Book Review: Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld

Revenge of the Librarians
by Tom Gauld (741.5 Gau)

For the past several years, I’ve been seeing the wry, comic art panels of artist Tom Gauld regularly showing up in my Facebook feed, shared by many of my friends…especially those with a love of literary humor. Gauld’s comic strips (frequently seen on the online features of The Guardian) feature simple, uncomplicated art, with “characters” that are often little more than stylized stick figures. His works always appear as variations on the traditional “comic strip” format — long horizontal boxes that can sometimes be just a single box, but can also be subdivided into the traditional 3 or 4 boxes that are reminiscent of newspaper comic strips, but he also frequently uses the space to create a multitude of tiny art boxes.

 

Gauld’s humor is dry, wry, slightly sarcastic, and pokes fun at tropes and established traditions. This particular book collects dozens of his strips that all share a thematic connection — books, reading, libraries, writers, publishing and more along these lines. I absolutely adored this entire collection, and will be looking to purchase a copy for my own personal library. If you, too, appreciate the ability to have fun with literary traditions, you’ll appreciate this collection as well.

 

( official Tom Gauld web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: The Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen

The Cryptid Club
by Sarah Andersen (741.5 And)

Cryptid (definition): an animal (such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist.

 

Web cartoonist Sarah Anderson (Sarah’s Scribbles, and Fangs) launched a new four-panel web comic The Cryptid Club on Webtoon in September 2021. This little hardback book compiles all of the cartoons from the run of that web comic from the beginning through May 2022. The strip features a rotating/recurring cast of characters, from Bigfoot (Sam) and Nessie to a chupacabra, ghosts, a Kraken, aliens, the Fresno Nightcrawlers, Cthulhu, Mothman, The Flatwoods Monster, the Slender Man, a Jackalope, a Siren and a Sirenhead, and a Sleep Paralysis Demon. But, though many of those might be considered “monsters” in modern pop culture mythology, in this strip, they’re all just “normal” people trying to live “normal” lives.

 

The strip is a cute little “slice of life” from the world of these slightly creepy creatures, and Andersen does an absolutely marvelous job of capturing a mix of both the mundane and the macabre. I felt little hints of Charles Addams classic “The Addams Family” comics in these pages. I’ll have to admit, I occasionally find some of Andersen’s extremely simplistic art a bit off-putting, but in this collection, she’s at her best.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the other cartoon compilations by Sarah Andersen, I particularly recommend Fangs, or The World of Charles Addams by Charles Addams, containing many of the cartoons that inspired various iterations of The Addams Family.)

 

( official Cryptid Club web site ) | ( official Sarah Andersen web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: The Peanuts Book: A Visual History of the Iconic Comic Strip by Simon Beecroft

The Peanuts Book: A Visual History of the Iconic Comic Strip
by Simon Beecroft (741.524 SchYb)

As a lifelong fan of the comic strip called “Peanuts” by Charles Schulz, I was thrilled to see a brand-new book out about the long-running comic and its creator. The Peanuts Book is large, colorful, and jam-packed with information about each character, the creation of the strip, and the man who made it all happen. The book features a chronology of events and a superb index to help you find the information you seek. I was especially impressed with all of the photographs included from the life of Charles Schulz as well as photographs of Peanuts toys and memorabilia to be found commercially. There are tributes to Peanuts from several famous comic artists and examples of art that had been inspired by the characters drawn by Schulz. The best part, of course, is the inclusion of samples of comics from the nearly 50 years of its running. I highly recommend this book for any Peanuts fan!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Around the World in 45 Years: Charlie Brown’s Anniversary Celebration by Charles M. Schulz, Born to Draw Comics: The Story of Charles Schulz and the Creation of Peanuts by Ginger Wadsworth or Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis.]

