Best of
Humor

1997

Men at Arms: The Play


Stephen Briggs - 1997
    Since the captain of the City Watch has left the force to become a gentleman, Discworld is in search of a few good cops. And being a cop in this unpredictable universe is no easy job, so the search goes on for a few good trolls, dwarves, and such.

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut


Jhonen Vásquez - 1997
    Dark and disturbingly funny, JTHM follows the adventures of Johnny (you can call him Nny), who lives with a pair of styrofoam doughboys that encourage his madness, a wall that constantly needs a fresh coat of blood, and--oh, yeah--his victims in various states of torture. Join Nny as he frightens the little boy next door (Todd, known to fans of Vasquez's work as Squee), thirsts for Cherry Brain Freezies, attempts suicide, draws Happy Noodle Boy, and tries to uncover the meaning of his homicidal existence.

Parts


Tedd Arnold - 1997
    The last straw is a loose tooth, which convinces him of the awful truth his parts are coming unglued!Parts deals with a subject of deepest interest to every young child: the stuff our bodies shed.

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments


David Foster Wallace - 1997
    In this exuberantly praised book — a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner — David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.

Pugad Baboy One


Pol Medina Jr. - 1997
    Only 800 copies were published and every one of them is sold in three weeks.

Seuss-isms


Dr. Seuss - 1997
    Seuss have helped many a child (and grownup) along the complicated road of life. For those who need reminders, here is a collection of some of the good doctor's wisest and wittiest sayings, on subjects as varied as "Equality and Justice" and "Facing Up to Adversity" to "The Art of Eating" and "The First Nerd"! A perfect gift for all occasions, ideal for sharing among generations--now with a "gift tag" on the jacket flap for consumers to personalize!

5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars / Slaves of Spiegel / The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death / The Last Guru / Young Adult Novel


Daniel Pinkwater - 1997
    (Adults may know him as a frequent commentator on National Public Radio, essayist, book reviewer, and the author of The Afterlife Diet). Well over a million copies of his books have been sold win the first, The Terrible Roar, was published in 1970.

FoxTrot Beyond a Doubt


Bill Amend - 1997
    Between son Jason's elaborate schemes, daughter Paige's attempts at cooking, and son Peter's indoor football games, life is rarely dull for parents Andy and Roger Fox.In this treasury, which is comprised of bestsellers At Least This Place Sells T-Shirts and The Return of the Lone Iguana, the Foxes find themselves again surviving an amusing round of adventure, from their summer vacation at Fun-Fun Universe, to Paige's adventures in baby-sitting, to Jason's inaugural ice-cream date. At the same time, the Foxes also face a variety of real-life situations, from thermostat wars to forced vegetarianism to Roger's challenges with a workplace efficiency expert. All in all, this spirited family of five gives fans by the millions a daily dose of reality with a side-splitting helping of humor.

Douglas Adams' the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: the Authorized Collection (Comic)


John Carnell - 1997
    Comic book adaptation!"To celebrate its quarter century and the legacy of Douglas Adams, this deluxe edition gathers never-before-collected photographs, original artwork, memorabilia (from the strange to the sublime), and wisdom gleaned from a first read or first encounter as Douglas's friends remember how the galaxy was forever changed a mere twenty-five years ago (not to mention the original text of the novel) into a one-of-a-kind Guide as stunning as two suns setting over Magrathea." Whether you are well versed in the antics of Arthur Dent, a mild mannered Earthman plucked from his planet seconds before it's demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, and Ford Perfect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy posing as an out-of-work actor, or are hitching a ride for the first time, this is the book that has everything you'll need to know about anything.

The Third Rumpole Omnibus


John Mortimer - 1997
    Rumpole a la Carte, a delightful discourse on the British legal system, takes us from a restaurant battle over Rumpole?s mashed spuds to a confrontation with a detective-novelist on a ship. The zany yarns of Rumpole on Trial are ingenious: devil worshippers, Juvenile Court, a mysterious seductress searching for a barrister to defend her husband for a murder not yet committed, and courtroom strategies a little too lunatic force Rumpole to face the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Council. Rumpole and the Angel of Death offers a comic commentary on cruelty to animals, human rights, and the fallibility of the justice system. The Third Rumpole Omnibus promises insight and laughter from the barrister who?s "as much a detective as Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot" (The Boston Sunday Globe).

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories


Tim Burton - 1997
    Now he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children – misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and the tragedy of these dark yet simple beings – hopeful, hapless heroes who appeal to the ugly outsider in all of us, and let us laugh at a world we have long left behind (mostly anyway).

The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book


Robert Crumb - 1997
    Crumb Coffee Table Art Book was hailed as an original & audacious celebration of artistic genius & American popular culture. This paperback edition makes the best of this author available in a price that fans of comic book art are sure to appreciate.

