Humor Books

This first book of stone soup is wonderful. I finally understand where the characters began and laughed all the way through. The drawings are less refined than the most recent comics, but I enjoy seeing the figures improve as the writing gets sharper.

How completely, utterly *refreshing* to read a comic strip where the female characters don't value themselves based on their waist measurements, their spendthrift shopping habits, or by how men see them. How wonderful and hilarious to see a comic-strip Mom who's got better things to do than become the family doormat -- Val's no-nonsense dealings with the kids is a refreshing change from the usual Mommy-clean-my-mess (from husband as well as kids) in most family comic strips. Of course STONE SOUP is feminist (Oh! I just said the "f" word!) -- it dares to presume that female characters can carry a comic strip all by themselves, and be funny and interesting in and of themselves, and that families come in all shapes and sizes. Naturally it's taken years for Eliot to come out with a *second* collection of these wonderful strips while the bulimia manual CATHY and the formulaic mommy-doormat FOXTROT are on their umpteenth releases -- some people are just so *threatened* by real women, aren't they?

I read a lot of comic strips and most make me smile, some invoke a chuckle. Stone Soup is the only one that makes me laugh out loud over and over. My refrigerator is covered in Stone Soup and so is the wall of my cubicle at work. BUY THIS BOOK AND THE SECOND COLLECTION, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

There seems to be a lot of debate going on in the previous reviews over whether or not Stone Soup is feminist. My opinion: of course it is! And it's quite refreshing to see a comic strip that isn't afraid to be. Better yet, the strip is never preachy and, unlike Foxtrot (to which it gets compared frequently), it's almost always funny. I've also seen a lot of comparisons to For Better or for Worse (helped along perhaps by the fact that Lynn Johnston wrote the introduction to this collection) which I find closer to the truth. The big difference there is that unlike FBoFW, Stone Soup is almost never sentimental. Eliot always finds a way to squeeze a laugh out of good times and bad, without dwelling on her storylines or overdeveloping them. While her focus may be on single mothers, her humor is accessible to one and all. And of course, it helps that Val and the gang always manage to keep their sanity intact at the end of each story!

Someone below called this a feminist comic strip but I think that's misleading, especially given the current difficulties in just defining that word. Yes, it happens to have several female characters, and yes it's not a stereotypical mom-dad-dog-2.4-kids-wagon-picket-fence family, BUT: This strip is about all of us, everyone of every sex and age and family style, and it's enjoyable to (and enjoyed by) a wide range of people -- even ordinary traditional people and even (gasp) men! My husband loves it, my 60-something dad loves it, and so on. I think the publisher's blurb on the back of the second Stone Soup collection ("You Can't Say Boobs On Sunday") got it right: "Anyone who's ever had a family, been in a family, or known a family seems to love Stone Soup. ... Readers see themselves and their families in Stone Soup, and they love it." That goes for people who don't consider themselves family-oriented, and for people who do.

Everyone I've known who's read any Stone Soup has enjoyed it and wound up quoting or passing around some of the strips.

Recommended reading for everyone except total grumps, I say.

To be fair about it, this is a funny book. I am a democrat and make no apology for it and even so, in the interest of fairness can find humor in some of the gaffes and faux pas of public figures who are democrats.

I didn't view this as a slam on democrats per se. I viewed it as a compliation of funny stories and comments. Democrats as with any group have a myriad of personalities and abilities. Humor can be counted among them. Democrats have wonderful political humor - check out some of the clever sayings on bumper stickers!

Despite these 449 gaffes and faux pas from well known democrats, Dumbya has the dubious distinction of the leading edge. See, only 449 have been publicly taxed to democrats in this book. Dumbya far exceeds that figure. His verbal gaffes; mispronuciations; barbarisms; faux pas and malapropisms far exceed the compilations in this book.

This is just a little book of 138 pages,but it is packed with some great and humorous things Democrats have said over the years.Some of them may not have been too outrageous at the time,but in a while came back to haunt them.If you are a Democrat, with a thin skin,maybe you better pass this up and leave it for a Republican.I am sure you can find a similar book of Republican quotes which are just as funny.However,if you can get past political affiliations,you'll love this book.
Just to show you what you'll find in this little tome,here are a few I relished:
"If a president of the United States ever lied to the American
people,he should resign"
-Bill Clinton,commenting on President Nixon and the
Watergate scandal while running for Congress in 1974.

