cameos, as well. Most importantly, this book will make you laugh out loud again and again.

Much like his e-column, Iron Mike gives a big heap of non-stop profanities and more information about his personal habits than you'd ever want to know. If you think this is a bad thing - you're wrong! Anybody who gets offended easily probably wouldn't want to read it though.

iron may think hes screwed up.. ihad this problem with my rear, sort of a health thing. but i read IM battery acid cos my stepmom buy it for me after her lover took off for tijuana and she felt bad cos she had go find him.

This book was a barrel of laughs! My sides were aching from laughing so hard. Iron Mike really turns the politically correct movement on its head. This book is not for the easily-offended, but it is definitely sheer entertainment!!!

Thank you so much for getting this book to the other side of the world as fast as you could and in great condition too! My sweetie is enjoying it so much so I couldn't ask for more.

Was the perfect Santa gift - saved enough to purchase 2 books vs one at the local book store! The recipient wasn't any wiser on how much we saved.

This book is an absolute must for those seeking to find a gift for the ones who have everything. To be well appreciated, one must have a sense of humor. This book is informative, fun, and gives the reader a wee bit to think about while doing their business. It is also the ideal book to read on airplanes because of the ease with which one becomes absorbed in the articles. Airplanes are not the easiest places to read, as you well may know. All in all, it is an excellent book.

For the man/woman who has "everything", who couldn't use an easy-to-read, easy-to-pick-up, easy-to-put-down compendium of fun and fast paced antecdotes, amusing stories, and interesting(and generally useless) facts??? This book has brought me considerable entertainment and a few out right belly laughs during my past visits to the throne. Well worth the investment. It doesn't cost too much, and the time you spend is "free time" anyway!!

I love this book. At first, I just read it on the john. Now, I read it whenever I'm bored! By the way, people used to call the 'John' the 'Jake' in the mid 1500's. That transitioned to 'Cousin John' which later shortened to just 'John'. No, this book is not just limited to captivating info on the chair that doesn't recline but has a handle, it also divulges Mel Brooks' REAL name. I guarantee, this book will enlighten you beyond your current enlightenment. Enough shameless plugs, just buy the book. (save...using Amazon.com)

Even though I am NOT a lawyer, I enjoyed the 'Ode' 'The Big Firm'. The funniest and best read I had at Christmastime....I want to buy every one of my lawyer friends and NON lawyer friends a copy. POETIC JUSTICE??????? The illustrations tell the story in their OWN way . NOT TO BE MISSED! GFL

I have worked in big law firms, and this book captures the essence of what happens behind the scenes with a lot of humor and fun. The book identifies characters we have all encountered in working in any large business. It is entertaining to read, and certainly meant to be shared with others.

This is a very clever take on the "big firms". The writing is exceptional and the illustrations are fabulous. I would recommend this book to anyone who has worked in a law firm or knows someone who works in a law firm. Very entertaining!

My former spouse worked at a big law firm. This book is a must read for those spouses of lawyers out there who don't quite understand what their spouse is going through at a big law firm. Great humor about very real truths! My personal favorite was the section on the "Backbone Removal Machine." Non-lawyers working for big corporations will see many insights into their work world as well. You won't be disappointed.

This book is an excellent gift not only for lawyers but for everyone who has worked in or with big corporations. You will enjoy and recognize the characters and stories created by the authors. Is is hilariously true!

Lennie Peterson is one of the most talented comic strip writers of our time. The Big Picture: A Comic Strip Collection showcases the best of his insightful and witty comics up to the time of its publication. Lennie is a major player in the field of humorous comic strip writers. Buy the book! You will love it. It is a must have for all collectors. The Big Picture: A Comic Strip Collection is guaranteed to make you laugh. As you read the lively and colorful comics, you will wonder how Lennie manages to get to the heart of every situation that comes in contact with his artistic tools. Lennie Peterson is charismatic, and to say the least, very cute!