The Evil Garden


Edward Gorey - 1997
    They soon realize their mistake, as harrowing sounds and evidence of foul play emerge. When humongous hairy bugs, famished carnivorous plants, ferocious fruit-guarding bears, and a sinister strangling snake take charge, the family's ominous feelings turn to full-on panic—but where's the exit?Edward Gorey leads us through this nefarious garden with a light step. His unmistakable drawings paired with engaging couplets produce giggles, not gasps. Perhaps The Evil Garden is a morality tale; perhaps it's simply an enigmatic entertainment. Whatever the interpretation, it's a prime example of the iconic storytelling genius that is Edward Gorey.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 3/15/2011 Pages: 32 Reading Level: Age 8 and Up

Naked


David Sedaris - 1997
    In Naked, Sedaris turns the mania for memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, his family, and his unique worldview—a sensibility at once take-no-prisoners sharp and deeply charitable. A tart-tongued mother does dead-on imitations of her young son's nervous tics, to the great amusement of his teachers; a stint of Kerouackian wandering is undertaken (of course!) with a quadriplegic companion; a family gathers for a wedding in the face of imminent death. Through it all is Sedaris's unmistakable voice, without doubt one of the freshest in American writing.

Brain Droppings


George Carlin - 1997
    Now, for the first time, Carlin has produced a book of original humor pieces, Brain Droppings. Filled with thoughts, musings, questions, lists, beliefs, curiousities, monologues, assertions, assumptions, and other verbal ordeals, Brain Droppings is infectiously funny. Also included are two timeless bonus items from the past, "A Place for Your Stuff" and "Baseball-Football." Readers will get an inside look into Carlin's mind, and they won't be disappointed by what they find: I buy stamps by mail. It works OK until I run out of stamps. What year did Jesus Christ think it was? A tree: first you chop it down, then you chop it up. Have you ever noticed the lawyer is always smiling more than the client? I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed. If you ever have chicken at lunch and chicken at dinner, do you ever wonder if the two chickens knew each other?

Enter Jeeves: 15 Early Stories


P.G. Wodehouse - 1997
    Many are unaware, however, that Bertie had a prototype — Reggie Pepper — who stumbled into the same worrying situations involving old school chums with romantic troubles, irate female relatives, threatening suitors, and other troublemakers.This is the only collection to contain the first eight Jeeves short stories as well as the complete Reggie Pepper series. Included are such delightful tales as "Extricating Young Gussie," "The Aunt and the Sluggard," Leave It to Jeeves," "Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg," "Absent Treatment, "Rallying Round Clarence," "Concealed Art," and more.Awash in an eternal glow of old-boy camaraderie, these stories offer hours of delightfully diverting entertainment sure to recaptivate Wodehouse fans of old as well as tickling the fancy of new readers, who will soon find themselves caught up in the splendidly superficial antics of Messrs. Wooster, Jeeves, Pepper, et al.

Cats and Dogs: Mutts II


Patrick McDonnell - 1997
    Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human guardians and a large cast of neighborhood animals.Mutts explores the special bond between animals and their guardians, and the endearing friendship of Earl, the dog, and Mooch, the cat. It strikes a delicate balance between joy, fun and responsible social commentary. Mutts has been recognized for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor and compassionate advocacy for animal issues.

The Best Cigarette


Billy Collins - 1997
    33 poems, over 70 minutes, very high quality recording on cassette or CD.

More Shtuff - Mutts III


Patrick McDonnell - 1997
    Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human guardians and a large cast of neighborhood animals.Mutts explores the special bond between animals and their guardians, and the endearing friendship of Earl, the dog, and Mooch, the cat. It strikes a delicate balance between joy, fun and responsible social commentary. Mutts has been recognized for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor and compassionate advocacy for animal issues.

Double Trouble in Walla Walla


Andrew Clements - 1997
    Mrs. Bell, I feel like a nit-wit. My homework is all higgledy-piggledy. Last night it was in tip-top shape, but not it's a big mish-mash. With those few words, things become not so ordinary after all, for it seems that Lulu has opened up a super-duper, helter-skelter WORD WARP. Luckily for Lulu and the rest of the English-speaking world, the school nurse has an idea about how to handle this hodge-podge of topsy-turvy chit-chat. Will it work? Zig-zag through the jibber-jabber and the yakety-yak to find out!

Moosetache


Margie Palatini - 1997
    None of Moose's coping strategies seem to work until he meets a fetching female with a similar problem, and her solution to bad hair days is so outrageous that just might work.

A Baby Blues Treasury: The Super-Absorbent, Biodegradable, Family-Size Baby Blues


Rick Kirkman - 1997
    Cartoons provide a humorous view of the frustrations and rewards of parenthood as Wanda and Darryl adjust to life with young children Zoe and Ham.

Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing


Patrick F. McManus - 1997
    In McManus's world, nothing is what it should be. All steaks should be chicken-fried, strong coffee is drunk by the light of a campfire, and fishing trips consist of men acting like boys and boys behaving like the small animals we've always assumed they were.

Clerks & Chasing Amy


Kevin Smith - 1997
    Clerks was the independent film success story of 1994, winning the Prix de la Jeunesse and the International Critics Week Award at Cannes, and the Filmmakers' Trophy at Sundance. Set in the everyday world of a New Jersey QuickStop and its adjacent video store, the film revolves around the obsessions, love lives, and friendships of the clerks. Janet Maslin of the New York Time called it "a buoyant comedy...and exuberant display of ingenuity," and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times raves, "Clerks is boisterous and irreverently funny...an example of what is best and most hopeful about the American independent film scene."

Grandpa's Teeth


Rod Clement - 1997
    Soon everyone in town is smiling -- all the time -- and their ghastly grins are frightening the tourists away. Can the culprit be caught before the whole town cracks upPopular Australion cartoonist Rod Clement, illustrator of Edward The Emu and Edwina The Emu by Sheena Knowles, has created a rollicking whodunit with a surprise ending that will have readers grinning from ear to ear.00-01 CA Young Reader Medal Masterlist

State by State with the State: An Uninformed, Poorly Researched Guide to the US


The State - 1997
    From a popular comedy troupe that found fame with a stint on MTV comes for the first time a printed version of its irreverent, topical, and odd-ball humor in the form of a mock travel guide covering all fifty states in America.

What on Earth Have I Done?: Stories, Observations, and Affirmations


Robert Fulghum - 1997
    For the last couple of years, Fulghum has been traveling the world - from Seattle to the Moab Desert to Crete - looking for a few fellow travelers interested in thinking along with him as he delights in the unexpected: trick-or-treating with your grandchildren dressed like a large rabbit, pots of daffodils blooming in mid-November, a view of the earth from outer space, the mysterious night sounds of the desert, every man's trip to a department store to buy socks, the raucous all-night long feast that is Easter in Greece, the trials and tribulations of plumbing problems and the friendship one can strike up with someone who doesn't share the same language." What on Earth Have I Done?" is an armchair tour of everyday life as seen by Robert Fulghum, one of America's great essayists, a man who has two feet planted firmly on the earth, one eye on the heavens and, at times, a tongue planted firmly in his cheek. Fulghum writes to his fellow travelers, with a sometimes light heart, about the deep and vexing mysteries of being alive and says, "This is my way of bringing the small boat of my life within speaking distance of yours. Hello " "

Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash


Sarah Weeks - 1997
    Nelly McNosh brings out a barrel and does a big wash.Mrs. McNosh's wash is certainly big—and definitely wacky. You'll be surprised to see what is hanging on her clothesline by the end of the day!Sarah Weeks's hilarious tale, complemented by Nadine Bernard Westcott's lighthearted illustrations, is perfect for reading aloud.Don’t forget to check out these other children’s books by Sarah Weeks:Baa-Choo!Drip, DropLizzy McTizzy and the Busy Dizzy DayMac and CheeseMac and Cheese and the Perfect PlanOh My Gosh, Mrs. McNoshPip SqueakSplish, Splash!Woof: A Love StoryWithout You

L.A. Story and Roxanne: Screenplays


Laura Hammond Hough - 1997
    It's easy to see why Mr. Martin, who wrote the film...was moved to reinvent this role...Mr. Martin's screenplay is bighearted and funny.' The New York Times

Straight Man


Richard Russo - 1997
    Over the course of a single convoluted week, he threatens to execute a duck, has his nose slashed by a feminist poet, discovers that his secretary writes better fiction than he does, suspects his wife of having an affair with his dean, and finally confronts his philandering elderly father, the one-time king of American Literary Theory, at an abandoned amusement park.Such is the canvas of Richard Russo's Straight Man, a novel of surpassing wit, poignancy, and insight. As he established in his previous books -- Mohawk, The Risk Pool, and Nobody's Fool -- Russo is unique among contemporary authors for his ability to flawlessly capture the soul of the wise guy and the heart of a difficult parent. In Hank Devereaux, Russo has created a hero whose humor and identification with the absurd are mitigated only by his love for his family, friends, and, ultimately, knowledge itself.Unforgettable, compassionate, and laugh-out-loud funny, Straight Man cements Richard Russo's reputation as one of the master storytellers of our time.From the Hardcover edition.

My Dog's Brain


Stephen Huneck - 1997
    Sally is sensitive, loyal, and loving. But she is also a realist: faced with deep moral quandaries like whether or not to sleep on the sofa, snag a morsel from the kitchen counter, or stick her nose into other people's business, she favors immediate gratification. Her thoughts on the enduring concerns, appetites, and existential dilemmas of canines-and their human relations-make a wry, playful, life-affirming gift to warm any dog lover's or art aficionado's heart.

