We've ranked the best cartoons books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
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Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Scott McCloud
5.0
The bestselling international classic on storytelling and visual communication
"You must read this book." — Neil Gaiman
Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the secret world between the panels, through the lines, and within the hidden symbols of a powerful but misunderstood art form.
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Recommended by Ev Williams, Austin Kleon, Bret Victor, and 1 others.
Unsolicited, but here’s my advice for visual thinkers (and others) who want to be better writers: … Cartoonists, because their work demands work from two disciplines (writing/art, poetry/design, words/pictures), are highly instructive when it comes to visual people learning to write, writers learning to make art, etc. (Check out Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics for more.) [source]
Will Brooker
Understanding Comics is a book about how comics work, told in comic form. It’s very accessible, it’s for the general reader and is about comics in general, not just superhero comics. It explores areas like pacing and editing – how motion can be created through static panels on a page, and how arranging those panels in different ways, or drawing in different styles, or combining text and image, has different effects. It’s almost like a book on film study which explores the role of sound, lighting or editing. Scott McCloud is an artist himself, and he draws pastiches to show how different styles produce different effects. [source]
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Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes #1)
Bill Watterson
5.0
This is the first collection of the popular comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life.
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The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury
Bill Watterson
5.0
Perhaps the most brilliant comic strip ever created, Calvin and Hobbes continues to entertain with dazzling cartooning and tremendous humor.
Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes has been a worldwide favorite since its introduction in 1985. The strip follows the richly imaginative adventures of Calvin and his trusty tiger, Hobbes. Whether a poignant look at serious family issues or a round of time-travel (with the aid of a well-labeled cardboard box), Calvin and Hobbes will astound and delight you.
Beginning with the day Hobbes sprang into Calvin's tuna fish trap, the first two Calvin and Hobbes collections, Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under The Bed Is Drooling, are brought together in this treasury. Including black-and-white dailies and color Sundays, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes also features an original full-color 16-page story.
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The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes
Bill Watterson
5.0
They're back: Calvin, the six-year-old dirty tricksmeister and master of indignation and his warm, cuddly philosopher sidekick, Hobbes. A tiger whose idea of adventure is to lie on his back by the fire and have his stomach rubbed. In six short years this unlikely duo has captured the hearts, the minds, and, most of all, the funny bones of America. They are the most phenomenal success story in syndication - and publishing - history. In only six years, they appear in more than 2,100 newspapers worldwide, and Calvin and Hobbes wins as many readership polls as Calvin has excesses. All seven of Bill Watterson's collections have sold a million copies within a year of publication. This treasury collection contains a never-before-published full-color section, as well as the cartoons appearing in 'The Revenge of the Baby-Sat' and 'Scientific Progress Goes "Boink."' All Sunday cartoons are presented full-page and full-color.
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Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons (Calvin and Hobbes #7)
Bill Watterson
4.9
Calvin and Hobbes are back. The energetic six-year-old and his sidekick tiger endure all the trials of youth and continue to endear themselves to millions of loyal readers in the latest collection of their shenanigans. This latest assembly of Calvin and Hobbes' adventures has never been collected in book form.
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The Far Side Gallery
Gary Larson
4.9
1984 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
The Far Side Gallery is an anthology of Gary Larson's The Far Side comic strips, which were printed from 1982–1984.
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Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat (Calvin and Hobbes #9)
Bill Watterson
4.9
Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat chronicles the multifarious adventures of this wild child and his faithful, but skeptical, friend. If the best cartoons compel readers to identify themselves within the funny frames, then all who enjoy Calvin and Hobbes are creative, imaginative, and ... bad, bad, bad! Calvin, the irascible little boy with the stuffed tiger who comes to life are a pair bound for trouble. Boring school lessons become occasions for death-defying alien air battles, speeding snow sled descents elicit philosophical discussions on the meaning of life, and Hobbe's natural inclination to pounce on his little friend wreaks havoc on Calvin's sense of security. Calvin's the kid we all wish we"d been. Sassy, imaginative, far more verbal than his parents can manage, Calvin is the quintessential bad boy--and the boy we love to see. He terrorizes little Susie, offers "Candid Opinions" from a neighborhood stand, and questions his parents" authority. "What assurance do I have that your parenting isn't screwing me up?" he demands. Calvin and Hobbes manages to say what needs to be said about childhood and life: "Eww, mud," says Calvin. "Look at this gooshy, dirty, slimy, thick, wet mud... Bleecch... Talk about a kid magnet!"
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The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury
Bill Watterson
4.8
A collection of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. The author won the 1986 Reuben Award as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year and has also illustrated Something Under the Bed is Drooling, Calvin and Hobbes' Yukon Ho! and Weirdos From Another Planet.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #1)
Jeff Kinney
4.8
Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?
The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to
It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.
In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.
Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.
Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.
F&P level: T
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The Days Are Just Packed
Bill Watterson
4.8
Zounds! Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, the ferocious tiger Hobbes, and the rest of Calvin's riotous imagination are all included in The Days Are Just Packed.
Calvin, the self-proclaimed "Boy of Destiny," continues to save the universe with his alter egos, Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man, at least until Miss Wormwood or his mother bring him back to reality. Susie, Calvin's nemesis and love interest, remains Calvin's favorite target. And when he's not recovering from a ferocious tiger attack, Calvin creates hideous snowmen, plays a moral cat-and-mouse game with Santa, conducts his infamous Dad polls, and combats the monsters under his bed.
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Scientific Progress Goes "Boink" (Calvin and Hobbes #6)
Bill Watterson
4.8
In this collection, Calvin and his tiger-striped sidekick Hobbes are hilarious whether the two are simply lounging around philosophizing about the future of mankind or plotting their latest money-making scheme. Chock-full of the familiar adventures of Spaceman Spiff, findings of Dad's popularity poll, and time travel to the Jurassic Age, Scientific Progress Goes "Boink" is guaranteed to set scientific inquiry back an eon—and advance the reading pleasure of all Calvin and Hobbes fans.
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The Revenge of the Baby-Sat (Calvin and Hobbes #5)
Bill Watterson
4.8
The praise and popularity of Calvin and Hobbes continue to escalate as the hottest comic strip around reaches its fifth birthday. With keen insight, Bill Watterson depicts life through the eyes of a child, and the limits of our imaginations are challenged as we accompany Calvin and Hobbes while they stir up trouble, travel through time, transmogrify themselves--and just have fun in everything they do.
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The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
Bill Watterson
4.8
Join Calvin and Hobbes on all their adventures in this four-volume collection of every comic strip from the comic strip’s eleven year history (1985 to1996).
Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger was first syndicated in 1985 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. The entire body of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons published in a truly noteworthy tribute to this singular cartoon in The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Composed of four paperback, four-color volumes in a sturdy slipcase, this New York Times best-selling edition includes all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication. This is the treasure that all Calvin and Hobbes fans seek.