"I remember when I first came to Washington.For the first
six months you wonder how the hell you ever got there.For the
next six months you wonder how the hell the rest of them got
there."
-Harry Truman (president,1945-1953)

"Sex is a bad thing because it rumples the clothes."
-Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis (first lady,1961-1963)

"I have been called a 'stupid and pathetic country bumpkin,'
...compared to David Koresch,and blamed for a sixty-five
point drop in the stock market,but never have I been called
anything so repugnant...as a "Washington Insider."
-James Carvill (political consultant)

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our
papers.We are the president."
-Hillary Clinton (first lady,1993-2001),discussing
possible release of Whitewater documents.

"Who is going to find out? These women are trash.Nobody's
going to believe them."
-Hillary Rodham Clinton (first lay,1993-2001),on her
husband's affairs.

"God bless the America we are trying to create."
-Hillary Rodham Clinton

"I have to borrow money from her (his wife)to get a soft drink"
-Jesse Jackson

" Thank you for saving me from the draft."
-Bill Clinton (president,1993-2001),in a 1969 letter to
retired U.S. Army ROTC Colonel Eugene Holmes,chairman
of Clinton's local draft board.

Even after all this,a politican is never lost for words!

I had a blast with this book. It really shows how these Dem's think! I loved the quote by Hillary Clinton "WE are president" if that doesn't say it all. Also, loved "God bless the America we are trying to create." -Hillary Rodham Clinton. Let's all hope she doesn't get the chance.

This is a funny book. Neither party is immune from "Foot in Mouth Disease" It's great that we can laugh at ourselves from time to time. This is very important! There are enough bad and tragic things in the world, and Ted Rueter does a good job showing us where our political funny bone is.

Thanks Ted..

Jeffrey McAndrew
broadcaster and author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Carefully go down this list of famous politicians/celebrities and answer truthfully whether you like them or dislike them overall. If you like more of the R's than the D's what does that tell you?

(R) Ronald Reagan
(R) George Bush Sr.
(R) George W. Bush
(R) Rudy Giuliani
(R) George Pataki
(R) Arnold Shwarzennegger
(R) Bob Dole
(R) Roger Clemens
(R) Tony Danza
(R) Bruce Willis
(D) John Kerry
(D) Ted Kennedy
(D) Hillary Clinton
(D) Bill Clinton
(D) John Edwards
(D) Jim McGreevy
(D) Al Sharpton
(D) Michael Moore
(D) Ben Affleck
(D) Tim Robbins

"Republicans confront issues head-on and implement consistent structured ideals. Liberals use a more "conversational" approach of dealing with things on a case-by-case basis instead of using a set belief system."
-Vic Gola

I think that above statement is key because "liberal" literally means "one with untraditional, unorthodox values, one not concerned with authoritarian attitudes, views or dogmas and completely tolerant to the ideas and behavior of others." It seems that liberals favor more proposals for reform and prefer new ideas for progress rather than sticking to something that's been done for centuries (whether it's right, wrong, or indifferent that's the republican way). Conservatives (or moderate democrats who have some conservative tendencies) tend to look at those from the far left to be overly loose, broad-minded, morally unrestrained individuals, which often equates to "soft" or "wishy-washy." Which, if further translated can clearly (or subconsciously) equate to "flip-flopping" or being unfit to command.

So I think Kerry lost because with these troubled times in our country, Americans want a little bit more of an old-fashioned guy in power, mainly because he asserts that very "power" with his belief system. And all the famous people on Bush's side agree with that system as opposed to the rebels on Kerry's side. I think people want more of a "Family Ties" type feeling over "Will & Grace."

Are you more of a Michael Stivik or an Archie Bunker?

This was given to me as a present. I had never heard of the book before, and indeed, when I told people about it, I always got strange looks. But the 52 capsules of people's lives--not all of them well-known but they're people you should know about--are fascinating. Some personal favorites are the guy who invented the U.S. zip code and the founder of an AIDS group in a small town.

An enjoyable collection of obituaries written my Robert McG. Thomas Jr. These short (2-3 page) obituaries will make you smile and wonder what would be written about yourself. Some of the people you will recognize, most you will not, but you'll gain an understanding and appreciation for their time on this planet.

