Bonus features include lost strips, sketches, and a behind-the-scenes interview by "Wondermark"'s David Malki. Also includes an introduction by Diablo Cody.

    It's the perfect gift book item of the season!In The Complete Peanuts 1963-64: this volume is particularly rich in never-before-reprinted strips: Over 150 (more than one fifth of the book!) have never seen the light of day since their original appearance over 40 years ago, so this will be a trove of undiscovered treasures even for avid Peanuts collectors. These "lost" strips include Linus making a near-successful run for class president that is ultimately derailed by his religious beliefs (two words: "great" and "pumpkin"), and Snoopy getting involved with a group of politically fanatical birds. One wonders: Was it the political edge in these stories that got them consigned to oblivion for so long? Also worthy of note is an extended, never-reprinted sequence in which Snoopy gets ill and heads to the veterinarian hospital...Also in this volume: Lucy's attempts at improving her friends branches out from her increasingly well-visited nickel psychiatry booth to an educational slideshow of Charlie Brown's faults (it's so long there's an intermission!). Also, Snoopy's doghouse begins its conceptual expansion, as Schulz reveals that the dog owns a Van Gogh, and that the ceiling is so huge that Linus can paint a vast (and as it turns out unappreciated) "history of civilization" mural on it. And baseball continues to be a mainstay: Charlie Brown suffers from pitcher's elbow and is replaced by Linus, who turns out to be a vast improvement; he also blows several more crucial matches through various screw-ups (one with the little red haired girl in attendance); and adding insult to injury, his favorite baseball player is demoted to the minor league. The Complete Peanuts 1963-64 features a new introduction by animator Bill Melendez, producer of over 75 Peanuts animated specials and movies, including the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas.In The Complete Peanuts 1965-66: We are now in the mid-1960s, one of Schulz's peak periods of creativity (and one third of the way through the strip's life!). Snoopy has become the strip's dominant personality, and this volume marks two milestones for the character: the first of many "dogfights" with the nefarious Red Baron, and the launch of his writing career ("It was a dark and stormy night..."). Two new characters—the first two from outside the strip's regular little neighborhood—make their bows. Roy (who befriends Charlie Brown and then Linus at summer camp) won't have a lasting impact, but upon his return from camp he regales a friend of his with tales of the strange kids he met, and she has to go check them out for herself. Her name? Peppermint Patty. The Complete Peanuts 1965-66 features a new introduction by Hal Hartley, writer/director of acclaimed independent films Trust, Henry Fool, Kimono, Simple Men, The Unbelievable Truth, and Fay Grim.

    A decade. In dog and cat years it's even longer, and in cartooning years, well, it's just plain rare to maintain the popularity and consistent excellence that MUTTS and Patrick McDonnell have achieved. In The Best of MUTTS the 17th-and first-ever hardcover with Andrews McMeel Publishing- MUTTS cartoon collection, McDonnell selects his favorite strips from the past 10 years.* Certain to be a much-sought-after holiday gift and a special tome for collectors and fans, this collection is divided into ten chapters, each featuring an introduction by McDonnell.* Earl and Mooch, along with supporting sidekicks Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby, are featured. Including the Gift of Nothing, the introduction of the pink sock, belly rubs, angel visits, and the formation of the MUTTS Book Club, this treasury collects more than 300 poignantly entertaining MUTTS strips.* Always striking a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and responsible social commentary, McDonnell's work has been recognized by critics and the popular press for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor, and strong yet non-preachy stand on responsible pet ownership, animal protection and advocacy, art and artist appreciation, the celebration of nature, and the sanctity of all life.* MUTTS appears in 700 newspapers in over 20 countries and receives about two million visits each month to its official Web site, muttscomics.com

    Loserpalooza is the third treasury, collecting strips from New York Times best-sellers Say Cheesy and Scrum Bums.Loserpalooza is Darby Conley's latest look at the interspecies antics of his wildly popular characters Bucky, Satchel, and Rob. At the center of this not-so-warm-and-fuzzy arrangement is Rob Wilco, a single, mild-mannered ad exec. Bucky is Rob's temperamental, buck-toothed Siamese cat with a penchant for mischief, a hatred of ferrets, and a love of rubber bands. Satchel is a sweet but naive shar-pei-yellow-Lab mix who haplessly ends up on the receiving end of Bucky's wayward schemes. An entertaining critique on popular culture and a bona fide hit, Get Fuzzy was named Best Comic Strip of the year in 2002 by the National Cartoonists Society and now appears in more than 400 newspapers worldwide.

    Patrick McDonnell's MUTTS is up there with Peanuts, Pogo, Krazy Kat, and Calvin and Hobbes-cartoons that are smart and funny, brilliantly drawn and full of heart." -Matt Groening, creator of The SimpsonsCommenting on McDonnell's award-winning strip, Charles Schulz proclaimed, "To me, MUTTS is exactly what a comic strip should be."In MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell strikes a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and responsible social commentary through the exploits of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat-now chronicled in their 16th book collection.* Earl and Mooch, along with supporting sidekicks Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby, humorously approach a range of subjects-from napping and daydreaming to summer vacations and Christmas anticipations-in addition to tackling important issues like responsible pet ownership, animal shelters, and saving our endangered species.Official Web site, www.muttscomics.com.