-Suelaimon, author of The Final Dream & Rainbow Bridge

Lennie Peterson, while being an extremely talented musician, his comic strips go right for the mind, body and soul. A look at his life in a way most people don't let show through makes this book a very funny read. HIs cat is cool, his coffee habit axtreme, and his band INCREDIBLE!!! The dialogue hits a little close to home also, and that is good.

Actually no tears or shame just laughter - a great collection from a great talent. If you don't get TBP in your local paper, call the editors and scream, darn you, scream!

Reading this book is like breaking into Lennie Peterson's diary. You'll see yourself in this collection, I'm warning you now! I enjoyed the "Lennie-isms" throughout ... his peculiar way of spelling "stupid" ... his dork sightings ... and his ongoing banter with real life readers of the strip. Lennie Peterson is a cutting-edge original, so buy the book and send him an email. Chances are he'll fire a letter back at ya and then the games begin.

I couldn't put this book down. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I leave it on the coffee table in the TV room (an honored place) and pick it up again and again. I enjoy a good laugh and this book is full of them. I also enjoyed his other book "Why God Makes Bald Guys". I get a big smile on my face when I read these books.

Back in the eighties, I considered the "Bloom County" strip to be the best cartoon feature of the time. Therefore, reading this book was a humorous and nostalgic look back to another time in America. There were references to presidency of Ronald Reagan and the Iran Contra scandal, the nuclear arms race, the evil empire of the Soviet Union and the first president Bush.
For one moment, I forgot the time context of the strip. On page 50 boy genius Oliver W. Jones has created a teleportation device. In the final caption of the segment, his father asks him, "Could you put George Bush into the White House?" To which he responds, "OH, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS EXPECT THE IMPOSSIBLE FROM ME?!" At first, I thought the reference was to George W. Bush, but then realized it was about George Herbert Walker Bush. I laughed at that one because it certainly could be applied to both.
Cartoon strips provide us with humor and a cynical look at the political and social forces of the time. Therefore, if you have little knowledge of the events of the eighties, then you will have a difficult time understanding many of the cartoons. However, if you lived through them and were old enough to be politically acute, then you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Ok for you Get Fuzzy fans, this is what I am talking about. On the cover of this collection we see Berkly Breathed using the Bruce Springsteen album collection set(from Christmas 1987) for inspiration. Take a look at the cover, Are You Bucksperienced just plagerizes this idea.

I've always had a slight preference for the early "Bloom County", before things got quite this surreal. Which is not to say that I don't enjoy this one; there are a great many very funny bits in here, such as Steve Dallas facing the government commission led by Tipper Gore in defense of the lyrics of the rock band "Deathtongue", which featured Opus the penguin on tuba (very appropriate for a heavy-metal band, wouldn't you say?) Hodge-Podge the rabbit on drums, Bill the Cat on electric tongue, and Steve Dallas a lead singer and songwriter. All of which is certainly pretty surreal. But sometimes it got even weirder than that, if you can believe it.

Not the best of the "Bloom County" books, and certainly not the one to start with if you aren't familiar with them, but funny and worth owning if you enjoy the series and don't have it.

Okay - Bloom County Babylon, the 4th Bloom County book was really a compilation of material contained in the first 3 books. So.... depending on if you want a chronological collection of the BC Strips, or to complete ALL of the BC Books, this is either the 4th or 5th volume of Bloom County, and Berkeley Breathed is still in high-gear producing the funniest 'toon strip I've ever read. And by "funny" I mean laugh-out-loud, roll on the floor, tears streaming down my face, people coming into the room to see "WHAT are you laughing at?!!!?" kind of laugh.

In "Billy and the Boingers" Steve Dallas, the sleazy womanizing ambulance-chasing lawyer, finally decides that even HE has had it with defending murderers and child abusers. Bill the cat inspires him to hold auditions for a "New high-profit heavy-metal rock band". Requirements are only "Need to know 3 chords and be able to grimace musically".

