Roddy Doyle's winning trio of comic novels depicting the daily life and times of the Rabbitte family in working-class Dublin.The CommitmentsStill one of the freshest and funniest rock 'n' roll novels ever written, Doyle's first book portrays a group of aspiring musicians on a mission: to bring soul to Dublin.The SnapperDoyle's sparkling second novel observes the progression of twenty-year-old Sharon's pregnancy and its impact on the Rabbitte family - especially on her father, Jimmy Sr - with with, candor, and surprising authenticity.The VanSet during the heady days of Ireland's brief, euphoric triumphs in the 1990 World Cup, this Booker Prize nominee is a tender and hilarious tale of male friendship, midlife crisis, and family life.--back cover

    Opus has always listened quietly while Grandma reads him his favourite bedtime story. But this time Opus decides to finish the story his way.

    For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut.And now the dread night approaches – so let the Game begin.

    The sequel to Deep Thoughts, this collection of humorous meditations contains "inspirational" lunacy from the Saturday Night Live regular.

    They tell the story of the feisty feline's birth, adoption, and growth into general wonderfulness--just in case you've forgotten--and remind us why we loved him like we do.

    With its sly and uproarious humor and a heart that embraces humanity's follies as well as its triumphs, Nobody's Fool is storytelling at its most generous.

    The final episode, which was printed in the first issue of 1993, introduced Mario's alter ego and tormented childhood playmate, Wario. The comics don't follow the story line of any particular game; however, they do incorporate many characters from the games and even introduce some new ones.Charlie Nozawa, the artist who created the comics, is known in Japan by the pen name Tamakichi Sakura. His most notable works include "Shiawase No Katachi" (Shapes of Happiness) and "Oyaji No Wakusei" (Dad's Planet). Kentaro Takekuma dreamed up the scenario. He is known in Japan for co-authoring "Comic Lesson: Even an Ape Can Draw a Comic."

    Whether the subject is barbershop mythology or a meditation on the circumstances of one's own conception, Fulghum makes us a little more aware of the richness, fullness, and joyousness of life.

    AND IT'S WRONG. ALL ROADS LEAD AWAY FROM ANKH-MORPORK, BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST WALK ALONG THE WRONG WAY' from Moving PicturesAnkh-Morpork! City of One Thousand Surprises (according to the famous publication by the Guild of Merchants)! All human life is there! Although, if it walks down the wrong alley, often quite briefly!The city celebrated in the bestselling Discworld series by Terry Pratchett has been meticulously mapped for the first time. It's all here - from Unseen University to the Shades, from major landmarks like the Patrician's Palace to little-known, er, nooks like Dwarf Bread Museum in Whirligig Alley. See the famous streets along which so many heroes have walked, in some cases quite hurriedly!As leading Ankh-Morpork entrepreneur C.M.O.T. Dibbler would say, A nip at any price - and that's cutting our own throat. Well, close.

    In this book you will read stories about them and tubas, airplanes, balloons, skateboards, birthdays, boats, chores, dishes, naps, ants, toys, and cousin Stinky.

    When Philip Swallow, lecturer in English at Rummidge, changes places with flamboyant Morris Zapp of Euphoric State University, USA, trouble ensues. Then, ten years on, older but not noticeably wiser, they are let loose on the international conference circuit - a veritable academic carnival. And finally, Dr Robyn Penrose becomes part of a scheme to learn about industry instead of reading about it, with hilarious results. David Lodge exposes the dizzy pursuit of knowledge - literary, commercial, romantic and erotic - with unparalleled wit and insight.Changing Places 1975Small World 1985Nice Work 1989

    The story begins with him attending a new school, where nobody knows him... Because of his appearance, teachers and fellow classmen think he is the worst delinquent, "violence incarnate". They try to correct him, expel him, or beat him up. Lots of accidents don't help to fix the situation either, and he gains the guardian position at his school. But, because of his ultra-goodie attitude, some of those that attack him become his friends...All the misunderstandings make the story extremely funny.------------ Note that there is quite some violence & blood for a comedy manga, but the manga portrays it for comedic effect.

    But when he breaks free from his shackles and tears through the streets of Mousopolis, there's no stopping his terrifying rampage. Is anyone clever enough to halt this massive meowing menace?