Recommended

When this book was first recommended to me by a friend, I must admit I was a little put off. A book of obituaries? Now there's a fun read! Although I know there are "die-hard" obit enthusiasts out there, I certainly don't count myself among them. All of this is leading to the further admission that I ordered the book with some trepidation. I needn't have worried. This book is an absolute joy. To say that it is well-written would be an understatement of Homeric proportions as Mr. Thomas had a subtle way with words that hints at Twain (I know! I know! They're "just" obituaries, but this gentleman could turn a phrase with the best of them!). Far from being ghoulish or depressing, these 52 McGs are fascinating celebrations of everyday extraordinary lives. Most importantly, each humorous account is filled with such warmth and respect that you don't get the feeling you're snickering at some poor dead guy "behind his back". 52 McGs falls into the category of "little discoveries that you can't wait to share with other people." Heartily recommended as an addition to your library or as a gift to anyone that enjoys highly skilled writing.

Regular readers of The New York Times will have noticed that while the paper's style has a certain consistently, some of its writers stand out anyway. Robert McG. Thomas was one of those writers. He made his mark not with flash, but with grace, and he did it in the most unlikely place of all: the obituary pages. Thomas (who died in early 2000) had an eye for detail, and an amazing touch in telling not just a life story, but the story behind it. Many obit junkies picked up on and actively sought Thomas's obits between 1995 and 1999; one was Chris Calhoun, who has pulled together this excellent collection of 52 of McG's finest offerings. They aren't stories of the most famous figures who passed on during his tenure. Quite the opposite, these are often people you hadn't heard of, but who, thanks to Thomas's style, won't want to forget. He could be serious, and he could be funny. He's as good writing about the South Vietnamese officer who famously executed a Viet Cong prisoner on camera as he is with "The Goat Man." He's as insightful on the woman who helped create soap operas as he is on the Greenwich Village icon who created nothing but a hipster reputation. Every miniature profile here entertains and informs, as the cliché goes. This is a great little collection; one could only wish for more.

Read 52 MCGS: THE BEST OBITUARIES FROM LEGENDARY
NEW YORK TIMES WRITER ROBERT MCG. THOMAS, JR. . . . this
is a quirky, fascinating compilation of obituaries about unsung
heroes, eccentrics and underachievers . . . among the inclusions were Edward Lowe, the inventor of Kitty Litter ("Cat Owner's Best Friend"); Angelo Zuccotti, the bouncer at El Morocco ("Artist of the Velvet Rope"); and Kay Halle, a glamorous Cleveland department store heiress who received 64 marriage proposals ("An Intimate of Century's Giants").

Thomas never got to put these pieces into book form. He died, but a fan of his work decided that his work should live on . . . and I'm glad this was the case . . . Thomas had the gift of being able to find something worth writing about--regardless of the subject . . . my only regret is that all obituaries in loca papers aren't as interesting . .. but as long as I don't come across mine, I won't complain!

There were several memorable passages; among them:
[in an obituary about Francine Katzenbogen] Her neighbors were
not amused that she planned to house 20 cats in a converted
two-story garage she had refurbished at a cost of $100,000. The
luxurious cat complex included tile floors, climbing towers,
scratching posts, skylights and cozy, low-lying window ledges
where the cats could stretch out and watch the world outside
their air-conditioned lair.

Not content to recognize a Brooklyn accent, Mr. Berger drew
on his broader knowledge of American speech and history to
develop a theory of just how the signature "Toidy-told Street"
evolved. It was, he theorized, a result of the close commercial
connections with the pre-Civil War South in which upper-class
southern speech, primarily from New Orleans and Charleston,
SC, was imported and hammered down to a lower-class
Brooklyneese.

A man given to gross exaggeration when simple embellishment
would suffice, Mr. McCartney also claimed to have visited every

state except Hawaii: His goats couldn't swim that far, he
explained, and if they could, they'd just end up eating the grass skirts off the hula dancers anyway.

I first read this book shortly after I had left the military, having served some seven years, two overseas. The book has "the ring of truth" to it, particularly the "barrack room humour." Several sections of the book literally had me in tears. (of laughter.. ) Look for the piece on "the five mile hike." As a soldier, hikes are a fact of life, but the author's description of an early morning "rise and shine" is, as they say, RIGHT ON!!"

This is the first of Milligan's WW2 autobiographies, from his call up in June of 1940 to him disembarking for action in Algiers in January 1943. A far cry from Remarque's bleak and horrifying All Quiet on the Western Front, Spike recalls with great fondness the early part of the war - think far more something like a football team or band on tour. This is just training, and whole bunch of young men without much to do given a second chance to muck up at school. Getting drunk, laid, and just farting about - at times literally: get a group of blokes together and, really, is there anything more funny?

