Scientists of every type will require two copies in order to careful unbind the books and post on the lab or office door: joining the tradition of LarScientists of every type will require two copies in order to careful unbind the books and post on the lab or office door: joining the tradition of Larson and XKCD in nerd humor. Of course, without a patent or two in their name they can't possibly afford two copies, so friends and relations can feel safe buying it as a gift.
Alternatively, scientists could just clone it. I mean, copy it.
Come to that, they could all just borrow copies from university libraries. Possibly they have been following the Guardian, the New Yorker, and New Scientist, and collecting from those sources with or without copying.
Dear New Yorker If you offer a booking with a Tom Gauld cartoon on books or science, I will actually subscribe. And by "subscribe" I mean "request as a gift" because without any patents, am unlikely to be able to afford a subscription regardless of the discount. I'm not complaining, though, because so much job satisfaction and a sense of purpose that outweighs the occasional existential despair caused by catching up on the news. Or if not one of the cartoons, then just a reproduction of the custom endpapers. Thanx!
Final thought: it's an excellent size for taking up space in a Christmas stocking if that is a need you have. ...more
This isn't a comic I remember seeing in any of the papers I read regularly over the years. Fun to see how the style changes: Roscoe got cuter, Opal anThis isn't a comic I remember seeing in any of the papers I read regularly over the years. Fun to see how the style changes: Roscoe got cuter, Opal and Earl got younger, and also more current in clothes, Sylvia stops wearing glasses and gets a prettier hairstyle (less of an 80s business woman vibe) and Muffin's outline is smoother.
I like this one for it's clearer story. Although the series is cute, because creators of Queen of the World!, it's tricksy to tell any kind of story iI like this one for it's clearer story. Although the series is cute, because creators of Queen of the World!, it's tricksy to tell any kind of story in so few pages, and have it satisfy. They all have a messed up/feel bad/do something to make it up set up, but the other two don't explain the nature of the initial mood.
A polydactyl kitten has been added to the cast, among others. Lying on the sofa under a purring car on a cold morning is almost certainly the best wayA polydactyl kitten has been added to the cast, among others. Lying on the sofa under a purring car on a cold morning is almost certainly the best way to read this.
Huh, who would ever have guessed I would like a book of cartoons about books? I had to reread it, when I accidentally pulled it off the shelf along wiHuh, who would ever have guessed I would like a book of cartoons about books? I had to reread it, when I accidentally pulled it off the shelf along with the cat humor, before I could reshelve it. Fortitude reading is one of my favorite cartoons ever.
Some overlap between this one and the The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons, which I don't mind. One of the advantages of this one is that it just plainSome overlap between this one and the The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons, which I don't mind. One of the advantages of this one is that it just plain has more cartoons.
There are worse ways to spend a cold January morning than reading cat cartoons while also petting a cat. I've enjoyed my trip through all the cat cartoon books.
Possibly I've had this rather longer, and I 'very probably read it quite a few times, but I don't have any specific memories. It holds a spot in my heaPossibly I've had this rather longer, and I 'very probably read it quite a few times, but I don't have any specific memories. It holds a spot in my heart primarily for being about all the French I can recall from years of lessons through. And the older I get, the more the jokes amuse me. C'est frommage.
Very nearly wordless, filled with sight gags and references to comics and graphic novels and books, and New York city and movies and old sitcoms and sVery nearly wordless, filled with sight gags and references to comics and graphic novels and books, and New York city and movies and old sitcoms and scientists and artists and I wish there were a list of all the references I'm sure I missed. I love that it was based on a short film by Bliss' son.
I was bothered by one detail that I felt was less than ideal, but presumably none of the people who looked at the book during any stage of production were bothered: having Woody Allen (and Donald Trump) watching a second grade girl pole dancing was disturbing. It wasn't, as Betsy points out, at all a sexy thing, but...well, given the events of the past two years in particular, sexual assault isn't the top association in my head with Trump, there's all the insurrection and lying and trying to subvert an election. But now that I am reminded I'm not going to be able to stop thinking of his association with Epstein and now I need brain bleach.
>Charming. I like that Bliss made key adult characters male, because you don't see as much parenting and teaching being represented with men in picture books. Okay, in the context of the dance scene, the lack of women in Grace's life is kind of disturbing to me. Because it kind of seems like there must not have been any women working on this. I mean, first time through I didn't mention how disturbing it is that Grace's bedroom window has no bars and is only three and a half feet above the street. And now I'm thinking there's no way other adult women aren't having the same feeling of disquiet. Or how weird it is that none of the pictures on the walls in her house or her room specifically refer to famous women. Compare this to Olivia and her room, and her loud and skillful ways: Grace literally has no voice in this book.
Up until now I have enjoyed Bliss' work enormously, and I expect that I will again. But maybe not when he's giving us a female character who never speaks in her own story, let alone to another female character.
Edited to remove the spoiler tags and go ahead and include the bit about the window, that I had just sort of talked myself out of in the first draft. But after reading Betsy's review, I am less inclined to see it as an isolated disquiet.