    The gorgeous evolution continues in our second color volume. Which includes the Sunday strips from all of 1939 and 1940. The color format opens the floodgates for a massive amount of spectacular rare color art from series editor Bill Blackbeard and designer Chris Ware's files, including an unpublished Herriman painting from the 1920s and other surprises.Krazy Kat is a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse simply tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeted tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was gender-less) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy Co.'s unique dialogue. Most of these strips in this volume have not seen print since originally running in Hearst newspapers over 70 years ago.

    Whether they are contemplating the cosmos or curling in for a much-needed nap, these two lighthearted pals remind us of the simple pleasures that make life so grand.Earl &and Mooch contains nearly a year's worth of colored Sunday strips, along with black-and-white daily strips that mingle with impromptu splash pages highlighting McDonnell's imaginative artwork.

    Collected for the first time, here are the best Gasoline Alley Sunday comics, starting from the very first Sunday in 1921. King's innovations in art, layout and storytelling brought a new warmth and style to the medium at the dawn of the Golden Age of newspaper comic strips. This book is designed by Chris Ware with an introduction by Jeet Heer. As with the Sunday Press editions of Little Nemo in Slumberland, these incredible Sunday pages are shown digitally restored to their original colorful brilliance and reproduced at full size (16 by 21 inches). The book is filled with images of comics memorabilia and photographs of King's life. It also includes texts on King's life and work by journalist Tim Samuels and comics historian/critic Donald Phelps.Included in the book is a full-sheet cardboard insert replica of a 1920's Skeezix cut-out toy.

    A unique, stand-alone collection of some of the most graphic and brilliantly conceived daily strips ever created, along with many other gems, including the very first stand-alone Krazy & Ignatz strips and more rarities.

    (Then it feels a little bit guilty and gives some of the money back.)* As Carrillo explains, "I draw my material from my experiences at a wide array of failed careers. Over time, I have worked as a pizza cook, Web site designer, dancing costumed character, portrait artist, insurance drone, waiter, custom framer, camel ride attendant at the zoo, and the guy at the airport that waves orange wands at the airplanes. As varied as these jobs were, eventually I had the profound realization that they all had two important things in common: Each offered a wealth of comedic inspiration and there was always a creepy guy named Larry."Author's web site: www.fminus.net

    Whether it's growing worms in her parents' bedroom, coming up with creative uses for custard pies or nabbing a jewel thief, Lulu and the gang fearlessly face some of the funniest fiascos ever concocted.

    It contains every single daily strip from August 25th, 1997 to May 30th, 1999, with full color Sundays. There are also over 50 pages of additional content, with original full bleed splash artwork, the Sluggy Pirate Board Game "Plund-Aaaar," 42 pages of bonus stories, and more

    When comic book geniuses John Stanley and Irving Tripp put pen to paper, they brought to life an unforgettable cast of endearing, intelligent, believable characters that have had an unmistakable influence on American culture. Collecting Dell Comics' Marge's Little Lulu #64-68, originally published between October 1953 and February 1954, this laugh-a-minute volume features some of the funniest stories to ever star Lulu, Tubby, Annie, Iggy and all the other little bundles of humor that started a comedy revolution.

    . . in a B-cup. When readers flip through this cartoon collection, they’ll see their own foibles called to the carpet. Perfect for a gift book or commode companion, each of the eleven topics — including Pets, Love, and Play — is treated to its own distinct book, complete with author commentary on different strips, and their funny (or odd) back stories. Twice nominated for the best cartoon panel division of the National Cartoonist’s Society, Rhymes With Orange appeals to the smart, attractive, and well-read, all with buckets of money to spend on books. “Hilary Price is one of the freshest voices the comic strip industry has seen in years. Her innocent, pastoral-like artwork blended with the diction and wit of an English major make for one of the best comic strips out there.” — Dave Coverly, Speed Bump cartoonist

    Schulz, this work presents his wry obervations and advice, filtered through his lovable cast of characters. It contains sections under headings, such as: people skills, life's little quirks, and wisdom and self-confidence.

    With wit and grace, Stanley and Tripp dismantle the suburban landscape only to rebuild it as the silly and fantastic place anyone who has ever grown up there knows it to be. Some of the finest specimens from the Golden Age of comics, these stories are testament to the transcendent nature of quality. Kids and their parents are sure to fall in love with this crazy cast of characters and the quirky conundrums they get themselves into

    From the Gumbos sharing a simple family moment to Pasquale warding off a bathtub drain monster to Rose morphing into her alter ego biker chick persona Vicki, Rose is Rose takes simple moments in everyday life and elevates them into lasting lessons.* Lauded for his work on the strip, Brady received the 2004 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society.* After two decades of creating every Rose is Rose strip himself, Brady has shifted the strip's writing and drawing duties to Don Wimmer. This book marks the second Rose is Rose collection to feature the talents of Don Wimmer with Brady's creation.

    That's right, LIO is so crafty it doesn't need word balloons, dialogue boxes, or clever captions. Mark Tatulli's cartoon also employs a unique drawing style influenced by cartooning greats Gahan Wilson, Charles Addams, and 19th-century satirist A. J. Volck.* In describing his strip, Tatulli explains he was eager "to bring something truly different to the comics pages . . . something to appeal to all ages, drawn in pictures only. To tell a story without text, while updating the pantomime concept with a modern audience in mind."* The result is a mind-bendingly humorous and astute journey into the darkly detailed world of young LiO--where a spit wad can put a school bus out of commission faster than a spider can hamper the efforts of the U.S. Postal Service.