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Yukon Ho! (Calvin and Hobbes #3)
Bill Watterson
4.8
The spirit of childhood leaps to life again with boundless energy and magic in Yukon Ho!, a collection of adventures featuring rambunctious six-year-old Calvin and his co-conspirator tiger-chum, Hobbes. Picking up where The Essential Calvin and Hobbes left off, Yukon Ho! is a delight!
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Something Under the Bed is Drooling (Calvin and Hobbes #2)
Bill Watterson
4.8
Calvin is a rambunctious six-year-old whose manic antics threaten world peace. Hobbes is his stuffed tiger who comes alive when adults aren't around. The saga of their daily exploits won cartoonist Bill Watterson the coveted Reuben Award for "Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year." Something Under the Bed Is Drooling is a jewel.
In this graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father.
Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the Fun Home. It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.
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Recommended by Hillary Chute.
Hillary Chute
Alison has a strip that’s been running for a long time called Dykes to Watch Out For, but this is an autobiographical book. ‘Fun Home’ is short for the funeral home Alison’s dad ran when she was a child. It’s a book that blew me away and continues to blow me away every time I read it – and I must have read it five or six times by now: probably the best book I’ve read in the past ten years in any genre or form. It’s an incredibly crafted book in which the chapters are not chronological but thematic, and each chapter is keyed to a book that her father loved. So it’s not a book about what happened to her father, a closeted gay man who committed suicide a few months after Alison herself came out when she was 19. It’s about looking through a family archive to try and get a sense of her father’s particularity. [source]
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Watchmen
Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
4.7
This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.
One of the most influential graphic novels of all time and a perennial bestseller, WATCHMEN has been studied on college campuses across the nation and is considered a gateway title, leading readers to other graphic novels such as V FOR VENDETTA, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and THE SANDMAN series.
Watchmen was originally released in 12 parts, one a month, over a year from 1985 to 1986. There was a film made of it in 2009. And now a controversial prequel series is coming out, done by new writers and artists, which goes back to earlier in the characters’ stories and which has been disavowed by Alan Moore, who created the original. [source]
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It's a Magical World (Calvin and Hobbes #11)
Bill Watterson
4.7
When cartoonist Bill Watterson announced that his phenomenally popular cartoon strip would be discontinued, Calvin and Hobbes fans throughout the world went into mourning. Fans have learned to survive -- despite the absence of the boy and his tiger in the daily newspaper. It's a Magical World delivers all the satisfaction of visiting its characters once more. Calvin fans will be able to see their favorite mischief maker stir it up with his furry friend, long-suffering parents, classmate Susie Derkins, school teacher Miss Wormwood, and Rosalyn the baby-sitter. It's a Magical World includes full-color Sundays and has it all: Calvin-turned-firefly waking Hobbes with his flashlight glow; courageous Spaceman Spiff rocketing through alien galaxies as he battles Dad-turned-Bug-Being; and Calvin's always inspired snowman art. There's no better way for Watterson fans to savor again the special qualities of their favorite strip.
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The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book
Bill Watterson
4.7
Many moons ago, the magic of Calvin and Hobbes first appeared on the funny pages and the world was introduced to a wondrous pair of friends -- a boy and his tiger, who brought new life to the comics page. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this distinguished partnership, Bill Watterson prepared this special book, sharing his thoughts on cartooning and creating Calvin and Hobbes, illustrated throughout with favorite black-and-white and color cartoons.
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Weirdos from Another Planet! (Calvin and Hobbes #4)
Bill Watterson
4.7
In Calvin and Hobbes book Weirdos From Another Planet!, this power-packed extravaganza of creative energy and imagination feature the childhood fun and fantasy that was a Watterson trademark. Weirdos From Another Planet! is out of this world!
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There's Treasure Everywhere (Calvin and Hobbes #10)
Bill Watterson
4.7
In the world that Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes share, treasures can be found in the most unlikely places, from the outer regions where Spaceman Spiff travels to the rocks in one's own backyard. In the latest cartoon collection from the talented pen of Bill Watterson, this curious duo roams their world ever in search of the fortunes (and misfortunes!) to be experienced. Color & black & white cartoons throughout.
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The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
Bill Watterson
4.7
Find Sunday comic favorites in this classic Calvin and Hobbes collection.
This is a collection of the classic comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life. Filled with a Watterson’s full-page Sunday strips, this collection is sure to please fans and newcomers alike.
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The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit
Gary Larson
4.7
A Far Side retrospective, celebrating its tenth anniversary.
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The Far Side Gallery 3
Gary Larson
4.7
The third Far Side treasury.
1988 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
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Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, #1)
Art Spiegelman
4.6
A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself.
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.6
Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has 600,000 to a million page hits daily. Every now and then, Munroe would get emails asking him to arbitrate a science debate. 'My friend and I were arguing about what would happen if a bullet got struck by lightning, and we agreed that you should resolve it . . . ' He liked these questions so much that he started up What If.
If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive?
How dangerous is it, really, to be in a swimming pool in a thunderstorm?
If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce?
What if everyone only had one soulmate?
When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British empire?
How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?
What would happen if the moon went away?
In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, studded with memorable cartoons and infographics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much the smarter for having read.
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Recommended by Bill Gates, Astro Teller, Fabrice Grinda, and 1 others.
The subtitle of the book is “Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions,” and that’s exactly what it is. People write Munroe with questions that range over all fields of science: physics, chemistry, biology. Questions like, “From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?” (The answer, it turns out, is “high enough that it would disintegrate before it hit the ground.”) Munroe’s explanations are funny, but the science underpinning his answers is very accurate. It’s an entertaining read, and you’ll also learn a bit about things like ballistics, DNA, the oceans, the atmosphere, and lightning along the way. [source]
Astro Teller
The kids are obsessed with this. They can quote it from memory. They’ve learned probably more science from this book than they have from their science class in the last two years. [source]
Fabrice Grinda
I have lots of books to recommend, but they are not related to my career path. The only one that is remotely related is Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. That said here are books I would recommend. [source]
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The Far Side Gallery 4
Gary Larson, Robin Williams
4.5
1993 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
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The Far Side Gallery 2
Gary Larson
4.5
The Far Side Gallery 2 is the second anthology of Gary Larson's The Far Side comic strips. Cartoons from previous collections Bride of The Far Side, It Came from the Far Side, and Hound of the Far Side are featured, all of which were printed from 1985-1987. The foreword was written by Stephen King. The cover shows an explorer/scientist opening a coffin with a picture of a cow pharaoh on the front. Inside, there is a mummy cow.
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The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss
4.5
Poor Sally and her brother. It's cold and wet and they're stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process! Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that "pallid primers [with] abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls' were leading to growing illiteracy among children, The Cat in the Hat (the first Random House Beginner Book) changed the way our children learn how to read.
Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 3/12/1957 Pages: 72 Reading Level: Age 3 and Up
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Recommended by Kate Milner.