    A witty and informative guide for amateur gardeners shares economical, time-saving advice on how to create a beautiful backyard garden, covering everything from garden design to planting bulbs and pruning trees.

    Some parts of her story are true, some are made up. Her brothers say she makes up a lot of things, which is true.

    She's back.  Molly Ivins, our most perceptive, outrageously funny political commentator, has given us an uproarious new book.In Nothin' But Good Times Ahead, Ivins proved that no one has a steadier gaze or a quicker trigger finger, as she hits the bull's-eye in such targets as George Bush, Bill Clinton, Camille Paglia, the Clarence Thomas hearings, and the ethics-twisting, English-slaughtering pols of her beloved Texas.  Here's Molly on: The 1992 Republican Convention: "Many people did not care for Pat Buchanan's speech; it probably sounded better in the original German."Texas politics: "Better than the zoo, better than the circus, rougher than football, and even more aesthetically satisfying than baseball."Gibber Lewis, former House Speaker of the Texas State Legislature: "He once announced, 'This is unparalyzed in the state's history." Another Gibberism: "It could have bad ramifistations in the hilterlands."

    It's time for Mousopolis's First Annual Barbecue Cook-Off. But just when the fun is about to begin, the irresistible aroma of barbecue sauce awakens the most frightening creature known to mousekind: the dreaded Dogzilla! As her horrible doggy breath fills the streets, the residents of Mousopolis must run for their lives. Can they get rid of that big stinky dog before it's too late?

    As his family splinters, worlds collide, and the police block all routes out of town, Nick must cope with economic deprivation, homelessness, the gulag of the public schools, a competitive Type-A father, murderous canines (in triplicate), and an inconvenient hair trigger on his erectile response—all while vying ardently for the affections of the beauteous Sheeni Saunders, teenage goddess and ultimate intellectual goad.

    In this lovingly hilarious look at her 44-years-and-counting marriage to a man she wouldn't trade for anything in the world -- who would finish her sentences? -- Erma Bombeck offers observations as only she can, on:The true test of compatibility: buying a house that "needs work"Surviving parenthood, and the nest that won't stay emptyHow times of struggle are a piece of cake compared to handling successElevating guilt to a sacramentWhat to do with a man who saves instruction manuals; thinks a fishing license makes a great anniversary gift; and, thanks to the remote control, has never seen a television commercialFrazzled mothers wondering who they have to sleep with to get fired from the jobFacing maternity, mortality, and metamorphosis together This entertaining portrait of an American marriage is Erma Bombeck at her most intimate, and her funniest.

    When a new family--with three daughters--moves into the neighborhood, the Hatford brothers decide to make Caroline and her sisters so miserable that they'll want to go back to Ohio.

    Best of all, each chapter ends with a day-brightening, laughter-packed collection of Gloomee Busters. She lovingly lights the way for others by sharing her own struggles with questions such as:How do I cope when my kids break my heart?How can I let go of my loved one?How can I forgive and forget what was done to me?After love, what's the most important thing parents can give their kids?Will I ever laugh again? How will this pain last?

    That's the classic credo of the funnyman. And that's just what Georgia's favorite son -- and one of America's best-loved humorists -- has done right here. Whether he's taking pointed potshots at blood-stealing orderlies, guffawing in the face of mortality, or talking poignantly about family, friends, and lovers, Lewis Grizzard makes his exit with neither a bang nor a whimper, but a poke in the ribs, a slap on the back, and a promise that his irresistible sense of humor and humanity will always keep on tickin'."Imagine Andy Rooney with a Georgia accent . . . and a sense of humor." -- The Houston Post"A natural-born storyteller with a deft hand for reducing everyday occurrences into uproarious nuggets of prose." -- The Orlando SentinelFrom the Paperback edition.

    In addition to the title story (about Irma and Ernie Lundeen's traveling flock of acrobatic, bible-reciting birds), contents include:Pastor Ingquist's Trip to OrlandoMammoth Concert Tickets Bruno, the Fishing DogGospel BirdsMeeting Donny Hart at the Bus StopA Day at the Circus with MazumboThe Tollerud's Korean BabySylvester Krueger's DeskBabe Ruth visits Lake WobegonGospel Birds is Garrison Keillor at his very best—endearing insights, gentle humor and warm affection for the human foibles we all share.