I didn't laugh as much at it this second time around, but I remember being constantly in hysterics when I first read the series in a few nights back in '85. But Spike can still be trusted for at least a few laugh out loud moments - more if you're in the right mood.

I've now read all of Spike Milligan's war memoirs and think they're excellent (I'm also not a big fan of the Goons). While generally very funny you can really sense his depressive moods even at times when he's not explicit about them.

And I haven't stopped laughing. I had never heard of Spike Milligan before, but I found his book funny in a way that only the Brits can be, and touching with many moving parts about the war from a crazy man's perspective. I have since read five other Spike Milligan books, and none of them were a disappointment. Seeing WWII from Spike's point of view is realistic, funny, and very thought provoking. My British friend told me he (Spike) was crazy. At first I thought that was just a saying, but it's true. Spike is mentally defunct, in a very happy and bubbly kind of way. You will enjoy this book.

I'm usually not one to read autobios, but since it is Spike Milligan I made the exception. It was funny, just as I expected it to be, but there were parts that were very moving and sad; as should be expected I suppose for a WWII novel. His accounts of the absurd are always dead on hilarious, and I found myself reading a passage over and over and just cracking up.
I knew that Spike suffered from depression, and I think in parts it was very apparent. The places that are especially poignant are when he relates a humorous tale, and then explain how he visited the place years later, and how the memories are too much for him to bear. In one particular paragraph he laments: "Oh, Yesterday, how you plague me!"
I love Spike Milligan and his comedy, and have read several run-of-the-mill internet bios on him but his own biography really brings him to life. A great read!

This is definitely an excellent book. I have read both this and Samurai Cat Goes to the Movies and have found both to be hilarious and highly enteraining. While often very wierd it is a great book which I would highly recommend.

I read this book about 6 times in a row as a kid...the title page fell out because it had been read so much and I framed it and put it on my wall! I really wish it was still in print...please let me know if it becomes available. It is definately a world I'd like to revisit.

This book from page one was going to be a cult classic. Samuri Cat is modern day embodiment of antiestablishment. Rogers has crafted a story that you hate to see end. He attacks the mainstream with a piercing wit that can only be appreciated by the sickest minds.

I can honestly say these books (there is five in the series) are the best books I have ever read. My advice? Search them out and find them (I know I have all five in my personal library!). YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

This book is the first and best in the series, and contains the following sections:

KATEMUSHA
---------
In feudal Japan, loyal samurai Miaowara Tomokato returns from a family visit to find his lord dead in a scene of destruction that's completely spoiled me for similar scenes forever. Maybe it's the arrow-ridden dragon in Red Army uniform, or the landgoing replica of the Merrimac.

"From his vantage-point Takeda Katsuyori surveyed the grim scene. 'Fudge," he gritted."

THE BRIDGE OF KATZAD-DUM
------------------------
Samurai Cat pursues one of his lord's killers into Tolkien country, dealing with such critters as porks and the dread B'aalhop.

"The katana whirred and flamed, slicing through tentacle after tentacle, whistling in a constantly repeated *Datsun Tempura*, or Divine Whirling Outboard Motor Propeller Blow."

THE BOOK OF THE DUNWICH COW
---------------------------
The setting: a Lovecraftian town whose houses consist only of gabled attics to hide the squamous half-human denizens of Outsmouth.

"Yog N'goggawoggah and Yoknapatawpha, twin masses of stone-cold cream chip beef that ooze sluggishly in the center of all time and space, are their chiefs, terrible in combat, unappetizing to behold. Their herald and messenger is Stor-Atroomtemp, Lord of the Luke-warm, Cosmic Blight, Master-of-Many-Shapes-and-Interesting-in-None-of-Them. Their publicity is handled by the horrendous Isaac Azathoth...."

BEYOND THE BLACK WALNUT
-----------------------
Another murderer, Thpageti-Thoth, has fled into savage Pictland. Illustrated in gorgeous Frazetta parodies, the story shows Samurai Cat's meeting with Con-Ed the Barbarian.

"Amalric the East Anglian..., armored in a scale-mail corselet, was a tall weasly-looking teenager whose spiky hairdo sent orange and purple tufts up through the holes he had deliberately punched in his own helmet. His only weapon was a gigantic Wilkinson sword razor-blade with the words 'Hi Mum' written on it in crimson lipstick."

AGAINST THE GODS
----------------
Tomokato's search takes him next to Asgard, as the gods prepare for the final war against the giants of the Greater Jotunheim Co-Prosperity Sphere.