Kate Milner
The exuberance and the sheer energy of it is just fantastic. The rhyme and the repetition give it even more momentum and energy. [source]
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The Far Side Gallery 5
Gary Larson
4.5
1995 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
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Asterix Gallus: periculam quoddam Asterigis
Rene Goscinny, Ehapa
4.5
Recommended by Harry Mount.
Harry Mount
It’s a really good way of learning your first proper Latin sentences. [source]
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The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #3)
Jeff Kinney
4.5
Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other "manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is easily able to sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.
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Adulthood Is a Myth (Sarah's Scribbles, #1)
Sarah Andersen
4.4
Are you a special snowflake? Do you enjoy networking to advance your career? Is adulthood an exciting new challenge for which you feel fully prepared?
Ugh. Please go away.
This book is for the rest of us. These comics document the wasting of entire beautiful weekends on the internet, the unbearable agony of holding hands on the street with a gorgeous guy, dreaming all day of getting home and back into pajamas, and wondering when, exactly, this adulthood thing begins. In other words, the horrors and awkwardnesses of young modern life.
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Asterix and Cleopatra (Asterix, #6)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.4
How can lovely Queen Cleopatra show Julius Caesar that ancient Egypt is still a great nation? Her architect Edifis recruits his Gaulish friends to help him build a magnificent palace within three months. There are villainous saboteurs to be outwitted, but Asterix, Obelix and Getafix still find time to go sight-seeing - and leave their mark on the pyramids and the Sphinx's nose.
Recommended by Helen.
Helen
Asterix (who is a tiny guy with a big moustache) and his friend (who is a big guy) called Obelix are very, very funny. [source]
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Bloom County: Loose Tails
Berke Breathed, Steve Dallas
4.4
The words that you are reading here replace a cockamamie publisher's blurb that appeared on the original printing of this tome. It's an acknowledged bit of wisdom that authors all learn at one time or another: Don't let your publisher write the promotional material. Words like "countless millions," "knee-slapping hilarious," and "cult following" are found peppering one's sacred book jacket like pigeon droppings on a statue of the Virgin Mary...which naturally is how I think of my work.
The truth is that the only "cult following" my comic strip had when this book appeared consisted of my mother. Bless her heart, she still reads it daily. She'll hand the funny page to me, point to it, scrunch her eyes together and say, "Honey, what were you trying to say here?" If opus spits watermelon seeds at Milo, she'll say to me, "So this is a sort of comment on the watermelon industry?" So you see, to my publisher and to my mother, I remain a victim of unrealistic expectations.
In the meantime, please accept my apologies for the way Opus is drawn within this volume. I had no experience drawing birds in 1982 and you will notice that his beak tends to randomly shrink or expand. To this day, my mother thinks it symbolically represented the changing fortunes of my bachelor love life. Maybe it did, Mom, and maybe it didn't.
Berke Breathed August 1987
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Billy and the Boingers Bootleg
Berke Breathed
4.4
With the release of this Bloom County book and the Billy and the Boingers Theme Song, chosen from the most bone-shaking, kidney-curdling entries from rock bands nationwide, Springsteen and Van Halen will become as distant a memory as Michael Jackson. 300 black-and-white and 44 color comic strips.
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Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #2)
Jeff Kinney
4.4
The highly anticipated sequel to the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling book!
Secrets have a way of getting out, especially when a diary is involved.
Whatever you do, don’t ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation, because he definitely doesn’t want to talk about it.
As Greg enters the new school year, he’s eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular.
Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. But secrets have a way of getting out . . . especially when a diary is involved.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules chronicles Greg’s attempts to navigate the hazards of middle school, impress the girls, steer clear of the school talent show, and most important, keep his secret safe.
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The Complete Far Side, 1980–1994
Gary Larson, Steve Martin
4.4
A New York Times best-seller!
"Every one of these cartoons is just something that drifted into my head when I was alone with my thoughts. And, for better or worse, I 'jotted' them down. It was only later, when perhaps I received an angry letter from someone, that it struck me: Hey! Someone's been reading my diary!"
Gary Larson, from the preface to The Complete Far Side
Revered by its fans as the funniest, most original, most "What the ... ?"-inspiring cartoon ever, The Far Side® debuted in January 1980 and enjoyed an illustrious 14 years on the worlds comics pages until Gary Larson's retirement in 1994.
The Complete Far Side celebrates Gary's twisted, irreverent genius in this ultimate Far Side book, a lavish production, which takes its place alongside collector's-edition art books.
A masterpiece of comic brilliance, The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever syndicated over 4,000 if you must know presented in (more or less) chronological order by year of publication, with more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book. Also included are additional Far Side cartoons Larson created after his retirement: 13 that appeared in the last Far Side book, Last Chapter and Worse, and six cartoons that periodically ran as a special feature in The New York Times Science Times section as The Far Side of Science.
Creator Gary Larson offers a rare glimpse into the mind of The Far Side®in quirky and thoughtful introductions to each of the 14 chapters. Complaint letters, fan letters, and queries from puzzled readers appear alongside some of the more provocative or elusive panels. Actor, author,and comedian Steve Martin offers his pithy thoughts in a foreword, and Gary Larson's former editor describes what it was like to be "the guy who could explain every Far Side cartoon."
'Toons for Our Times: A Bloom County Book of Heavy Meadow Rump 'n Roll
Berkeley Breathed
4.4
Collectible Paperback
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Beyond The Far Side
Gary Larson
4.4
The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
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Strange Planet
Nathan W. Pyle
4.3
I feel more attractive. Honestly, you are. It’s the star damage. I CRAVE STAR DAMAGE.
Straight from the mind of New York Times bestselling author Nathan W. Pyle comes an adorable and profound universe in pink, blue, green, and purple. Based on the phenomenally popular Instagram of the same name, Strange Planet covers a full life cycle of the planet’s inhabitants, including milestones such as:
The Emergence Day Being Gains a Sibling The Being Family Attains a Beast The Formal Education of a Being Celebration of Special Days Being Begins a Vocation The Beings at Home Health Status of a Being The Hobbies of a Being The Extended Family of the Being The Being Reflects on Life While Watching the Planet Rotate
With dozens of never-before-seen illustrations in addition to old favorites, this book offers a sweet and hilarious look at a distant world not all that unlike our own.
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Tales Too Ticklish to Tell: Bloom County
Berkeley Breathed
4.3
Three hundred black-and-white and forty-four color strips bring fans up to date on current affairs in Bloom County: Opus dances in an all-female nightclub and discovers the social penalties for penguin lust and more.
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The Chickens Are Restless
Gary Larson
4.3
A collection of cartoons by the American creator of the Far Side, whose demonic and subtle views of the fauna of our planet have made him one of the world's best selling cartoonists. 1993 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
Recommended by Tom Gauld.