    Accompanying him is Roo, a remarkable little dog with strong views and a short attention span, and a golf cart full of equipment. The intrepid explorers set sail on the good ship Unsinkable and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Grandfather and Roo endure storms, high seas, a temperamental sea captain, and seasickness until the ship reaches Walrus Bay. In the primitive coastal town of Walrus, Grandfather gets in a game of golf but unscrupulous wolves plague him and Roo. Finally, Grandfather and Roo and a penguin companion head off on foot to find the Great Bear Ridge, home to the Last Polar Bears.

    No agonizing choices between light reading and serious stuff. The little volume has it all: Entertainment, humor, education, trivia, science, history, pop culture… and more! And it's even divided by length—you can spend a minute with the Quickies, relax with Normal-Length articles, or get really comfortable with Long Items.With Uncle John's Sixth Bathroom Reader strategically placed in your home, you'll settle in happily and read about:-The Origin of Common Words and Phrases-The Mysterious Curse of King Tut-How to Start Your Own Country-The Secrets of Mona Lisa-The Godzilla I.Q. Test-The Goodyear Blimp-The King of Farts-& a Host of Great Bathroom Topics!For years, the Bathroom Reader's Institute has researched your bathroom reading habits in an attempt to understand and serve the interests of America's forgotten readers. Enjoy!

    

    is the eagerly anticipated successor to News From Lake Wobegon (one of the bestselling spoken-word audio ever) and More News From Lake Wobegon. This collection contains 17 touching, exquisitely funny monologues from Garrison Keillor recorded during American Radio Company broadcasts from tour stops all over the country. The tales, says Keillor, are about "the luxury of rhubarb pie, the perils of prophecy, Florian and Myrtle's thrifty vacation, the vapor lights of Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility. . . ." They are also about joy, grief, dreams, luck, and mysteries—about the extraordinary moments of wonder that illuminate our ordinary lives. Contents:Fertility: The Kresbach's Vacation; Prophet; The Six Labors of Father Wilmer; FertilityPatience: Aunt Ellie; Duke's 25th; Jobhunting; You're Not the Only OneYouth: Blue Devils; Nostalgia; O Christmas Tree; Pageant; Messy ShoesRhubarb:  Rhubarb; Sweet Corn; The Sun's Gonna Shine Someday; Yellow Ribbon

    Greenthumbs plows ahead with this indispensable guide to creating a garden appropriate to your home, without driving yourself up a tree. Filled with practical instruction, this book will change the way readers think about home landscaping--and it will never again be boring! Two-color throughout.

    Passed down by the anticlerical middle classes of medieval France, The Fabliaux depicts priapic priests, randy wives, and their cuckolded husbands in tales that are shocking even by today’s standards. Chaucer and Boccaccio borrowed heavily from these riotous tales, which were the wit of the common man rebelling against the aristocracy and Church in matters of food, money, and sex. Containing 69 poems with a parallel Old French text, The Fabliaux comes to life in a way that has never been done in nearly eight hundred years.

    A mouse entered the classroom through an open door while the frail figure of a teacher stood before her desk on the first day of school. Her new class thought they were about to see the old woman wither or worse. What followed, however, convinced them that this would not be an ordinary year in elementary school.

    Revel in his peculiarly skewed views of first dates, yodelling, overdue library books, seafood salad, Fleetwood Mac, more. Color illus.

    

    Bramwell Wink-Porter gets more than he bargained for on his visit--even though he did not write The Fuzzy Bunny. This hilarious story will ring true for many children, teachers--and authors. Full color.

    The author, now retired from the cartoon, has compiled a selection of his funniest work ever.

    The book incorporates a series of reminiscences whose cast of characters includes Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Bogart and Bacall, and others from Hollywood's golden age.

    This fun and informative book takes you behind the scenes of the classic 1960s sitcom to reveal: · the story behind the creation, production, and eventual cancellation of the series· the controversy surrounding the show's unlikely premise· interviews with many of the show's stars and crew· biographies of the stars and supporting actors· a detailed guide to each of the 168 episodes· a guide to collecting Hogan's memorabilia· and more...Hogan's Heroes is more popular now than ever before, especially in Germany, where it has become a surprising cult hit. In this book, most of the show's stars and behind-the-scenes personnel share their memories and reflect on the series' enduring popularity.