Along the way Opus the Penguin gets engaged to sweetie Lola Granola, and the new Heavy Metal Group "Death-Tongue" makes their pitch in Los Angeles to recording companies, ending with a memorable visit backstage at an Ozzy Osbourne concert - back when Ozzy was the "Elvis of Heavy Metal". Back in Bloom County Steve discovers that he must give up cigarette smoking or his life expectancy is 6 months. He has Opus tie him to a chair where he is the model of self-control for 38 whole minutes before he breaks down and tells Opus "Get me a (...) cigarette before I stick you in a blender". Things get worse from there.

As in the previous volumes Breathed does a fantastic job of creating a surreal universe full of people and critters that we care about, but who are most importantly..... funny.

Bloom County was without a doubt the most insightful, funny, and beloved comic strips of all time. It's rabid following has never gotten over the disappearance of Opus and the Gang from the funny papers. That's because nothing has ever been able to take it's place. Could you imagine Opus, Bill, Steve, and Milo tackling today's issues? What besides G.W. Bush and Saddam would be in the anxiety closet. Alas, we can only remember the good times.

This is one of my favorite Bloom County books. It mostly took on an issue that has always been important to me, rock n roll. The gang takes on the PMRC by forming their own metal band Deathtongue. After battling Washington though, Steve Dallas caves in and Billy and the Boingers is born.

Long live live Opus. He is sorely missed.

This is a great book. It's a nice mix of the ones we remember as children and a few more we wouldn't readily remember.
This is for the child who has a healthy appreciation for the art of Edward Gorey and the humor for Monty Python and love Lon Chaney. Trust me, there are these children out there, they really are under the age of 8 and they are very hard to buy books for.
What's really wonderful, for the adults who are finding their lives now revolve around reading stories to small children who remain illiterate, this book offers a lovely change from the norm. Honest to god, If I have to read one more Pretty pony story I am going to hunt that pony down....
I recommend it for children of all ages, even if you dont' have your own, it's just so worth having.

With the recent publication of Random House's, "Charles Addams: A Cartoonist's Life", by Linda H. Davis, rival publishers appear to be looking to their own overstocked warehouses to take advantage of this newest Addams literary craze. At least, that's how I'm interpreting the sudden reappearance of books like Simon and Schuster's, "The Charles Addams Mother Goose", which originally made its republished debut back in 2002, onto our bookstore shelves. Not that I mind, of course. Any republication of the Addams repertoire is fine with me, and had S&S not started sending out this book once again I never would have known what a fine complement C.S.A. made to some of the darker nursery rhymes out there. Mother Goose books come and go, but if you want to go for the memorable, the dark, and the amusing then there really is only one title you should even begin to consider. And it sports a Stephen King by-line on the cover.

Told in about 28 different nursery rhymes, "The Charles Addams Mother Goose" is everything you might expect from that most famous of New Yorker cartoonists. Here you can find all your favorites word-for-word, accompanied by the most peculiar of pictures. The mouse from "Hickory Dickory Dock" takes on enormous proportions. Jack Sprat and his wife seem to have eating habits outside of what we might consider the norm. Even the three blind mice are included, though the carving knife is now of the electric variety. The familiar Addams family characters do indeed make an appearance in some of these poems, and always in a fashion that seems tailor made for them. Plus it takes a kind of genius to be the illustrator who decides that the reason all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again was because out of Humpty hatched a baby dragon/dinosaur/scaly creature. Certainly the unique Addams brand is clear and present in every pic.

Kids who read this book, and there will be quite a few, may find themselves in later years wholly unable to separate Addams' vision from certain peculiar rhymes. Take, for example, that old chestnut "Solomon Grundy". Entirely apart from the fact that his name is now synonymous with a Batman villain, his story here is told in seven/eight panels. "Solomon Grundy, Born on Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday. This is the end of Solomon Grundy." Addams really takes the poem even further, though. His Grundy resembles a slightly undersized and grumpy Uncle Fester. And once he's, "Died on Saturday", his body resembles nothing so much as a cloud of dirty air. Then, wonderfully inexplicably, that same dirty air is put into a corked bottle and thrown into the sea with the line, "Buried on Sunday." It's this kind of random twist on old stand-bys that gives this collection just the right burst of original peculiarity. I'm not even gonna go into the eyedropper of holy water on the second panel or the mysterious mushrooms that grow out of Solomon's head on Thursday.