Tom Gauld
The Far Side is the working of a really strange mind. What really appeals to me about this cartoon – and you get it with all the people I’ve chosen, but particularly I think with Larson – is the way you go back into his world each time. [source]
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Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things
Berke Breathed
4.3
Enter the bizarre, profound, hilarious and peculiar world of Opus the Penguin. These newspaper comics were stand-alone funny in their time and, almost always, topical and thought provoking. The world of these lovable characters carried the flavor of the times in which they were penned and offered commentary on many of the political happenings - greed, political faux pas, scandals, sloth, feminism, racism and the pitfalls of love and having a tender heart were all fair game for this artist.
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Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #4)
Jeff Kinney
4.3
It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn.
Greg, a self-confessed "indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and "family togetherness.”
Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?
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The World of Chas Addams
Charles Addams, Wilfrid Sheed
4.3
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Tintin in Tibet
Herge
4.3
Tintin's friend Chang has been killed in a terrible plane crash and Tintin is distraught. But after a strange dream, Tintin becomes convinced Chang is alive. Together with Captain Haddock, he sets out on an impossible mission, an adventure deep into the mountains, through blizzards and caves of ice. They must find Chang at all costs.
Recommended by Helen.
Helen
There’s a lot of adventure and snow and a cute little dog called Snowy. [source]
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The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #5)
Jeff Kinney
4.3
Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it’s cracked up to be?
Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older—all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own? Or will he have to face the “ugly truth”?
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49
Bloom County Babylon: Five Years of Basic Naughtiness
Berkeley Breathed
4.3
An anthology of cartoons from the syndicated comic strip, "Bloom County" encompasses highlights from the five-year span of the strip.
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50
The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker
Robert Mankoff
4.3
The book that Janet Maslin of The New York Times has called "indispensable" and "a transfixing study of American mores and manners that happens to incorporate boundless laughs, too" is finally available in paperback—fully updated and featuring a brand new introduction by Adam Gopnik.
Organized by decade, with commentary by some of the magazine's finest writers, this landmark collection showcases the work of the hundreds of talented artists who have contributed cartoons over the course ofThe New Yorker's eight-two-year history. From the early cartoons of Peter Arno, George Price and Charles Addams to the cutting-edge work of Alex Gregory, Matthew Diffee and Bruce Eric Kaplan (with stops along the way for the genius of Charles Barsotti, Roz Chast, Jack Ziegler, George Booth, and many others), the art collected here forms, as David Remnick puts it in his Foreword, "the longest-running popular comic genre in American life."
Throughout the book, brief overviews of each era's predominant themes—from the Depression and nudity to technology and the Internet, highlight various genres of cartoons and shed light on our pastimes and preoccupations. Brief profiles and mini-portfolios spotlight the work of key cartoonists, including Arno, Chast, Ziegler, and others.
The DVD-ROM included with the book is what really makes the "Complete Cartoons" complete. Compatible with most home computers and easily browsable, the disk contains a mind-boggling 70,363 cartoons, indexed in a variety of ways. Perhaps you'd like to find all the cartoons by your favorite artist. Or maybe you'd like to look up the cartoons that ran the week you were born, or all of the cartoons on a particular subject. Of course, you can always begin at the beginning, February 21, 1925, and experience the unprecedented pleasure of reading through every single cartoon ever published in The New Yorker.
Enjoy this one-of-a-kind protrait of American life over the past eight decades, as captured by the talented pens and singular outlooks of the masters of the cartoonist's art.
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51
Big Mushy Happy Lump (Sarah's Scribbles, #2)
Sarah Andersen
4.3
Sarah Andersen's second comics collection picks up right where the first left off - huddled under a pile of blankets avoiding the responsibilities of the real world. These new comics (and illustrated personal essays!) follow the ups and downs of the unrelenting self-esteem roller coaster that is young adult life: budgeting woes, cramps, the nuances of sweater theft, and the joy of staying home all day with a box of pizza. All aboard.
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52
Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel
Richard H. Minear, Dr. Seuss, et al.
4.3
Drawing Conclusions
Well before Sam ever considered eating green eggs and ham or Horton heard a who, Dr. Seuss was drawing biting cartoons for adults that expressed his fierce opposition to anti-Semitism and fascism. An editorial cartoonist from 1941 to 1943 for PM magazine, a left-wing daily New York newspaper, Dr. Seuss launched a battle against dictatorial rule abroad and America First (an isolationist organization that argued against U.S. entry into World War II) with more than 400 cartoons urging the United States to fight against Adolf Hitler and his cohorts in fascism, Benito Mussolini, Pierre Laval, and Japan (he never depicted General Tojo Hideki, the wartime prime minister, or Togo Shigenori, the foreign minister). Dr. Seuss Goes to War, by Richard H. Minear, includes 200 of these cartoons, demonstrating the active role Dr. Seuss played in shaping and reflecting how America responded to World War II as events unfolded.
As one of America's leading historians of Japan during World War II, Minear also offers insightful commentary on the historical and political significance of this immense body of work that, until now, has not been seriously considered as part of Dr. Seuss's extraordinary legacy.
Born to a German-American family in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904, Theodor Geisel began his cartooning career at Dartmouth College, where he contributed to the humor magazine. After a run-in with college authorities for bootlegging liquor, he had to use a pseudonym to get his work published, choosing his middle name, Seuss, and adding "Dr." several years later when he dropped out of graduate school at Oxford University in England. He had never planned on setting poison political pen to paper until he realized his deep hatred of Italian fascism. The first editorial cartoon he drew depicts the editor of the fascist paper Il Giornale d'Italia wearing a fez (part of Italy's fascist uniform) and banging away at a giant steam typewriter while a winged Mussolini holds up the free end of the banner of paper emerging from the roll. He submitted it to a friend at PM, an outspoken political magazine that was "against people who push other people around," and began his two-year career with the magazine before joining the U.S. Army as a documentary filmmaker in 1943.
Dr. Seuss's first caricature of Hitler appears in the May 1941 cartoon, "The head eats, the rest gets milked," portraying the dictator as the proprietor of "Consolidated World Dairy," merging 11 conquered nations into one cow. Hitler went on to become one of the main caricatures in Seuss's work for the next two years, depicted alone, among his generals and other Germans, and with his allies Benito Mussolini and Pierre Laval. He is also drawn alongside "Japan," which Dr. Seuss portrays quite offensively, with slanted, bespectacled eyes and a sneering grin. While Dr. Seuss was outspoken against antiblack racism in the United States, he held a virulent disdain for the Japanese and rendered sinister and, at times, slanderous caricatures of their wartime actions even before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But Dr. Seuss's aggression wasn't solely reserved for the fascists abroad. He was also loudly critical of America's initial apathy toward the war, skewering isolationists like America First advocate Charles Lindbergh, the Chicago Tribune's Colonel Robert McCormick, Eleanor Medill Patterson of the Washington Times-Herald, and Joseph Patterson of the New York Daily News, whom he considered as evil as Hitler. He encouraged Americans to buy war savings bonds and stamps and to do everything they could to ensure victory over fascism.