    Mr. Breton was happy running the restaurant. He liked to cook, but he didn't like it much when winter came and the north wind blew and froze everything solid. Then one day a blue moose, who also didn't like the cold, came to his door and asked to come in. Mr. Breton said sure, and served the moose some clam chowder. The moose liked the soup, and decided to stay. From that time on, things at the restaurant began to hum.Join the Blue Moose in this hilarious collection of three short novels as he learns to wait tables, writes a novel, goes to Hollywood, solves a mystery, and makes you laugh even in the dark of the cold woods.Includes new wacky but true moose facts!

    Her tales evoke a rural America populated by folks like Uncle Jimbuddy, a cabinetmaker with an unfortunate proclivity for chopping off his fingers; Aunt Belle, who teaches an alligator to roar on command; and White's ferocious, arthritic mother, Rose, who keeps worms in her kitchen for amusement.

    From his notorious parody of William Manchester's book on Kennedy--reprinted here in full--to his descent into paranoia in the '70s and reemergence in the '80s, Krassner gives a highly irreverent look at life in the "alternate lane". 16-page photo insert.

    He did not know he was hearing anything special, but he was, in fact, learning a number of stories that came to America through Scots-Irish immigrants. These stories were still told in the Appalachians during the 1950s and centered around Jack, a universal legendary figure who, by various names, is found in nearly every culture. Jack is that everyman who encounters trials common to all: earning a living, winning a mate, subduing tyrants and ogres of all kinds. Jack wins by conquering his own timidity, by engaging his own wit, by plodding along, or simply by blind luck. Like each of us, Jack seeks to make sense of the world and to find his way in it. These stories from Appalachia America will make readers laugh as well as teach them about the importance of caring, fairness and resourcefulness.

    Incorporating all the essential daily strips and full-color Sundays, The Portable Doonesbury is an unblinking analysis of history in the making. The days of the 1992 elections are covered here, including: the controversial (and newsmaking) strips about Dan Quayle's DEA file; a long look under the hood of a tiny, deeply disturbed Texas billionaire; and a consideration of the mysterious sway a dark-horse candidate from Arkansas held over political reporters. The Portable Doonesbury also encompasses the Gulf War - from B.D.'s off-shore fling with a superior officer to Duke's grand opening of Club Scud, home of the $50 hamburger. Whether read on the road or in the safety of an armchair, The Portable Doonesbury is a funny, insightful chronicle of our times.

    With wit and wisdom, the best-selling author and humorist Patsy Clairmont declares normality abnormal, setting readers free from their pursuit of the unattainable.

    Millions of Kliban products--such as books, cards, mugs--have been sold.

    Bestselling humorist Bodett offers a whole new collection of colorful tales from his fictional Alaskan town, The End of the Road.

    Taking a topic a week, Finley shows how to parlay dysfunctional qualities into power and success. Illus.

    Baby doesn't like it when Daisy the dog copies everything she does; but when Daisy becomes a mother, Baby likes that a lot.

    

    For more than a quarter century the Bard of the Booth captured great moments in baseball—and effortlessly interwove them with essential and often hilarious insights into the human condition.In loving commemoration and celebration of the life and career of an exceptional Man of Baseball, this new edition of O Holy Cow! includes a new foreword by baseball legend Bobby Murcer, a new poem written by editors Tom Peyer and Hart Seely, and more than sixty additional never-before-published masterworks of short, impromptu verse that capture the unmistakable voice of the unforgettable Rizzuto.

    Set in downtown New York City, Whores of Lost Atlantis features Julian Young, a performer and playwright who tells the story of his acting troupe's hilarious struggle to assemble an Off-Broadway production of Julian's play, Whores of Lost Atlantis, in which Julian acts in drag. The novel's unforgettable cast of characters includes Joel, a perfect English gentleman from Indiana; Roxie, an actress/librarian with moxie; Buster, a voluptuous young alcoholic; Camille, the fiery wig designer Julian considers having an affair with; Perry, Julian's best friend, with a weakness for plastic surgery and peroxide; and Kiko, the wonderfully wicked performance artist who tries to sabotage Julian's career. Getting his play produced proves to be a picaresque adventure with plenty of surprises, leaving the reader feverishly turning pages to see if the show can go on.