"Odin nodded his grimly regal head and picked up the microphone for his P.A. system. 'Attention, attention,' he began. 'This is Odin, Lord of the Hanged. Ketil Jormunreksson, report to the Throne-Room, on the double.'"

This book is a must.

I caught the tail end of the Li'l Abner series as a child in the 1960's and remember loving it. I recently started looking for some collections in libraries, but couldn't find any so I looked on Amazon and found this volume and bought it. I've had a great time reading it and even though the things it satirizes occurred before I was born, I'm familiar with much of them through my study of history. Much of what is satirized is applicable to any time and is still fresh.

I've recently been reading some of the classic satire of Voltaire (Candide) and Rabelais (Gargantua and Pantagruel) and this seems to fit right in with that style. I guess I have a warped sense of humor. I wish today's comics were this good.

I enjoyed the artwork and appreciated the explanations at the end of the book highlighting some of the items that someone born after that era may have missed. I highly recommend this book. I will probably order more volumes.

Grew up reading this series. Now I have a permanent copy of my own. Good price and great product for comics junkies.

I bought this volume (and volumes 2-4) for my Dad for Christmas because he was such a big L'il Abner fan when I was a kid in the 60's. When they arrived I just had to sit down and read them all before wrapping them up! L'il Abner is a lens focused on it's own era in time, totally tongue-in-cheek! For rollicking fun and biting satire these comics can't be beat!

These are Sunday Li'l Abner pages, penciled by comics legend Frank Frazetta. In my opinion, Li'l Abner was the greatest comic stip of all time. The strip was fantastic during the 1950s, so you can't go wrong here. It seems like this was released because of the Frazetta connection, but the art looks pretty much like all other Li'l Abner art. Frazetta was clearly drawing as close as he could to Al Capp's style. But any excuse to have Li'l Abner strips released works for me. Highly recommended.

Lil Abner always had a strong fan club that allowed the reprinting of the daily strips by Kitchen Sink press for about 25 volumes, which if there was no fan base, only one or two volumes would have been published.

In addition,we are very lucky that Frazetta's reputation and fan club would allow the printing of a comic strip that John Steinbeck once stated, its author, Al Capp, should be given the Putszler (excuse the spelling) prize.

Al Capp was a master satirist and storyteller, who would have one acclaim like Mark Twain or O'Henry if not for the snob attitude toward comic strips.

This is shown here. The 50-year-old color strips are re-printed in a fine manner with expert commentary about the period they were written in by Denis Kitchen.

Beware, they feature "politically incorrect" well-endowed women, and one main character, Daisy Mae, as mostly submissive, which would not be allowed in comic strips today as it would raise the ire of feminists and other "progressive" people.

On the other hand, it features the two main male characters, Abner and Pappy, as idiots or wimps, Abner and his brother Tiny as "hunks", and the one of the main women characters, Mammy as the leader of the Yokum clan, who occassionally beats Pappy, which are allowed in comic strips today as the "Progressives" seem to have no problem with this.

Remember, vintage comic strip reprints do not generate big bucks, some even lose money. They are produced out of great admiration for the strips, and we should be grateful for the publishers for doing so.


By the way, why does Amazon include a 'NO' in 'was this review helpful to you?'. People are only human and don't like opinions that differ from themselves. With some who are less mature, this the 'NO' makes it too easy express such displeasure.

Are they trying to discourage negative reviews, hence not purchase the CD. Such reviews only help a person in not being dissatisfied a product that received positive reviews

For some time now, I've been telling anyone that would listen that Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules! is the best comic book for young readers to have been published in YEARS. Now, Gownley has begun reprinting the run in the handy digest format that the kids seem to dig these days.

The Whole World's Crazy reprints the first several issues in the tale of Amelia McBride, a girl who has to leave the excitement of New York City when her parents get divorced and she and her mother move to a small town to live with her aunt. The stories in this book deal with many of Amelia's firsts: her first day at a new school, her first Halloween and Christmas in her new town, and the first trip with her father after the divorce. In the comic as a whole, and in this volume in particular, Gownley frequently touches upon rather serious topics (divorce, for example) that young children have to deal with without really understanding. However, Gownley handles these subjects in a way that will help his young readers learn to handle their problems, with a blend of humor and wisdom that kids need. He's never frightening, never patronizing, and always entertaining. Amelia and her friends are wonderful characters, characters that kids can find themselves in, helping to open the door for them to embrace the story even further.