So which poem wins the Most Likely To Disturb Already Wary Adults Award? It's a toss-up, to my mind, between "Mistress Mary, quite contrary" and "Wee Willie Winkie". On the outset, neither poem seems particularly dark. In "Mistress Mary" however, an unhealthy waif of a woman with dark-lidded eyes and a lifeless expression waters mushrooms in a darkened basement. Lit only by a single bare lightbulb, the mushrooms have begun to sprout feminine heads, each with the creepy cheer of a babydoll's face. The picture looks almost institutional, what with the pale blond's stare into nothingness and the mushrooms' eerie plastered smiles. Compare that, however, to "Wee Willie Winkie". In that picture a boy and girl stare aghast at a window where a ghoul in a nightcap stares unblinkingly at them, his right hand ah-rapping at the pane. The whole picture is tinted a sickly green and blue and you've the feeling that the little boy who is not in bed could be in for some trouble soon.

When you get right down to it, however, maybe the most disturbing part of this book is the Foreword written in 2001 by "Mrs. Charles Addams". In this section, the woman gives a bit of context to the original publication. It came out in the midst of Vietnam. It could be credited to two equally possible sources. But Mrs. Addams goes even further and finds in Charles's work an odd source of, of all things, comfort. "How wonderful to find a dinosaur inside Humpty Dumpty, rather than worrying that he had fallen and couldn't be repaired. Or being reassured that the old woman who lived under the hill had all the comforts of a real home and was better for it." You'll note that she makes no mention of the vampiric Doctor Fell who's poem reads, "I do not like thee, Doctor Fell" or the leather-clad specter of death that shakes hand with a little girl by a graveyard. Countering such an Intro, however, is the remarkable "Mother Goose Scrapbook" compiled at the end of the book. In it we see a poem that "for reasons unknown" was pulled from the original book moments before publication. In it, a worried shepherd holds open the doors of a fallout shelter as his lambs pelt past him into the darkness. A mushroom cloud erupts in the distance. Says the poem, "A red sky at night is a shepherd's delight. A red sky in the morning is a shepherd's warning." Since we've already determined that the book came out in 1967, I doubt the reason for the deletion is all that mysterious at all. Other choice details include New Yorker covers, photographs, book jackets, and even a drawing Charles made at the age of four.

Charles Addams has a following not too dissimilar to the Edward Gorey fans out there. This collection, however, demands to be owned by people outside of the regular obsessives. You can't say that Addams' visions of these nursery rhymes are anything but logical extrapolations. What's more, after repeated viewings they insinuate themselves into your unconscious. I'll never hear "This is the house that Jack built" without visions of knives, bulldogs, and dirty rats again. And I'm okay with that. A must-have purchase for anyone with a penchant for the peculiar.

In 1973 I was in second grade, and this was my favorite book to check out of the library. The only problem was, it was also a lot of other kids favorite too! I was always on the waiting list for it!!! The illustrations have been in my mind for over 30 years, and several years ago I tried to purchase it, only to find it out of print. I was so excited to find it recently rereleased. I now have my own copy, and am as fascinated by it today, as I was in second grade. The pictures are awesome, and show the true stories at the dark heart of nursery rhymes!!!It's a creepy little safe scare for adults and children alike. A really great book!

As only Chas Addams can do, the innocent nursery rhymes take on new meaning with these wonderfully ghoulish illustrations proving that a picture is worth more than a thousand words. I first read this book in the bookstore when I was 9 and purchased it with my saved allowance. I still have it and re-read it once per year. Sometimes I wonder if Chas Addams succeeded in capturing the soul of these well known verses better than any illustrator ever has. I recommend you purchase this book, light a fire on a stormy autumn evening and enjoy this book by candlelight with your own little fiends.