    In fact, even Seattle Weekly said, "Twenty years from now, when people wonder what it was like to be young in 1990s Seattle, the only record we'll have is Peter Bagge's Hate." Hey Buddy! collects the first five issues of Bagge's Hate, a hip account of the life of Buddy Bradley. This book is a must for the coffeehouse crowd.

    He needs just a little bit of prodding before he shows himself--then he does, a bit at a time, til he's there in all his tentacled glory. Then, as shy as always, he retreates bit by bit. Full color.

    . . illustrated epigrams that will inspire your personal quest for telling communication. Fresh, funny, wistful, bright; they may well reflect some of your own deep or whimsical thoughts. Ashleigh's Pot Shots are acclaimed, told and re-told, by young and old, secular and religious, mainstream and offbeat they speak to everyone. What they say: Clifton Fadiman: Most enjoyable; Isaac Asimov: Good one-liners; Richard Armour: Wise, and witty; People magazine: Artistic trailblazer, Ashleigh Brilliant coins epigrams that would drive Oscar wild. Ashleigh's Pot Shots are copyrighted and the names Pot Shots and Brilliant Thoughts are registered trademarks.

    Deciding to go into the freight business, Darby is faced with unfriendly Paiutes, scorching desert and steep, impassable trails. Add to that the horrors contrived by the murderous band of a competitor, an ugly giant known as Big Bert Jasper, and you have all the makings of an exciting story. The Derby Man will be hard pressed to come out ahead on this caper.

    producer invites Maxi to try out for the new Doggie Bites commercial. Technicolor illustrations and a bouncy rhyming text make this a winner.--Booklist. Full color.

    It is a story that shows us how love, revealed one precious petal at a time, will finally uncover the rare and tender richness of the heart.

    A collection of cartoons provides a humorous look at life, including a trip to the Planet of the Moms, a society with a caste system of dudes and geeks, and a glimpse at Madonna's childhood.

    Thin is in! How many people continue to diet even though they yo-yo, gaining pounds, losing them only to gain them back. Instead of continually trying to be thinner, Liz Curtis Higgs introduces a unique insight: love your body just the way it is. Prepare to be encouraged and look at our bodies in a whole new light, God's light!

    

    books

    What happens next to Breton, the restaurant owner, and his blue companion is recounted in two highly entertaining stories by renowned funny man Daniel Manus Pinkwater.

    Polly is coming to visit. And she's bringing George and Rosie and Henry. But when they finally arrive, things aren't exactly as Grandpa had expected. Readers will giggle all the way through this cheerful comedy of errors about a talkative Polly and her bewildered grandpa. Full color.

    Wayne Gilpin, founder of Future Horizons, Inc., has compiled humorous anecdotes revealing his son Alex's wisdom and wit. (Alex's sense of humor is legendary.) Mingled with uplifting stories from other parents of children with autism, Laughing and Loving with Autism was born. Be sure to check out the two sequels: More Laughing and Loving with Autism, and Much More Laughing and Loving with Autism. Helpful sections include: Laughing Music Sexual / Improper Language Church Facilitated Communication Home Out Into the "Real" World School

    Original.

    George Booth, writing in the NYTBR, called it "the best of humor....Delightful!" while Cosmopolitan pronounced it "irresistible."Renamed Remembrance of Dogs Past, this fetching collection of 70 disarmingly funny portraits is as fresh and funny as ever. Beginning with an 18th- or 19th-century ancestral portrait, Thierry Poncelet seamlessly paints in a dog's head over the original human subject's. The resulting tour de force is a fantasy that looks uncannily real, the dogs appearing all too human in their military regalia or elaborate gowns. And for a glorious twist, New Yorker humorist Bruce McCall names each dog and offers a brilliant tongue-in-cheek biographical sketch. Thus there's Lord Gristle (black Labrador), proprietor of a vast tabloid chain, with dark memories of rolled-up newspapers; Marie-Claire DuBossy (white poodle), who shocked France's poetry circles by refusing to beg; and Percival Horace Denbeigh (Jack Russell terrier), Britain's foremost military correspondent, with an infallible nose for news. It's a howl.