Minear provides historical background in Dr. Seuss Goes to War that not only serves to contextualize these cartoons but also deftly explains the highly problematic anti-Japanese and anticommunist stances held by both Dr. Seuss and PM magazine, which contradicted the leftist sentiments to which they both eagerly adhered. As Minear notes, Dr. Seuss eventually softened his feelings toward communism as Russia and the United States were united on the Allied front, but his stereotypical portrayals of Japanese and Japanese-Americans grew increasingly and undeniably racist as the war raged on, reflecting the troubling public opinion of American citizens. Minear does not attempt to ignore or redeem Dr. Seuss's hypocrisy; rather, he shows how these cartoons evoke the mood and the issues of the era.
After Dr. Seuss left PM magazine, he never drew another editorial cartoon, though we find in these cartoons the genesis of his later characters Yertle the dictating turtle and the Cat in the Hat, who bears a striking resemblance to Uncle Sam. Dr. Seuss Goes to War is an astonishing collection of work that many of his devoted fans have not been able to see until now. But this book is also a comprehensive, thoughtfully researched, and exciting history lesson of the Second World War, by a writer who loves Dr. Seuss as much as those who grow up with his books do.
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53
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
Allie Brosh
4.3
This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:
Pictures Words Stories about things that happened to me Stories about things that happened to other people because of me Eight billion dollars* Stories about dogs The secret to eternal happiness*
*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!
While she self-deprecatingly depicts herself in words and art as an odd outsider, we can all relate to her struggles. Rather than laughing at her, you laugh with her. It is no hyperbole to say I love her approach -- looking, listening, and describing with the observational skills of a scientist, the creativity of an artist, and the wit of a comedian. [source]
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54
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus, #2)
Art Spiegelman
4.2
Acclaimed as a quiet triumph and a brutally moving work of art, the first volume of Art Spieglman's Maus introduced readers to Vladek Spiegleman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and his son, a cartoonist trying to come to terms with his father, his father's terrifying story, and History itself. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), succeeds perfectly in shocking us out of any lingering sense of familiararity with the events described, approaching, as it does, the unspeakable through the diminutive.
This second volume, subtitled And Here My Troubles Began, moves us from the barracks of Auschwitz to the bungalows of the Catskills. Genuinely tragic and comic by turns, it attains a complexity of theme and a precision of thought new to comics and rare in any medium. Maus ties together two powerful stories: Vladek's harrowing tale of survival against all odds, delineating the paradox of daily life in the death camps, and the author's account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. At every level this is the ultimate survivor's tale - and that too of the children who somehow survive even the survivors.
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55
Green Eggs and Ham
Dr.Seuss
4.2
“Do you like green eggs and ham?” asks Sam-I-am in this Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss. In a house or with a mouse? In a boat or with a goat? On a train or in a tree? Sam keeps asking persistently. With unmistakable characters and signature rhymes, Dr. Seuss’s beloved favorite has cemented its place as a children’s classic. In this most famous of cumulative tales, the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham, and friends to enjoy them with, gets longer and longer. Follow Sam-I-am as he insists that this unusual treat is indeed a delectable snack to be savored everywhere and in every way.
Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.
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56
Amphigorey (Amphigorey, #1)
Edward Gorey
4.2
The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross-hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15, "The Unstrung Harp," describes the writing process of novelist Mr. Clavius Frederick Earbrass: "He must be mad to go on enduring the unexquisite agony of writing when it all turns out drivel." In "The Listing Attic," you'll find a set of quirky limericks such as "A certain young man, it was noted, / Went about in the heat thickly coated; / He said, 'You may scoff, / But I shan't take it off; / Underneath I am horribly bloated.' "
Many of Gorey's tales involve untimely deaths and dreadful mishaps, but much like tragic Irish ballads with their perky rhythms and melodies, they come off as strangely lighthearted. "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," for example, begins like this: "A is for AMY who fell down the stairs, B is for BASIL assaulted by bears," and so on. An eccentric, funny book for either the uninitiated or diehard Gorey fans.
Contains: The Unstrung Harp, The Listing Attic, The Doubtful Guest, The Object Lesson, The Bug Book, The Fatal Lozenge, The Hapless Child, The Curious Sofa, The Willowdale Handcar, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, The West Wing, The Wuggly Ump, The Sinking Spell, and The Remembered Visit.
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57
Simon's Cat (Simon's Cat, #1)
Simon Tofield
4.2
Simon Tofield's animations have taken YouTube by storm. Now, the feline Internet phenomenon makes his way onto the page in this first-ever book based on the popular animated series. Simon's Cat depicts and exaggerates the hilarious relationship between a man and his cat. The daily escapades of this adorable pet, which always involve demanding more food, and his exasperated but doting owner come to life through Tofield's charming and hilarious illustrations.
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58
Herding Cats (Sarah's Scribbles, #3)
Sarah Andersen
4.2
Adjusting to life as a world-famous cartoonist isn't easy. Terrifying deadlines, piles of junk-food wrappers under a glowing computer screen, and an ever-growing horde of pets....umm, never mind--it's pretty much the same.
With characteristic wit and charm, Sarah Andersen's third collection of comics and illustrated personal essays offers a survival guide for frantic modern life: from the importance of avoiding morning people, to Internet troll defense 101, to the not-so-life-changing futility of tidying up. But when all else fails and the world around you is collapsing, make a hot chocolate, count the days until Halloween, and snuggle up next to your furry beacon of hope.
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59
Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #6)
Jeff Kinney
4.2
Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?
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60
It Came from The Far Side
Gary Larson
4.2
The sixth in the bestselling series of collections from Gary Larson. THE FAR SIDE voted Best Syndicated Panel of 1985 by the National Cartoonists Society
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61
The Doonesbury Chronicles
Garry B. Trudeau
4.2
In 1975, for the first time in the history of journalism awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning went to a comic strip: Garry Trudeau's nationally syndicated Doonesbury.
"It is not only the best comic strip, but the best satire that's come along in a long time." —Art Buchwald
Carried today by over 350 North American newspapers, Doonesbury's unique blend of social-political satire, cartoon humor, and comic-strip continuity has won a following both improbably diverse and fanatically devoted. In Washington, where Doonesbury is required reading, requests for original strips have come from White House aides, senators, congressmen, and—remarkably—most of the major Watergate conspirators whose maladventures gave the strip grist for some of its most celebrated moments.
"There are only three major vehicles to keep us informed as to what is going on in Washington: the electronic media, the print media, and Doonesbury, not necessarily in that order." —President Gerald Ford
So loyal has been this following that on occasions when Doonesbury was suddenly notable for its absence from a paper following a satirical thrust that had somehow offended editors' notions of comic-strip propriety, readers have always managed to protest it back onto the page. The Doonesbury Chronicles marks the first hardcover appearance of Michael J. Doonesbury and cohorts, and is their first collection to include Sunday color pages. In all, 572 strips are presented, as selected by Garry Trudeau and encompassing the full Doonesbury canon, from its cozy campus origins at the frazzled end of the sixties through the stumbling first half of the seventies. Conducting us along the way is a motley though always redeemable cast that includes a student radical turned disc jockey, an immaculately dense but nonetheless charismatic quarterback, a nature freak who has nightmares about Mark Spitz, and a runaway housewife who ends up as a Berkeley law student by way of the Walden Commune Day-Care Center. For those hooked on Trudeau, as well as those still somehow deprived, for giving or hoarding, The Doonesbury Chronicles is a rich and Recession-proof treasure of a book.