If I ever have kids -- especially daughters -- these are some of the first comics I'll get for them.

Amelia Louise McBride, a 9 year old facing divorce, moving, and the weirdest school of all time. With Wicked Witch Bloom, Mad Dog Barkley, No Neck Norris, and Old Man Biggers as teachers, "So then Noah says, "Sorry Zeke you gotta dog paddle." :-) Owen, fan of the Feds, Mary Violet, with the Mall God and Searing Hand of the Devil, Earth Dog the poet, as well as the "nerds," Reggie Grabinsky, holder of best sneeze-barfer and best superhero wanna be, Rhonda Bleenie, annoyed by sister goodie Reenie, and silent Pajamaman, who attracts s with softee chicken backpacks and being a Latchky kid. Living with her mom and Aunt Tanner, the with the straight A student motto. Facing ups like Santa, and downs like Softee Dad, this is a six star book!

When my 7-year old son is fighting with my 9-year old daughter for his turn to read AMELIA RULES!, you know these books are going to be a hit. The artwork is beautiful, the dialogue full of great humor and pathos, the stories engaging. But what appeals most to the kids, I think, is the characters themselves. Amelia is out-and-out fascinating--a perfect combination of pre-teen girl and tomboy--and her friends are as lively and entertaining as any you'll find in American literature.

In fact, this IS literature, and if you're the kind of parent who thinks comics are no better for kids than TV, AMELIA RULES! will prove you completely and utterly wrong. Get these books. Your kids won't be able to put them down--and neither will you.

I was reading this last night and was laughing my head off. It's brilliant and funny. My 4th grade daughter likes it a lot too, though she doesn't get all the jokes. Get this for your kid or get it for yourself - just get it!

Amelia Rules! is a tough gem, a weepy comedy, a painful joy and an hysterically funny tragedy waiting to happen. Amelia and her buds--Reggie, Rhonda and Pajamaman--are struggling with the ins and outs of 4th Grade society, the very real problem of poverty, divorce and just pure meanness. The situations are SO realistic that, in the wrong hands, they could become maudlin and cliche.
But Gownley doesn't do cliche. To relieve the pain, he breathes each situation full of snappy humor and the awe you first felt when you discovered something "new." Reggie is obsessed, not only with superheroes, but with telling colorful background tales for the most mundane of concepts (the "Latchky Kids"--yes, the spelling is correct--is priceless); Pajamaman is the silent loner who sees all and who acts as everyone's therapist. Rhonda Bleenie is that delicate mix of lovestruck girl and amazon tough guy. And then there is Amelia, miss mouth, confused about her place in the universe and worried that she is the reason for her parents' divorce, even as she yells at them for getting their divorce. The kids are so real it's impossible not to want to reach into the frames of the comic and hug them all. If you loved Calvin (another very real little boy) and Hobbes (a pretty
realistic imaginary tiger) you will also love Amelia and the Gang.

I red this book because one review claimed that it was better than Christopher Moore's "Lamb". It wasn't. And yet it was still a darn good book.

Basic story is this: Average college guy is having a bad day. Bad day turns worse when angels capture him. Day gets even worse after that after he meets Jesus in Heaven, who incidentally, turns out to be a jerk. Apocalypse ensues.

The story itself is only average-ly written, almost like what you would expect from a high- school honors class english assignment. The story itself is incredibly engaging, though.

All in all, not as good as "Lamb", but still definitely worth your time if this is the sort of story you go for.

This book can be summed up with three words: Ha ha ha. I really don't care about people being offended. Political correctness is the second most rediculous concept ever, after affirmative action. This book makes fun of everything, and rightfully so. If you think you might be offended by reading a book the hammers everything and everybody, then don't buy it. It's as simple as that. But, for the rest of the free thinkers, read on with pride. This book will have you laughing on the first page. By the time you reach page 50, your sides will hurt. This book covers a lot of ground, and makes the end of the world sound like the best thrill ride ever. If you like flying midgets, a very dimented Lucifer (more so than you would normally think), making fun of Religion, Angelic fight clubs, Jesus as a politician, God as a terrible & vengeful father figure, and protagonists that turn out to destroy the world via a self help movement, then this book is for you. It's just good fun.