    This new how-to book about the art of comedy includes an even richer assortment of examples of the author's unique humor.In Make 'Em Laugh, Allen laces his formal instruction with hilarious ad-libs, written jokes, TV comedy sketches, satires, song parodies, humorous essays, amusing autobiographical reminiscences, one-act plays, witty speeches, and stand-up monologues from his comedy concerts.Noel Coward called Steve Allen the most talented man in America, and he is probably the most borrowed-from comedian of all time. The perceptive reader will recognize many of the comic ideas that Allen originated during the "Golden Age" of television comedy - ideas that are still influential in the 1990's.If there were a college course in creating and performing comedy, Make 'Em Laugh would be the ideal textbook.

    Over 100 rare photographs.

    From Roosevelt to Clinton, Block tells us about his five decades of working in the nation's capital, with notes on famous personalities and his own strong political opinions. 8-page insert.

    Includes articles on:- Jack Kervorkian- Al Sharpton- NAMBLA- The Kids of Widney High- Boyd Rice- Underdog Lady- 100 Reasons to Commit Suicide

    An earnest first-grader tries to convince his country parents that other children are treated to a party each year on their birthdays.

    At last, the hilarious parody of those nice little affirmation books.

    With devilish glee, Paul and Judy encourage readers to smell Beastie's stinky feet, peek at him in the shower, and worse. Prankish pop-ups and rascally interactive devices of this wacky parody of the classic Pat the Bunny "touch-and-feel" book will keep readers in stitches. Full-color illustrations.

    Chronicles more than seventy years of the "Our Gang" series using revealing photographs to commemorate such cultural mainstays as Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Porky, Butch, Farina, and Petey the Dog.

    

    But humor is also a set of specific, learned skills, and like any other discipline, these skills need to be developed. Lighten Up shows you how to build these skills so that you can see the absurdity in difficult situations and take yourself lightly while you take your job, problem, or challenge seriously.

    Along the way he meets many of his friends who each teach him something new. Along with Marti, the reader can learn about tropical fruits and how to deduce the unknown from the known.

    The mysteries of the deep, the strange, the hideous and the wonderful all appear on the canvas and in the words of this highly original, wacky work. Full-color throughout.

    Mother Koala must get the upper hand when her two children Harry and Matilda quarrel during a shopping trip.

    Full-color photographs from NASA allow students to experience the beauty of each planet and the sun. A solar system diagram helps readers visualize the planet's place in space. This series explores and supports the standard "The Physical Setting: The Universe," as required by Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061.

    A joyful book not just for children, but for the child within us all.

    And for anyone who insights that Hollywood never actually sets out to make an awful film, please rent The Sandpiper immediately. Just when you thought you 'd have to yawn your way through another gushing coffee-table tome on Hollywood comes this hip, irreverent, devastingly witty tour through more than 200 of the most hyped, highly touted, and wonderfully bad movies of all time. Compiled by the caustic authors of Movieline magazine's popular feature "Bad Movies We Love," this outrageous book leaves no stone (including Sharon) unturned as it skewers some of Hollywood's biggest big-budget film fiasco ever, and the stars who made it all happen - frrom Airport to Cocktail, from Bette Davis and Laurence Olivier to Julia Roberts and Kevin Costner.Hear eye-rolling dialogue! Gasp at scenery chewing performance! Marvel at gloriously absurd plot lines! Packed with provocative behind-the-scenes information and 216 pages of hilarriously captioned stills, this high-camp homage -to-garbage is side splitting proof that sometimes movie-making means having to say you're sorry - very sorry!