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62
Hark! A Vagrant (Hark! A Vagrant, #1)
Kate Beaton
4.2
Hark! A Vagrant is an uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics-sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges unscathbed as Beaton rightly skewers the Western world's revolutionaries, leaders, sycophants, and suffragists while equally honing her wit on the hapless heroes, heroines, and villains of the best-loved fiction. She deftly points out what really happened when Brahms fell asleep listening to Liszt, that the world's first hipsters were obviously the Incroyables and the Merveilleuses from eighteenth-century France, that Susan B. Anthony is, of course, a "Samantha," and that the polite banality of Canadian culture never gets old. Hark! A Vagrant features sexy Batman, the true stories behind classic Nancy Drew covers, and Queen Elizabeth doing the albatross. As the 5600.000 unique monthly visitors to harkavagrant.com already know, no one turns the ironic absurdities of history and literature into comedic fodder as hilarious as Beaton.
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63
Learn to Draw Cartoons: The World's Easiest Cartooning Book Ever!
Christopher Hart
4.1
With bestselling author Christopher Hart as your guide, learning to draw cartoons has never been easier!
Thanks to Christopher Hart’s simplified process, anyone can start creating dynamic cartoon characters right away. He has developed the easiest-ever approach to drawing the basics like heads, bodies, and those super-important cartoon expressions. Hart then helps beginners apply these fundamentals to a variety of fun types and settings such as animals, under-the-sea locales, famous stock characters, and popular backgrounds. Each lesson is laid out in accessible steps and accompanied by Chris’s personable, quick instruction.
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64
The Far Side
Gary Larson
4.1
The Far Side was syndicated in more than 1,900 daily newspapers from 1980 to 1995, when Gary Larson retired. During its run, the cartoon spawned 22 books from AMP, which were translated into a total of 17 different languages. For his work with The Far Side, Larson was awarded the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist from the National Cartoonists Society in 1991 and 1994. The group also named The Far Side Best Syndicated Panel in both 1985 and 1987.
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65
Happy Trails!
Berke Breathed
4.1
Berke Breathed delivers another book with his Bloom County comic-strip characters of Opus, Bill the Cat and the rest of the gang as they engage in their rollicking adventures.
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66
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
The Oatmeal, Matthew Inman
4.1
If your cat is kneading you, that's not a sign of affection. Your cat is actually checking your internal organs for weakness. If your cat brings you a dead animal, this isn't a gift. It's a warning. How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You is an offering of cat comics, facts, and instructional guides from the creative wonderland at TheOatmeal.com.
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You presents fan favorites, such as "Cat vs. Internet," "How to Pet a Kitty," and "The Bobcats," plus 17 brand-new, never-before-seen cat jokes. A pullout poster is included at the back of the book.
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67
Asterix the Legionary (Asterix, #10)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.1
Obelix is in love - but the beautiful Panacea is engaged to Tragicomix, a conscript in the Roman army. Who'd have expected to see Asterix in a legionary's uniform? When he and Obelix join up to rescue Tragicomix from North Africa, Centurions Nefarius Purpus and Dubuis Status don't know what's hit them. But the Gauls and their fellow recruits have a smashing trip abroad.
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68
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Dr. Seuss
4.1
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is a 1960 children's book by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel). A simple rhyming book for learner readers, it is a book with a freewheeling plot about a boy and a girl, and the many amazing creatures they have for friends and pets. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish was part of the Beginner Book Video series which included Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! and The Foot Book.
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69
Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995: An Exhibition Catalogue
Bill Watterson
4.1
New York Times best-seller!
Everyone misses Calvin and Hobbes.
It reinvented the newspaper comic strip at a time when many had all but buried the funnies as a vehicle for fresh, creative work. Then Bill Watterson came along and reminded a new generation of what older readers and comic strip aficionados knew: A well-written and beautifully drawn strip is an intricate, powerful form of communication. And with Calvin and Hobbes, we had fun—just like readers of Krazy Kat and Pogo did. Opening the newspaper each day was an adventure. The heights of Watterson's creative imagination took us places we had never been. We miss that.
This book was published in conjunction with the first exhibition of original Calvin and Hobbes Sunday pages at The Ohio State University Cartoon Research Library. Although the work was created for reproduction, not for gallery display, was a pleasure to see the cartoonist's carefully placed lines and exquisite brush strokes. In an attempt to share this experience with those who were unable to visit the exhibition, all of the original Sunday pages displayed are reproduced in color in this book so that every detail, such as sketch lines, corrections, and registration marks, are visible. On the opposite page the same comic strip is printed in full color. Because Watterson was unusually intentional and creative in his use of color, this juxtaposition provides Calvin and Hobbes readers the opportunity to consider the impact of color on its narrative and content.
When I first contacted Bill Watterson about the possibility of exhibiting his original work, I used the term "retrospective." He replied that we might be able to do an exhibit, but that calling it a retrospective made him uncomfortable. He felt that a longer time was needed to put Calvin and Hobbes in the historical perspective implied by that term. Nonetheless, this show is a "look back" at the comic strip as we revisit favorites that we remember. Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 is particularly interesting because each work that is included was selected by Bill Watterson. His comments about the thirty-six Sunday pages he chose are part of this volume. In addition, he reflects on Calvin and Hobbes from the perspective of six years, and his essay provides insights into his life as a syndicated cartoonist.
Reprint books of Calvin and Hobbes are nice to have, but the opportunity to see the original work and read Bill Watterson's thoughts about it is a privilege. He generously shared not only the art, but also his time and his thoughts. When I first reviewed the works included in the exhibit, I knew that everyone who visited it would begin with laughter and end with tears.
On behalf of all who enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes, thank you, Bill Watterson.
--Lucy Shelton Caswell, Professor and Curator The Ohio State University Cartoon Research Library, June 2001
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70
Amphigorey Also (Amphigorey, #3)
Edward Gorey
4.1
Contents: The Utter Zoo, The Blue Aspic, The Epiplectic Bicycle, The Sopping Thursday, The Grand Passion, Les Passementeries Horribles, The Eclectic Abecedarium, L'Heure bleue, The Broken Spoke, The Awdrey-Gore Legacy, The Glorious Nosebleed, The Loathsome Couple, The Green Beads, Les Urnes Utiles, The Stupid Joke, The Prune People, and The Tuning Fork
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71
My Crowd
Charles Addams
4.1
My Crowd is back by popular demand, just in time for the 20th aniversary of its first publication. With the most popular cartoons from his first six books, this cadaverous collection contains a wonderful assortment of goblins, ghosts, and gremlins, along with Addams' own famous "family" of characters that have made his name a household word.