[ publisher’s official The Peanuts Book web site ] | [ official Charles M. Schulz Museum web site ]

 

See Becky W.C.’s review of Charles M. Schulz’ Snoopy’s Guide to the Writing Life in the July 2006 Staff Recommendations on BookGuide

See Scott C.’s review of David Michaelis’ biography Schulz and Peanuts in the April 2008 Staff Recommendations on BookGuide

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: Long Story Short: 100 Classic Books in Three Panels by Lisa Brown

Long Story Short: 100 Classic Books in Three Panels
by Lisa Brown (YA 741.5 Bro)

For anyone who remembers Cliff’s Notes (which originated right here in Lincoln, NE in the late 1950s), or the more recent SparkNotes (which launched in the late 1990s), author/illustrator Lisa Brown is here to give you even more abbreviated study guides to some of the classic works of English-language literature! For some time, Brown (wife of author Daniel Handler — a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) has been produced the regular cartoon “Three Panel Book Review” for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper and its website.

 

Long Story Short compiles 100 of her “three panel reviews” (although I think she may have create some original content for this volume as well. For this collection, the reviews are broken into broad categories — “Big Thoughts”, “(Un)Happy Families”, “Jeepers! (Creatures!)”, “Love”, “Sex”, “Death” and more. Each section starts with a slightly-longer cartoon sequence, but the majority if what appears in the book are as advertised — the plot of a work of classic fiction condensed and simplified down into three simple cartoon panels. Some are simply a straight-forward synopsis of a book’s critical plot points, while others take a more humorous or satiric view of the original novel’s essence. All generally tend to be funny, even if darkly humorous.

 

Not all 100 are real winners, but I’d say I laughed at about 65% of the 100 titles profiled. Admittedly, it would help the casual reader to already be a little familiar with the works being condensed and shared. But even if you don’t know all of them, you’ll get quite a few chuckles along the way. Similarly, not all of Brown’s cartoon-style art is equal in quality across the board, but it hits its mark more often than not.

 

Wry, dry, sardonic…and sharing of love of literature. Definitely worth checking out!

[ official Long Story Short page on AmericanChickens.com — the official Lisa Brown web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: Strange Planet and Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle

Strange Planet and Stranger Planet
by Nathan W. Pyle (741.5 Pyl)

These two volumes are small hardback collections of the comic strips that appeared in Pyle’s web comic “Strange Planet”. comics — usually four-panel strips — look at life from a typical “fish out of water” perspective. The central characters are simplistically-drawn “aliens” — long stretchy bodies, rounded oblong heads, and huge eyes. But the main alien family is just a typical suburban family dealing with typical suburban issues. The main difference is that the aliens don’t have traditional terminology for the everyday things WE take for granted, and the terms they end up using are often very utilitarian, in a “Captain Obvious” sort of way. One alien finds a cat that is happily purring and can only describe it as “This being is vibrating”. The straightforward, seemingly unemotional humor this juxtaposition of terminology creates can lead to lots of silly observations on life.

 

The art is intentionally very basic, and yet Pyle manages to convey a great deal with a limited number of details. For instance, the otherwise expressionless faces take on a totally different dimension when an alien squints his eyes to convey an unexpected emotion. But it is mainly through dialog that the humor comes through.

 

At its heart, this is a humor strip — and both volumes ARE very funny, in a wry, tongue-in-cheek fashion.

[If you like these two volumes, you’ll probably want to search for Pyle’s strip online — you can follow him directly on his website, and via various social media platforms.]

[ official Strange Planet/Nathan W. Pyle web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: Born to Draw Comics by Ginger Wadsworth

Born to Draw Comics: The Story of Charles Schulz and the Creation of Peanuts
by Ginger Wadsworth (j Biography Schulz)

Charming illustrated biography of author/artist Charles M. Schulz, intended for younger readers. Done is something like a “graphic novel” format, this lovely book covers the span of Sparky’s life, from his childhood in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota through his experiences in World War II and his professional life in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, California. Author/artist Ginger Wadsworth does an excellent job capturing the personality of Schulz at various ages, and peppers little visual references throughout the book that long-time Peanuts fans will enjoy looking for. It’s always fascinating to read about the inspirations for iconic literary characters, and knowing the background of some of the Peanuts characters, especially when told in an illustrated format, is great.