This was a happy find: I've really enjoyed Bliss' picture books, and I like his style. It looks like a successful collaboration. A pleasant way to speThis was a happy find: I've really enjoyed Bliss' picture books, and I like his style. It looks like a successful collaboration. A pleasant way to spend an hour.
Awash in nostalgia, I am quite enjoying a long-overdue revisit. Mostly I don't think of myself as being anxious, but between Mo's worrie11 August 2021
Awash in nostalgia, I am quite enjoying a long-overdue revisit. Mostly I don't think of myself as being anxious, but between Mo's worries and the freaking newspaper headlines, forty years of "everything sucks" is racing through my brain. And now for something restful, instead of endless Republican wars.
I finally finished. It was bittersweet to reconnect with characters after thirty years, to catch up on where their lives have gone. And it was also really painful to revisit all those years of political nightmares and disappointments, but also, not surprisingly, to see that the characters have been through a lot of the same things that I and my real friends have been through.
Sad and funny and enraging and soothing, too. Just a big old steaming cauldron of emotions. Two weeks to absorb thirty years doesn't seem like too much.
This was a pleasant way to start my day: a number of one or two page comics of the bookish sort: reading, writing, reading, drowning in books, the usuThis was a pleasant way to start my day: a number of one or two page comics of the bookish sort: reading, writing, reading, drowning in books, the usual. Some are more poetic, some more whimsical, the Haruku Murakami Bingo card particularly amused me.
I got it for humor, so it wasn't what I needed at the time: March 2020
***
20 November 2022
I wanted books to just look at, several weeks back, now. So, I got it for humor, so it wasn't what I needed at the time: March 2020
***
20 November 2022
I wanted books to just look at, several weeks back, now. So, of course, contrarian that I am, I ended up reading the other stuff. I didn't love everything, but the nonfction, poetry, and little snippets all seemed to me to hold up better than the fiction, the average of which is brought down by T.C.Boyle, whom I don't care for, and Thurber, who I begin to think must have been really unpleasant.
I had previously read this online, but now I'm calling it beloved. Yes, I have cats, but I am keen on all sorts of critters. I am too undisciplined foI had previously read this online, but now I'm calling it beloved. Yes, I have cats, but I am keen on all sorts of critters. I am too undisciplined for a dog, but I love them.
One of the greatest innovations in comics is the artists being freed to use as many frames as they want, and as much text as they want. I love the perOne of the greatest innovations in comics is the artists being freed to use as many frames as they want, and as much text as they want. I love the personal essays by Allie Brosh paired with her distinctive style, so I am delighted to see Anderson expanding her formats and proprtions. Her prior work was very funny, which is only heightened by getting more petsonal. Kudos.
So not a Halloween Bingo book. The vlogged and tweeted adventures of a Georgia boy on the hockey team of a New England college. There are hijinks, theSo not a Halloween Bingo book. The vlogged and tweeted adventures of a Georgia boy on the hockey team of a New England college. There are hijinks, there is bonding, there is a truly astonishing number of pies. And almost entirely angst-free. I'll be enjoying Bittle's further adventures in real time: checkpleasecomic.com
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson Because of complicated travel reasons, we had our Christmas yesterday. And because the Offspring are gThe Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson Because of complicated travel reasons, we had our Christmas yesterday. And because the Offspring are grown-ups, there was no one interested in starting the day early. but I have to set my alarm for the same time everyday in order to ever be able to go to sleep at the right time, let alone wake up appropriately for work. So I was up for a couple of hours before anyone else stirred. So I finished the first volume (24-27 Dec 2019 - I'll change the Read date with each successive volume) I have no interest in over-examining the appeal of this comic. Watterson got it all just right. My personal favorites will always be the ones with snowmen. My personal favorites will always be the ones with snowmen.
Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Vol. 1 - Tove Jansson Embarking on my Moominread.Some time back I read a book of short bios of kick-assMoomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Vol. 1 - Tove Jansson Embarking on my Moominread.Some time back I read a book of short bios of kick-ass women, that included Jansson. And then, the moomins are so freaking cute. Plus Jansson lived in Finland which is present in my mind since getting hooked on the ice hockey. so, I decided to do some further exploration before I wrote the books off as not for me.I like the eccentric family of bohemians and their madcap adventures, sort of. I love that there are all these different-looking creatures and that Moomin seems to accept them as relatives or just as people without question. And the moomins are hella cute.But the story-lines are predictable, and the dialogue isn't especially funny, and the convention of making every noun Moominnoun wearies me. So while I can recognize the need for cuteness after horror, and for acceptance after exclusion, I'm still not a fan. I have two of the novels in the queue, so we'll see if those work better for me.If not I suppose I will stick with the coloring book. Or go back to Calvin and Hobbes which I am appreciating more at the moment.And with that I am caught up with reviewing my holiday reading. Now I'm behind on everyone else's reviews, which makes a nice change.Library copy...more
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