    Sparks from the Rodney King trial set fires throughout Los Angeles as rioters took to the streets. A basketball championship led to an overtime of overturning police cars in the Windy City, while critics accused the White House of turning a deaf ear on the civil war in Yugoslavia and U.N. relief missions to Sarajevo were met by gunfire and shelling.Back at home, the rights of women were a continuing issue as allegations of sexual harassment forced resignations from the Navy, and Olympic heroes brought home world records and gold medals from Barcelona and Albertville.These are just a few of the subjects satirized, analyzed, and characterized by some of the world's top editorial cartoonists. For more than twenty years, The Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year Series has been one of the nation's most-read collections with nearly 200,000 copies in print. This latest addition to the series continues to present the best of the award-winners, the newcomers, and not-yet-famous. From the editorial page at the breakfast table to the pages of this compilation, the featured cartoons and their artists are sure to inspire and humor readers.Aimed at readers with a comic sense of history and those in the political know, The Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year Series is also a must for libraries, schools, and classrooms that teach current events. Often funny, but at times sobering, the collection of works in this latest edition recount the events of 1992 with clarity, creativity, and endless chuckles.ABOUT THE EDITOREditor Charles Brooks is past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and was a cartoonist for the Birmingham (AL) News for thirty-eight years. He has been the recipient of thirteen Freedom Foundation awards, a national VFW award, two Vigilante Patriot awards, and a Sigma Delta Chi award for editorial cartooning. Brooks' cartoons appear in more than eighty books, including textbooks on political science, economics, and history, as well as encyclopedias and yearbooks. His original cartoons are on display in the archives of many libraries.

    With those words, Joel Chandler Harris kindly admonished his six children on how to write to him while they were off at school, on prolonged visits, or working away from home. In turn, Harris kept his offspring informed about his works in progress, current events, household activities, and the latest gossip. He sternly advised his four boys--especially the oldest, Julian--on how they should conduct their lives and careers. He regaled his two daughters--his "dearest chums and partners"--with skits and sketches.In this volume, Hugh T. Keenan has collected the 280 surviving letters--most of them never before published--written by Harris to his children. In compiling this correspondence, Keenan uses Harris's own words to "fill in the domestic autobiography for the years 1890 to 1908," offering not only an intimate portrait of the author but also a compelling glimpse of the turn-of-the-century South in which he lived. The result is the most substantial book on Harris to be published in nearly twenty-five years.Harris's literary output during the period in which these letters were written was considerable. He produced thirteen books during the 1890s and contributed numerous short stories, essays, and articles to Scribner's and other national magazines; he was also deriving a steady income as associate editor for the Atlanta Constitution. Living in the West End section of Atlanta, he filled his letters with fascinating details of daily life, along with insights on such famous visitors to the city as James Whitcomb Riley, William Jennings Bryan, and James O'Neill.Dearest Chums and Partners also elucidates heretofore undisclosed aspects of the writer's personality and tastes, including his significant interest in the Roman Catholic Church. His French-Canadian wife, Esther LaRose Harris, was a devout Catholic, and their two daughters, Lillian and Mildred, attended convent school together. Many of the letters were mailed to the two girls at St. Joseph's Academy in Washington, Georgia. Because all incoming and outgoing mail was screened by the nuns, Harris developed a rapport with several of the sisters and wrote parts for them in skits he created for his daughters.Letters to his sons tended to be more instructive, although he would clarify his intent: "I am not lecturing, nor issuing orders. I am merely making suggestions." He advised Julian to keep a journal and to record his "experience and observation each day, and all the incidents that occur," adding, "To do this would seem monotonous to you now, but it would be invaluable to you later".In recording his own experiences and observations in these letters, Harris created a record of his last eighteen years that modern readers--especially those interested in the social and literary history of the South and in children's literature--will find invaluable.

    

    

    35,000 first printing.

    

    

    Three silly sisters, who earn their living darning socks, go on a journey to recover seven socks and a darning egg, and meet a king and a dragon.

    Yet largely because he chose to live as an expatriate far from the American mainstream, he has been almost entirely overlooked by contemporary historians and scholars of African-American culture. Born in 1912 and a graduate of the Yale School of Fine Arts, he was a prolific contributor of humorous and editorial cartoons to the black press in the 1930s and 1940s, but he achieved fame for his creation of a cartoon panel called Dark Laughter, a satire of Harlem society and featuring Bootsie, a character in the tradition of the wise fool. Bootsie became widely known and loved wherever black newspapers appeared. For airing strong antiracist views Harrington was targeted during the McCarthy era, and in 1951 he was self-exiled in Paris. In 1961 he found himself trapped behind the Berlin Wall, but he chose to remain in East Germany. His powerful political cartoons were published in East German magazines and in the American Communist newspaper The Daily World. He became a favorite among students and intellectuals in the Eastern Bloc. In America he was mainly forgotten. Here, selected from the Walter O. Evans Collection of African-American Art, is an omnibus of Harrington's best cartoons from the past four decades. It highlights his exceptional talent, his potent impact with editorial comment and social criticism, and his deserving of acclaim in his native land.