Definitely worth a quick read. Although Born to Draw Comics is cataloged in the libraries’ youth collection, it is equally well suited for adult readers, who may appreciate some of the subtle details that kids may not “get”.

[ official Ginger Wadsworth web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

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Book Review: The Peanuts Papers, edited by Andrew Blauner

The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Gang, and the Meaning of Life
edited by Andrew Blauner (741.59 Pea)

If you love “Peanuts”, Charles Schulz’s life’s work about a boy, his dog, and their world of little folks with grown-up sensibilities, you may like this collection of essays by other cartoonists, artists, and esteemed authors such as Umberto Eco and Ann Patchett – 33 in fact. What is clear is that the influence of these fictional characters made of few lines and copious observations on life is far-reaching and, in many cases, of lasting comfort and inspiration. From analyses of Lucy’s Psychiatric Booth to reverence for the economuy with which Schulz could convey complex emotions, to a declaration that Peanuts was as culturally significant in its way as the Beatles were in theirs. If you love Peanuts, you will want to take a look at this. And even if you don’t love Peanuts, it may get you to appreciate what it meant and still means to millions of other people.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, by Lee Mendelson, Snoopy’s Guide to the Writing Life, by Charles M. Schulz, The Gospel According to Peanuts.]

[publisher’s official The Peanuts Papers web page ] | [ Andrew Blauner biography on the Blauner Books site ]

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

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Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics, Vol. 1: 1969-70 by Dean Mullaney and others

Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics, Vol. 1: 1969-70
by Dean Mullaney and others [741.5 Sta Vol 1: 1969-70] 

In 1969, before Star Trek had even started airing on any British television network (it aired 1966-69 in the U.S.), a comic-book format of Star Trek premiered in serialized form, 2 to 3 pages at a time, in British newspapers and magazines. The writers and artists creating this serialized graphic version of Star Trek weren’t given a lot of background information to work with, and in the early days of this comic strip, the Enterprise was led by Captain Kurt, and was far more militaristic — ignoring the “prime directive” of non-interference. Mr. Spock (i.e. Commander Spock) was extremely aggressive — seemingly “shouting” his dialog in very undignified manner. For many years, it was believed that these rare British Star Trek comic strips were lost to the ages, however this new oversized hardback book reprints the first two years’ worth of the British strip, with more to come.

I highly recommend this collection to any true Star Trek fan — just be aware that it is a product of its time, and you’ll be shocked at how little the early storylines adhered to established Star Trek styles and philosophies. If you’ve never read anything associated with Star Trek before — stay away from this…it should never be your introduction to the 50 years’ worth of Star Trek history that’s out there!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics, (in 2 volumes) by Thomas Warkentin.]

[ publisher’s official Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time by G.B. Trudeau

The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time
by G.B. Trudeau [741.5 Tru]