I was so pleased to find a re-print of this, the Mother Goose of my childhood. Yep, my parents gave me this Charles Addams -- and I've never been quite right since.
The hours I spent poring over pictures of the cadaverous Wee Willie Winkie, the Frankenstein-esque Dr. Fell, and little Wednesday Addams skipping rope alone, under a single streetlight . . . all these wonderful frissons were restored to me with this re-issue. Mother Goose wears Chuck Taylors!
If you love Gorey, Burton, and Lynch, you'll love the "Charles Addams Mother Goose."

My dad and Charlie were in business during their undergraduate days at UPenn. Dad would go out and take orders and Charlie would draw custom Christmas "and other special occasion" cards. I thought this was pretty neat. Nearing his deathbed, my dad finally confessed the he'd go out and take very specific instructions, gather photos, descriptions, etc. and bring other sordid details back to Charlie, who would then draw "pornographic" cards based on those orders. That revelation got me looking at Wednesday in a whole new light! It was enjoyable to read that Charlie was like that all his life.

One of the most commonly asked questions of cartoonists is, "Where do you get your ideas?"

And of course when the cartoonist is Charles Addams, this question leads to unrivaled speculation and disinformation, which over the years created its own brand of peculiar mythology.

Now comes an impressive new biography by Linda H. Davis. In "Charles Addams: A Cartoonist's Life" Davis takes on the stories that Addams slept in a coffin and drank martinis with eyeballs in them. Instead, what emerges is a surprising portrait of an amazing artist who led a full and colorful life.

Yes, Addams certainly had quirks and odd obsessions. But he was also universally loved, and so charming that he dated the likes of such luminaries of his time as Greta Garbo, Joan Fontaine and Jackie Kennedy Onassis (along with untold numbers of others). He drank hard, raced cars, and no party or social gathering was considered complete without him. His fan base ran the gamut from the criminally insane to Sean Connery and Alfred Hitchcock.

In this first ever biography of the subject, Davis charts Addams' meteoric rise and more than 50-year career as the most esteemed cartoonist at The New Yorker. With his cartoons, Addams became a significant cultural force by combining horror and humor, a genre that continues to flourish today. His impact and influence on generations of cartoonists is impossible to calculate, but it's fair to say that Gary Larson's Far Side would not have existed without him.

Addams' own unique creation of The Addams Family began as print cartoons which went on to inspire a popular TV series, animated cartoons and two Hollywood feature films. With these characters, Addams provided role models for eccentrics and nonconformists everywhere. The message of the Addams Family was simple: Namely that love and laughter can--and does-- flourish everywhere, even within families and social groups that seem outside society's norms.

An esteemed biographer whose previous subjects have included Stephen Crane and Katherine White, Davis spent over six years on this book and interviewed more than 130 persons who knew Addams well, or as well as anyone could. Although Addams died in 1988, Davis had exclusive access to his personal effects and papers that had been in the possession of his wife Tee until her death in 2004. Addams' two other wives also participated in helping Davis to define the man nicknamed "Chill" by his friends.

Davis provides a wealth of detail, but wisely avoids drawing hard conclusions or offering up pseudo-psychoanalysis. Instead, the dichotomy between the artist's urbane and cheerful public persona and his morbidly dark humor are presented in a way that leaves the reader, if nothing else, even more appreciative of Addams' depth, genius and mystery.

With this approach Davis reframes the question of "where" Addams got his ideas to that of "why." Addams was unlike anyone else, and so it is only natural that his ideas would be unlike those of others. As for why he was the way he was, that's a question Addams seems to have taken to the grave with him. In "A Cartoonist's Life" we see that just as one question is put to rest, another rises up - a conclusion that Addams himself would have no doubt enjoyed.