There is a fine line between farce and simply being absurd, between making a point and clobbering the reader over the head with it. Matthew Moses walks that fine line daringly in Anti-Christ: A Satirical End of Days. There are many in its intended audience who will view it all as a reflection of the renowned mantra from Network, 'I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!' Moses is mad about two things in particular: religion, especially the Roman Catholic Church, and the current state of politics and government. Hysterical in its portrayals of both institutions, there is enough of a kernel of truth to cause both cringe worthy moments within these pages. The book rises above the level of a first novel, highly entertaining...for those who have tolerance of the material. More important, it will strike a responsive chord with those tired of the increasing dominance of religion in society and its growing role in politics, as well as those who see a political system attuned toward the self-interest of politicians and the powerful rather than helping the average citizen. This is satire and farce that not only portrays the corruption and misuse of societal institutions, but also excoriates those institutions for what they have done to the principles upon which they claim to be based.

I could understand how Christians would loathe this novel. It really slams religion. Well, it escoriates 'organized' religion. I think this book works best as a symbolic journey of the individual trying to find their own way in reality, various choices having to be made in the face of trying situations in order to not only determine who they are but what their place is in reality. This is a story of growth for a slacker (young college kid) who is forced to mature leading to the destruction of the world (his original mindset where he has no authority) and its resurrection as a reality he not only has a place in but helped to create (hence, maturity). Sure the book bashes Christ but if your skin is so thin that you are attacking it on that principle then it is obvious you didn't get the novel and really should sit down and go over your philosophical underpinnings. If your beliefs are so tenuous you want something destroyed because they challenge them then maybe you don't believe as much as you thought you did.

God, this is humor I have missed since the 1980s. You know, the type which isn't worried about being politically incorrect. Humor is simply that: humor. It's not meant to be taken seriously. It's supposed to make you laugh. This book is quite offensive but the way it handles the subject matter is hilarious. Come on, it makes the Vatican out to be a quasi-terrorist/organized criminal group. Do you think you'd ever see something like that in print? And the punches this writer delivers to government are brutal, but sadly honest with a simple-minded, easily manipulated president and less than honest political aides. Even funnier is the diet plan proscribed by the "Anti-Christ" for the obese. You'll laugh at the simplicity of it. This book is all about corruption, imperfection, and the power of the individual. Great satire. You should give it a read.

I can't believe I've had this book all these years and I've only finally gotten around to writing a quick review of it NOW. Suffice to say, it's a stumper. It was ground-breaking when the original web comic came out almost a decade ago, and remains as fresh-creative-exciting and charming today as it did today.

I would love to see a VOLUME TWO! That seems unlikely, on paper, but you can always see the poor cousin online version. Not the same for bedside reading, tho.

Charly, kiddo, yr still batting 100 or 400 or whatever is a good number for American baseball players to bat. It's not like percentages, is it? 100 doesn't equal everything, does it? I never understood numbers. Heck, I'm a WORD man, not a numbers man.

dig it out, it's worth it,
=link

I read Charley Parker's "Dinosaur Cartoons" and wanted to see what else he did. This book is beautiful. And the website, zark.com is spectacular. A must-read and a must-see.

In most cases, a comic book is done on paper, then converted into a virtual comic book. In this case, a virtual comic goes onto paper! The book contains the entire Book One of Argon Zark, a humorous comic book for those who enjoy and understand humor about the internet and computers. The characters are lovable and the plot is one of the best I've yet to see in a series comic book! Great pictures and very enjoyable. A must read!

ARGON ZARK! is a really well done book. It was originally done to be an all digital on-line comic, but there were so many people saying that it deserves to be something that requires...

No electricity required! No waiting for the server to connect! No download time! No RAM requirements! No software conflicts!

...and something that...

Won't crash or freeze! Is Y2K compliant! Is lightweight, portable, bendable, tactile! Take it on the bus, train, or airship! Read it under the covers with a flashlight!

...so, that is what he did and it turned out great and to be a big success!

Take it from someone who has read it and tried to figure out how he did it so well, you MUST read it! You won't be dissapointed!

-Ovi Demetrian

Argon Zark, The Delux, Portable, Cordless Souvenir Dead-tree Edition (i.e. book) more than makes up for the lack of hyperlinks, JavaScript, and slow downloads with:

1.Instant Gratification (just turn the page and you're there, duh!);

2.a postscript showing how some of the art is assembled, and explaining some of the in-jokes to the non-web-savvy;

3.and the thing we've all been waiting for: RESOLUTION!. These are no baby 50kB jpegs like we've seen on the Web! For this book, Charley Parker has gone back to the original pre-anti-aliasing ultra-high-resolution artwork, re-rendering it in eyepopping detail. Almost all the frames from the web are here (some of the hidden frames that rely upon animation to make their point and aren't really part of the story got cut), but with more detail, more luscious backgrounds, and more in-jokes that you can see clearly. Those of us who remember squinting at the anti-aliased Page 1, for instance, to make out tidbits like "Pretzel Logic" and "Marx and Lennon" can now show it to our friends...and can even see what's on the milk carton behind them!