    Colorful glossy cover picturing bears striding out to do a good deed. Large print and large colorful cartoon bear illustrations make this Christian values bear book easy for children to read.

    Now, he takes aim at the Clinton administration.

    And today the stuff of comedy is almost inescapable, with all-comedy cable channels and stand-up comics acting as a kind of electronic oracle. We're laughing more often, but what are we laughing at? Murray Davis knows. In this inventive book, he uses jokes (good, bad, offensive, and classic) to reveal the truths that comedians deliver. What's So Funny? is not about the psychology of humor but about the objects of our laughter—the world that comics turn upside down and inside out. It also explores the logic of comedy as a serious, critical assault on just about everything we take for granted.Drawing on a vast array of jokes and the work of dozens of comedians from Jay Leno and Lenny Bruce to Steve Allen and Billy Crystal, Davis reminds us of the extraordinarily subversive power of comedy. When we laugh, we accept the truth of the comic moment: that this is the way life really is. The book is in two parts. In the first, Davis explores the cultural conventions that even simple jokes take apart—the rules of logic, language, rationality, and meaning. In the second, he looks at the social systems that have been at the root of jokes for centuries: authority figures, power relations, and institutions. Whatever their style, comedians use the tools of the trade—ambiguous meanings, missed signals, incongruous characters, unlikely events—to violate our expectations about the world.Setting comedy within a rich intellectual tradition—from Plato to Freud, Hobbes to Kant, in philosophy as well as sociology—Davis makes a convincing case for comedy as a subtle, complex, and articulated theory of culture and society. He reveals the unsuspected ways in which comedy, with its spotlight on the gap between appearance and reality, the ideal and the actual, can be a powerful mode for understanding the world we have made.

    It's the crossover that nobody demanded: The Amazing Spider-Man versus Powdered Toast Man!

    For the uninitiated--or those who crave depravity, it's a treat!

    Bootsie became widely known and loved wherever black newspapers appeared.For airing strong anti-racist views, Harrington was targeted during the McCarthy era. And in 1951, he was self-exiled in Paris. In 1961, he found himself trapped behind the Berlin Wall. But, he chose to remain in East Germany. His powerful political cartoons were published in East German magazines and in the American Communist newspaper The Daily World. He became a favorite among students and intellectuals in the Eastern Bloc. In America he was mainly forgotten.Here, selected from the Walter O. Evans Collection of African-American Art, is an omnibus of Harrington's best cartoons from the past four decades. It highlights his exceptional talent, his potent impact with editorial comment and social criticism, and his deserving of acclaim in his native land.

    Cartoonist Wiley's irreverent, satirical wit, combined with his superbly crafted illustrations, confirm once and for all the sneaking suspicion that the universe is one big joke at humanity's expense. Non Sequitur explores the absurd and the unexpected with outrageously funny sendups of everything from the plight of the homeless to the might of defense attorneys; Dead Lawyers continues that tradition by refusing to conform to the monotonous, row-upon-row layout of most comic strip collections. As Wiley himself says, "Humor knows no bounds, and neither do my cartoons."

    Once they ve decided on the color scheme of the races, a little concerned that white people will feel slighted being such a boring color, they create sex and the sexes. Afraid women will have too many advantages, the Beings decide to make childbirth painful and to give men enormous egos as compensation. From this moment, the audience is whisked through the outrageous universe of Kathy and Mo, where two actresses play men and women struggling through the common rituals of modern life: teenagers on a date, sisters at their grandmother s funeral, a man and a woman together in a country-western bar. With boundless humor, PARALLEL LIVES reexamines the ongoing quest to find parity and love in a contest handicapped by capricious gods or in this case, goddesses.

    

    So they agree to meet halfway between their homes. Each is carrying a gift for the other, but as the friends get closer to each other, they never realize that their gifts are being ruined. But friendship triumphs in the end when each realizes that a friend is the best gift of all. Full color.

    ""Blends candid insights on hospital care with a healthy dose of humor....Tongue-in-cheek comments will brighten the day of even the very ill." --The Bookwatch