Who was Chas (Charles) Adams? While you won't know by the time you finish this revealing biography, you'll certainly expand beyond the line sketch you probably have now of his life. If you are a New Yorker fan, you'll know him from his hundreds of cartoons and dozens of covers that expressed a most unique and other worldly perspective. If you are a fan of celebrities, you may know more about him as someone who drove classic cars, dated high-profile women, and favored allusions to death and dying. If you are a classic television fan, you'll know that his cartoon characters were the foundation for The Addams Family. If you favor camp, you know about his armor collection, his preferences for cross-bows, and other lethal items which he liked to display in public.

The biography also reveals a kindly man who was patient with everyone, including those he didn't particularly like. You'll also learn of his fascination with the Morticia appearance (based on having married two women who met the bill). More surprisingly, you'll find him to have been victimized by his second wife . . . even long after they were no longer married. The book also portrays a heterosexual version of Truman Capote who fascinated many of the most desirable women.

Most pleasingly, Ms. Davis does a delightful job of portraying the development of his cartooning style and art . . . including dozens of prime examples that are well reproduced. Even when there's no reproduction, Ms. Davis is good at capturing the essence of an image in a few words. She also provides a history of 20th century New Yorker cartooning, including how many of the final cartoons represented the influences of many people other than the artist who signed the final version.

While each of those aspects is well and thoroughly portrayed, the core of the man doesn't quite make it through. Addams seems like a case of arrested development in many ways, but his willingness to be kind and considerate of others displays greater maturity than his preferences for self-indulgence and his cartooning approach suggest. In today's world, he would clearly be just another clever self-promoter . . . except that his stunts seemed aimed at creating joy rather than a higher income. Clearly, he didn't take himself too seriously, yet he did take his work seriously. Ms. Davis has, however, done readers and cartoon fans a great service by writing this biography which will undoubtedly stir up other sources and perspectives to flesh out the man who shortened his first name because it looked better that way on a cartoon.

Addams has always been my favorite cartoonist and I snatched a copy of this book as soon as I saw it. Reading this book led me to have even more admiration for this man, who had a rather energetic personal life (although not of the sort some might imagine) and who also served in the Army as, what else, an illustrator.

A must-have for anyone interested in Addams' work and a damn good read even if you aren't. Also, I thought the cartoons picked to illustrate the book were a perfect for this work.

"Charles Addams: A Cartoonist's Life" is a warm and tenderly written biography in which the essence of the man behind the dark side of his cartoons is gently exposed. Author Linda H. Davis has offered a comprehensive look into Charles Addams's life and it has a few surprises.

Addams, born into relative prosperity in Westfield, New Jersey just prior to World War I, could have lived a rarefied life (and in some ways he did) were it not for his penchant for seeing the world in a different way from most of us. Davis points out that Addams, although never admitting to liking children and never having any of his own, nonetheless gravitated toward children at parties and visits to friends' homes. He was wildly popular with the children he got to know and that childlike quality is evident in the cartoons he drew. He disliked the word "macabre" in describing his work and as the author points out there is never any outward blood and gore in his cartoons. The ghoulishness is implied and having been treated to several of Addams's cartoons in this book I would agree with Addams himself....his best cartoons are uncaptioned.

Charles Addams's personal life was another matter. Married three times, his second wife, Barbara Colyton, had the most and longest lasting effect on him. Control and money were her issues and she dominated the cartoonist for years after their divorce. Yet as Davis points out, Addams never had too much of an axe to grind with her or other women in his life. Indeed, he had many women as confidants...something most men eschew.

It is surprising to see how little money Addams made in his life, relatively speaking. He seemed to care about other things and one of the great loves of his life was his dog, Alice. Remarkably, too, Addams lived in an age where, at the New Yorker at least, cartoonists were mostly given ideas from which to draw something. It appears that his originality came later rather than earlier in his career.

Linda Davis has done a fine job in taking us through the life of this wonderfully warm, if complicated man. As his friend, the writer Philip Hamburger remarked on Addams's death in 1988, "Charles Addams was 'sui generis'". Without a doubt he must have been. I think Addams would have been a lovely dinner guest, replete with humor and full of attentive, quiet listening to his fellow guests. I wish I had met him.