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72
Classics of Western Literature: Bloom County, 1986-1989
Berkeley Breathed
4.1
A retrospective of the Bloom County comic strip from 1986 until its conclusion in 1989. One of the most beloved and avidly read comic strips of all time, Bloom County not only became a part of, but helped define, the popular culture of a decade. This collection is destined to become a classic.
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73
The Gashlycrumb Tinies (The Vinegar Works, #1)
Edward Gorey
4.1
The Gashlycrumb Tinies: or, After the Outing is an abecedarian book written by Edward Gorey that was first published in 1963. Gorey tells the tale of 26 children (each representing a letter of the alphabet) and their untimely deaths in rhyming dactylic couplets, accompanied by the author's distinctive black and white illustrations. It is one of Edward Gorey's best-known books, and is the most notorious amongst his roughly half-dozen mock alphabets.[2] It has been described as a "sarcastic rebellion against a view of childhood that is sunny, idyllic, and instructive". The morbid humor of the book comes in part from the mundane ways in which children die, such as falling down the stairs or choking on a peach. Far from illustrating the dramatic and fantastical childhood nightmares, these scenarios instead poke fun at the banal paranoias that come as a part of parenting.
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74
The Cartoon Introduction to Economics: Volume One: Microeconomics
Bauman
4.1
The award-winning illustrator Grady Klein has paired up with the world's only stand-up economist, Yoram Bauman, PhD, to take the dismal out of the dismal science. From the optimizing individual to game theory to price theory, The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is the most digestible, explicable, and humorous 200-page introduction to microeconomics you'll ever read.
Bauman has put the "comedy" into "economy" at comedy clubs and universities around the country and around the world (his "Principles of Economics, Translated" is a YouTube cult classic). As an educator at both the university and high school levels, he has learned how to make economics relevant to today's world and today's students. As Google's chief economist, Hal Varian, wrote, "You don't need a brand-new economics. You just need to see the really cool stuff, the material they didn't get to when you studied economics." The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is all about integrating the really cool stuff into an overview of the entire discipline of microeconomics, from decision trees to game trees to taxes and thinking at the margin.
Rendering the cool stuff fun is the artistry of the illustrator and lauded graphic novelist Klein. Panel by panel, page by page, he puts comics into economics. So if the vertiginous economy or a dour professor's 600-page econ textbook has you desperate for a fun, factual guide to economics, reach for The Cartoon Introduction to Economics and let the collaborative genius of the Klein-Bauman team walk you through an entire introductory microeconomics course.
For anybody who wants to learn the economics jargon, or anyone who is starting out studying an economics course, this is just a brilliant source. [source]
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75
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Dr. Seuss
4.1
For out-starting upstarts of all ages, here is a wonderfully wise and blessedly brief graduation speech from the one and only Dr. Seuss. In his inimitable, humorous verse and pictures, he addresses the Great Balancing Act (life itself, and the ups and downs it presents) while encouraging us to find the success that lies within us.
And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
A modern classic, Oh, the Places You'll Go! was first published one year before Dr. Seuss's death at the age of eighty-seven. In a mere fifty-six pages, Dr, Seuss managed to impart a lifetime of wisdom. It is the perfect send-off for children starting out in the maze of life, be they nursery school grads or newly-minted PhD's. Everyone will find it inspired good fun.
Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. [source]
Chris Goward
Narrowing down a favourite book in either business or non-business from the hundreds of mind-expanding books I've benefited from in the four decades of my life (beginning with Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss) would be impossible. [source]
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76
Valley of The Far Side
Gary Larson
4.1
The fifth in the series of best-selling collections of the syndicated cartoon that's sold more than two million books!
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77
Cartoon History of the Universe I, Vol. 1-7: From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great
Larry Gonick
4.1
An entertaining and informative illustrated guide that makes world history accessible, appealing, and funny.
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78
Cat
B. Kliban
4.1
It’s the mother of all cat books. The book that gave new meaning to wacka-wacka and forever redefined it. Cat is the classic that started it all. It gave a voice to catmaniacs around the country and launched an entire genre in publishing and licensing. Everybody went crazy.
“Neither cute nor mysterious but instead simply and irreverently, even raucously, very funny.”—Village Voice.
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79
Dot Markers Activity Book Fun Creative Coloring: Toddler Craft Fill the Dots, Cut Pages. For Kids Ages 2-5
Coloring Book Kim
4.1
An educational and fun activity book for children with dots to color in and cut out ready-made crafts created by a little artist.Large simple pictures such as animals, cars, flowers and unicorns make this activity book suitable for both boys and girls.The book contains 50 large funny pictures with large dots to color in.Pictures can be colored with dot markers, ordinary markers or crayons and even with fingers covered with water paint.When coloring pictures with your fingers covered with water paint, wipe your fingers with a wet cloth when changing colors.Each picture is signed to make it easier to color.Each page contains a designated line that makes it easy to cut out the image.The pictures are age appropriate for the little artists.The book is recommended for children aged 2-5 years.Active coloring helps children develop concentration, recognize shapes, colors and improves imagination.When coloring such pictures, children do not get bored so quickly, which gives many hours of great and relaxing coloring fun.Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches50 creative dot pictures.
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80
Asterix and the Golden Sickle (Asterix, #2)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.1
It's a disaster - the druid Getafix has broken his golden sickle. Asterix and Obelix go to Lutetia (now Paris) to buy him a new one. Soon they are tangling with the criminal underworld of the big city - can they outwit Navishtrix, Clovogarlix and the sickle-trafficking gang? Will Getafix ever be able to brew magic potion again?
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81
Garfield at Large: His First Book (Garfield, #1)
Jim Davis
4.1
Like every great lasagna, Garfield was born in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant on a winter's night in 1978, while outside snow fell like grated Parmesan cheese. He weighed five pounds, six ounces at birth—that's big for a kitten!—and right from the start showed a passion for Italian food. The restaurant owner, forced to choose between Garfield and closing his doors for lack of pasta, sold Garfield to a pet store. Garfield thought he was a goner until Jon Arbuckle walked in the door.
The rest is history.
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82
How To Draw Anything: 300 Drawings of Adorable Things, Animals, Food, Gifts, and other Amazing Items | Book For Kids
Emma Greene
4.1
Let the Drawing Magic Inspire Your Boy with this How to Draw Book with 300 Drawings! Guide your little one into the captivating universe of drawing with this easy and engaging drawing guide, designed to enhance their sketching, artistic skills, and coloring talents.Features of this book:Simple Step-by-Step Instructions with clear directions, arrows, and illustrations, children can easily learn to draw toys, sports, cute animals, and many other amazing things.Practice Space with a dedicated area for freehand drawing and experimenting.Activity Fun forboys for endless artistic creativityAn Awesome Gift for Boys to share specialmoments together and having a fun experience.