The book format also facilitates a more restful appreciation of the art as connoiseur's comics art... for instance, the way in which changing style of borders around frames may anticipate a page boundary (e.g. last frame of p.31), activating the reader's semiotic radar. Bottom line: This is artwork to be treasured.

Matthew H. Fields, D.M.A.

17 April 1998

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

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

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

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

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

"There's nothing like going into a big bookstore on a cold winter evening...finding a collection of short stories that you'd always meant to read...taking off your coat...plopping down in their café...and watching shoppers come and go as you sit back and sip on coffee. Ah, bliss."
"Mom, did you bring your credit card? They have every STAR TREK book." (Jason)
"Since calendars are half-price, can I get Niki *and* Stephanie?" (Peter)
"Fourth and one and they're *punting*?" (Roger, on headphones)
"At least this place sells T-shirts." (Paige)
"Ah, reality."
- Mrs. Fox and family, herein

All the cartoons in this collection are included - in the same order - in the omnibus FOXTROT BEYOND A DOUBT except for the single-page additions of Jason personalizing a T-shirt and the dedication page's picture of Quincy the iguana with a teddy bear. The Sunday double strips are not in colour in this book, although they are printed in colour in FOXTROT BEYOND A DOUBT.

Unless you're particularly attached to the smaller size of this book, its cute cover art, or the three single frame cartoons that were added for the dedication and endpages as described above, I recommend considering FOXTROT BEYOND A DOUBT instead, since it includes all the content of this book with the addition of colour formatting for the Sunday strips, together with content from the previous collection RETURN OF THE LONE IGUANA.

Having said that, let's move on to the content. :)

FOXTROT maintains a continuing storyline, although the kids seem to be growing up rather slowly despite the passing seasons. This particular book begins during the Fox family's summer holidays and ends the following spring.

Some of the memorable bits include:
- Paige babysits for Margaret O'Dell from her mother's book club for the first time, whose little girl is cute but whose babysitting conditions are dire. "Hi there! You must be little Katherine!" "Um, it's 'Katherine', with a 'K'." "That's what I said." "No, you said 'Catherine' with a 'C'. I could tell. Hold on - I'll be right back." "Hi, there! You must be the little girl who's going to need massive therapy in twelve years!" (Peter, much later, takes a dog-sitting job looking after a crazed little canine Nac Mac Feegle - pit bull aggression levels in a toy dog's body).
- Jason and Marcus experiment with model rockets and with the biggest kite they can manage to put together.
- The Fox family takes a family vacation to Fun-Fun Universe (not to be confused with Disney World, of course).
- Paige learns during a speech in social studies class not to listen to her dad's advice on how to control her nerves: "Yowza! It's like a Chippendales show!"
- Peter's first anniversary of dating Denise and his efforts to select a good present (genes from his mom's side, since his dad buys spatulas for Valentine's Day). He also goes through some rather trying study sessions with her while her parents aren't home.
- Jason's classmate Eileen beats his score on a math test; she suckers him into going out for ice cream with her family afterward, even though he officially doesn't like girls.
- Paige is assigned to write a ghost story in English class. After she makes Jason the victim, she gets an A plus an appointment with the school counselor.
- Paige's brother Peter passes himself off as her secret admirer as a joke.
- Jason asks for Doomathon II for Christmas, but trades it at the computer store after his mom becomes addicted to it. "Mom convinced me that I was too young to have a game like that in the house...I mean, *I* can't do my laundry."
- Roger suffers through an efficiency expert at work who complains at finding perfectly good paper clips in the trash and is then treated to lunch at the Ritz by the boss.
- The baseball team players, including Peter, shave their heads after losing a bet with the soccer team (which temporarily cheers Peter's balding father no end).

Oh, my lord this is like the greatest Foxtrot ever written. The Strips are so cool and the stories are soooooooooooo funny espesialy when Roger smokes a cigar and Paige writes a ghost story. Truely, very fuuny

This is a great book to give to someone as a gift to introduce them to the humor of Foxtrot. It is wonderfully funny and engrossing: you will have finished it before you realize it!