I have been a fan of G.B. Trudeau’s work on Doonesbury since the early 1970s. Peopled with a vast and varied cast of characters, Trudeau took a comedic poke at all of society’s conventions, usually with a liberal slant. Fron the zoned-out Zonker, to the Hunter S. Thompson parody Duke, to the titular Mike Doonesbury, the characters all have multiple layers to explore. This particular collection gathers the entire storyline of ex-football player B.D. — he who always wore his football helmet in the strip, even after college — as he goes to serve in the military in Iraq. When his humvee is blown up by an RPG while on patrol, B.D. ends up losing his leg, beginning a long journey of recovery, both physical and emotional. B.D. eventually gets a titanium prosthetic leg — this series of comic strips, spread out over a year’s time, tells of every step of his recovery process…sometimes in humorous tones, but often with very serious entries. For a comic strip that usually is satirical, Trudeau is able to treat a very sensitive topic with humor and honesty. Great work! It turns out that The Long Road Home is merely the first of four books in a set that Trudeau put out that tied into soldiers’ experiences in war and their reintegration into society. The War Within continues to follow B.D., as he deals with PTSD and the emotional stresses of being a survivor. Signature Wound: Rocking TBI features B.D. serving as a mentor to one of his former soldiers, who suffered a traumatic brain injury (and lost an eye), and who faces unique challenges fitting back into society. The fourth volume is Mel’s Story, which tells the story of a female military chopper mechanic, who is the victim of rape by a fellow soldier but who works through the healing process enough to re-enlist for another tour of duty in the mideast. These latter three volumes are not owned by the libraries but would be available through our InterLibrary Loan service.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe, by Tom Batiuk — a sensitive and heartbreaking treatment of a family’s experiences with terminal cancer in the Funky Winkerbean comic strip; and Remembering Farley, by Lynn Johnson, the story from puppyhood to passing of the beloved dog in the For Better or Worse comic strip.] 

[ official Doonsbury web site from author Garry “G.B.” Trudeau ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Star Trek Newspaper Comics: Volume 2

Star Trek Newspaper Comics: Volume 2
by Thomas Warkentin [741.5 War] 

This is the second half of a collection of Star Trek newspaper comics from the early 1980s. It features characters from the original television series with new storylines. I really enjoyed the first volume and was eager to read the second. It was not disappointing. The original series is my favorite and this felt like it has the same exploration spirit and crew comradery that I really enjoy about Star Trek. I really don’t have any complaints about it and would recommend it to any Star Trek fan. I’m now waiting to get my hands on the Star Trek UK Newspaper Comics, which have recently been collected (coming soon to the library’s collection).

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Star Trek Newspaper Comics: Volume 1, by Thomas Warkentin]

[ official Star Trek Comics page about this two-volume set ] | [ Thomas Warkentin page on the Memory Alpha Star Trek site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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Ice Cream and Sadness by Kris Wilson and others

Ice Cream and Sadness
by Kris Wilson and othrs [741.5 Wil]

This latest collection from the web comic “Cyanide and Happiness”, created by several different artists/writers working together, captures the sarcasm and occasionally sick sense of humor of the comic series perfectly. These artists work on taking standard presumptions about jokes and humor, and putting unexpected twists on them — a punch line that would normally be a “feel good” line turns into something that makes you wince or cringe even. If your sense of humor is open-minded and willing to be bent in strange directions, you’ll probably appreciate this collection and the ongoing web comic. If you prefer more traditional humor strips, you’ll probably want to avoid this one!

[If you like this item, you might like these too – The web comics (and related print collections) by The Oatmeal and possible xkcd.] [ official Cyanide & Happiness web comic site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Star Trek Newspaper Comics, Volume 1: 1979-1981 by Thomas Warkentin

Star Trek Newspaper Comics, Volume 1: 1979-1981
by Thomas Warkentin [741.5 War]

This book is a collection of Star Trek newspaper comic strips. I didn’t know there was such a thing till I found this book. The comic didn’t run for very long so there is only this volume and one more. The original series is my favorite and this collection features the original crew characters of Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Scotty. There are about ten separate stories in this first volume. I really enjoyed it. It felt like reading new episodes of the show; the characters and moods of the stories felt the same. It’s like an extension of the show, movies and the animated series rather than something completely different, but at the same time, the storylines were new. I would highly recommend this book to Star Trek fans, particularly of the original series, or of the new movies with Chris Pine.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz or The Original Series on DVD.] [ entry for this book at the Library of American Comics site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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Pearls Falls Fast by Stephan Pastis

Pearls Falls Fast
by Stephan Pastis [741.5 Pas]