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83
Asterix and the Goths (Asterix, #3)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
Asterix and Obelix escort Getafix to the druids' annual conference in the Forest of the Carnutes. Little do they know that the Goths are lying in ambush, ready to kidnap the Druid of the Year - who of course is Getafix! But what with Gauls, Goths and Romans all at odds, it's hard to tell friend from foe... until Goths begin fighting Goths in the Asterixian Wars.
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84
Darth Vader and Son
Jeffrey Brown
4.0
What if Darth Vader took an active role in raising his son? What if "Luke, I am your father" was just a stern admonishment from an annoyed dad? In this hilarious and sweet comic reimagining, Darth Vader is a dad like any other except with all the baggage of being the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Celebrated artist Jeffrey Brown's delightful illustrations give classic Star Wars moments a fresh twist, presenting the trials and joys of parenting through the lens of a galaxy far, far away. Life lessons include lightsaber batting practice, using the Force to raid the cookie jar, Take Your Child to Work Day on the Death Star ("Er, he looks just like you, Lord Vader!"), and the special bond shared between any father and son.
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85
How Come I Always Get Blamed for the Things I Do?: A Pickles Collection
Brian Crane
4.0
Take one long-married and occasionally exasperated couple getting along in years, their well meaning daughter and precocious grandson, a clueless dog, an independent minded cat, plus assorted other quirky but endearing characters and you have the world of Pickles, Brian Crane's beloved comic strip that takes a wiry but good-natured look at the foibles of family and friends.
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86
Cartooning: The Ultimate Character Design Book
Christopher Hart
4.0
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87
Asterix at the Olympic Games (Asterix, #12)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
The athletes of the ancient world assemble in Athens for the Olympic Games. Asterix and the Gauls enter too, but they're due for a setback. As an artificial stimulant, magic potion is banned. Can our friends win at the Games without it? And what's the special ingredient of the other potion, the one in the cauldron in the shed with the door that doesn't close properly?
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88
Cows of Our Planet
Gary Larson
4.0
This new collection of cartoons is a bovine celebration of the author's fascination with cows.
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89
Asterix and the Normans (Asterix, #9)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
A Norman invasion of the Gaulish village! But only trendy teenager Justforkix, visiting from Lutetia, fears them, for the Gauls have their magic potion. But the Normas themselves want to learn the meaning of fear: can Asterix and his friends teach them? Another secret weapon is brought into play...and at long last the bard Cacofonix wins the appreciation due to him.
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90
Cartoon Faces: How to Draw Heads, Features Expressions
Christopher Hart
4.0
Make a face—a funny face! The personality of a cartoon character begins with the face: the head, the features, the expressions. Get that right and you can create a memorable personality. Bestselling how-to-draw author Christopher Hart presents the ultimate tutorial on the topic in masterful detail, covering characters both male and female, from babies to adults, in all shapes and sizes. His accessible, step-by-step demonstrations go through all the features and explain how to build a character. Explore appealing cartoon head types; see how to create a variety of eyes, brows, mouths, and popular hairstyles; and learn how to turn the head in different directions while maintaining a character's visual integrity. An introductory section discusses essential shading techniques while a bonus section shows the basics of drawing the entire body.
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91
Asterix and the Big Fight (Asterix, #7)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
A collaborator in ancient Gaul? Chief Cassius Ceramix has gone over to the Roman enemy. There's something very fishy going on, as Legionary Infirmofpurpus discovers when he is sent to spy on the Gauls disguised as a crab apple tree. But is that just a red herring? And what about the two concussed druids brewing colourful potions? One way or another, the fight for control of the village between Vitalstatistix and his rival is bound to be a knockout.
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92
Asterix and Caesar's Gift (Astérix #21)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
When Legionary Tremensdelirius gets the title deeds to the little Gaulish village as a bonus, he swaps them with tavern landlord Orthopaedix for a drink. Funnily enough, Asterix and his friends aren't keen to hand over their village to anyone else. After a chieftaincy election campaign and a showdown with the Romans, both events fiercely contested, can all still end well?
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93
How to Draw Anything for kids: 300 Cute Step-by-Step Drawing Stuff: Amazing Food, Animals, Kawaii, Gifts and Other (How to draw books for kids)
Patricia Rogers
4.0
Spark Your Child’s Creativity with 300 Cute Drawings!How to Draw Anything for Kids makes learning to draw fun and easy! With step-by-step guides, kids can draw adorable animals, tasty food, kawaii gifts, and much more — even if they’ve never drawn before.Inside this book:Simple Step-by-Step Instructions that show kids exactly what to draw next.Draw & Color Fun — kids can color their finished drawings for extra creativity.Variety of Cute Things — animals, snacks, objects, and fun surprises!Perfect Gift Idea for birthdays, holidays, or rainy days.Help your child discover the joy of drawing — get this fun and engaging book today!
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94
Asterix in Britain (Asterix, #8)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
One little ancient British village still holds out against the Roman invaders. Asterix and Obelix are invited to help. They must face fog, rain, warm beer and boiled boar with mint sauce, but they soon have Governor Encyclopaedicus Britannicus's Romans declining and falling. Until a wild race for a barrel of magic potion lands them in the drink. It's not quite cricket - how about a nice cup of hot water, though? Or even the first ever tea-party?
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95
Asterix the Gladiator (Asterix, #4)
Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
4.0
Oh no! The Romans have captured Cacofonix the bard as a gift for Caesar—and the highly unimpressed Emperor plans to throw him to the lions. By the time the other Gauls notice how quiet and peaceful the village is, Cacofonix is on his way to Rome. But Asterix and Obelix are hot on his heels and there’s only one way for them to rescue their bard: they have to become gladiators themselves.
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96
Bone: The Complete Edition
Jeff Smith
4.0
An American graphic novel first! The complete 1300 page epic from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback.
Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, spending a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert. One by one they find their way into a deep forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures. It will be the longest -- but funniest -- year of their lives.
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97
In Search of The Far Side
Gary Larson
4.0
The Far Side® and the Larson® signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
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98
Step-by-step Drawing Book: A Simple and Easy Drawing Activity Book for Kids
Fiona Watt
4.0
From rockets to robots, monkeys to monsters and lots more, find out how to draw everything you've ever wanted to by following the simple step-by-step instructions in this inspirational draw-in book. Young children will feel a real sense of achievement mastering the simple drawing activities in this book. - Includes plenty of space in the book for practising your own drawings. - A fun activity to suit grown ups and kids alike! - Great screen-free fun
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99
Unnatural Selections
Gary Larson
4.0
Hot on the paws of the howling success of Wiener Dog Art comes the new Far Side masterpiece Unnatural Selections. Including more than 100 cartoons in their book debut, it also unearths an original four-color insert created by Gary Larson especially for this twelfth collection. Journey back in time as Larson does for evolution what he previously did for art.
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