Enjoyable oversized trade paperback collection of recent Pearls Before Swine comic strips, featuring the sarcastic and anti-social "Rat" and the doofus "Pig", plus their various quirky anthropomorphic neighbors. I particularly enjoy the idiotic attempts by the legion of crocodiles to convince Zebra to let them kill and eat him. Pastis has an occasionally (unpleasantly) nasty sense of humor, while at the same time regularly poking fun at himself, with the various characters speaking directly to him as an animated (and much beleaguered) cartoonist. The thing I appreciate the most about this oversized collection is that Pastis has provided background notes for many of the cartoons in this compilation -- making this kind of a "director's cut" collection. If you're not into biting satire, with occasional forays into cartoon violence, then this is definitely not the comic strip for you. But, if you don't have thin skin, and you're looking for a good laugh -- I highly recommended Pearls Before Swine, and this collection in particular! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the various other Pearls Before Swine compilations.]

[ official Pearls Before Swine web site ] | [ Pearls Before Swine page on Wikipedia ]
 
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Superman: The Dailies, Volume 1 -1939-1940

Superman: The Dailies, Volume 1 - 1939-1940
by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster [741.5 qSie]

This is a collection of the first Superman stories from the 1930's. They were originally printed in the newspaper, but reading them feels like a graphic novel short story collection. There are several story arcs in the book; Superman comes to the aid of a variety of folks including a suicidal boxer, a runaway orphan, and royalty. What I liked about this, and I think would appeal to others too, is that it's very easy to get into. What I mean by that is if superheros or comics sound interesting, but you're put off by all the back stories it feels you need to know before beginning, then you should try this. The first few strips recount Superman's birth on an alien planet and how he came to Earth. His story then starts as he decides to use his super power to help those in need as Superman, and as Clark Kent, gets a job as a reporter for a newspaper. Adventure after adventure ensues, but in these strips his powers have limits. I think that makes things more exciting than knowing he can do anything and survive any circumstance. In addition to the heroic adventures, what's equally entertaining is watching him switch between his Superman and Clark Kent personas. It's especially comical when he finally goes on a date with his co-worker Lois Lane as Clark, when he hears something on the radio which causes him to duck out and disappear as Superman; when he returns hours later, Lois is rather grouchy. I think this would appeal to graphic novels readers or superhero fans who haven't read the original comics. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Old American comics: Superman: the dailies, volume 2, Dick Tracy: The Thirties, Micky Mouse the Race to Death Valley.]

[ official Superman: The Dailies page on the offical DC web site ]

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Lisa's Story: The Other Shoe

Lisa's Story: The Other Shoe

by Tom Batiuk [741.5 Bat]

Call me a softie, but sometimes I can be "moved" by the oddest things. Including the fates of comic strip characters. For years, I've been more a fan of the organic comic strips than the static -- I've liked strips like "For Better or Worse" or "Doonesbury", where the characters are aging more-or-less in real-time, rather than the vast majority of strips where the characters never age at all. Because this inevitably leads to real-world issues coming to life in such strips, I can get choked up when a comic strip character meets their end. It happened in For Better or Worse when Farley the dog was written out of the strip in a sad but meaningful way. And it happens again in Lisa's Story: The Other Shoe, a compilation of storylines from the Funky Winkerbean strip. I grew up with Funky back in junior high and high school, and have only occasionally touched base with it again in the years since. A storyline began in the late 1990s in which Lisa Moore, the wife of the series de facto central character, Les Moore, develops breast cancer. After initially beating the cancer with a mastectomy and chemotherapy, the cancer returned in a new storyline in 2006. Writer/artist Tom Batiuk, channeling his own issues after facing a prostate cancer scare, forewarned readers of Lisa's ultimate fate, but reading the entire storyline in an almost graphic-novel format is still a wrenching experience. This book's approach to exploring the topic of cancer is sensitive, emotional, serious, humorous and frank...all at once. It's hard to say I "enjoyed" this book, but, in the end, I did. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Funky Winkerbean web site ] [ Reuter's news story about this storyline ]

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