Uncle John's Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, #10)


Bathroom Readers' Institute - 1997
    Also appearing for the first time in Giant 10th Anniversary is our famous “Extended Sitting Section,” a series of extra-long articles for those truly leg-numbing experiences. There are also plenty of short and medium articles covering a whole host of topics, including little-known history, pop science, myth-conceptions, celebrity rumors, comedian quotes, and, of course, really dumb crooks. Read about…The anatomy of laughterIs your name your destiny?The history of the electric guitarWhat really happened at RoswellThe Politically Correct quizThe secret of Nancy DrewLegendary TV flopsWhy you itchAnd much, much more!

Play with Your Food


Joost Elffers - 1997
    No special tools or techniques are needed, just you -- and your child's -- imagination.

Scary Godmother


Jill Thompson - 1997
    Unhappy to be saddled with Hannah, Jimmy cooks up a scheme to frighten her home early. But his plan backfires when Hannah gets help from the coolest spooks around - including her own personal Scary Godmother!

The Quotable Mark Twain


Mark Twain - 1997
    A must-have for all Twain collectors, The Quotable Mark Twain is filled with his opinions about the people he knew, the places he's been, and the books he wrote, as well as more far-ranging topics, such as writers, billiards, smoking, his family, and more. The book also includes 150 illustrations taken from the original editions of Twain's publications, source citations for each quotation, an annotated bibliography, and a complete index.

The Seventh Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack


Jim Davis - 1997
    This omnibus edition starring everyone's favorite fat cat contains volumes 19- 21 of the widely popular Garfield book series: Garfiled Hangs out (volume 19) Garfield Takes Up Space (volume 20) Garfield Says a Mouthful (volume 21)

Sherman's Lagoon: Ate That, What's Next?


Jim Toomey - 1997
    Then there was the Little Mermaid. Today, thanks to Jim Toomey, it's Sherman's Lagoon, a satirical, sea-floor look at popular culture as showcased through the lives of a lovable shark and his waterborne cronies. Sherman's the somewhat dim-witted but happy-go-lucky shark who takes us for a wonderful ride beneath the waves. This Jaws-less jokester teams up with a veritable school of bottom-dwelling denizens to deliver one of the funniest creations on land or sea. With an imaginative storyline and creatively rendered characters, Sherman's Lagoon has captured a considerable following.  Sherman—who never allows thinking to interfere with life's simple pleasures, especially eating—is joined by Fillmore, his trusty turtle sidekick; Megan, his significant shark other; Hawthorne, the irascible hermit crab; and a host of other Neptunian neighbors occupying the lagoon of an imaginary South Pacific island called Kapupu.  In Sherman's Lagoon: Ate That, What's Next?, this cast of coral reef critters never fails to amuse. Consider Sherman opening a wrapped holiday gift box only to find a putrid dead fish—and loving it! Or the day he and Fillmore contemplate plunging to the deepest depths of the ocean, in order to recover Fillmore's fumbled Ninja Turtle Decoder Ring. The fun and laughs never end!

Scud: The Disposable Assassin Vol. 3 - Solid Gold Bomb


Rob Schrab - 1997
    The biggest Fireman Press trade paperback yet! This book picks up where "Programmed For Damage" leaves off. Scud fights the first werewolf to land on the moon, gets back his robot arm, wins the Mr. Tough Guy competition, gets laid, and comes to blows with his two greateast enemies: Voodoo Ben and Jeff. This collection of works features the introductions to Sussudio, Oswald and the Superior Alien Military Patriot.

Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death


Barbara Johnson - 1997
    Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death is your wise and witty guide to the joys and challenges of aging gleefully."They say the best way to grow old is not to be in a hurry about it and Lord knows, I've put it off for as long as I could," says Barbara. But old age happens without any effort on our part. If you're alive, you're getting older. So what happens when you find yourself between menopause and LARGE PRINT? This best-selling author offers a delightful recipe for living life to the fullest in your later years and spices it with loads of laughter. She shows how she came to her own decision to age ferociously instead of gracefully.From savoring the "here and now" to preparing for our glorious future in heaven, Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death is a lighthearted and encouraging book on the joys and problems of growing older. You'll laugh at Barbara Johnson's zany insights on aging.

Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear


Lesléa Newman - 1997
    Based on her popular column, which ran in lesbian and gay periodicals across the country, this series of fictional comedy/adventures stars femme author Leslea Newman and her beloved butch, Flash.

Honey, Hush!: An Anthology of African American Women's Humor


Daryl Cumber Dance - 1997
    The eloquent wit and laughter of African American women are presented here in all their written and spoken manifestations: autobiographies, novels, essays, poems, speeches, comic routines, proverbial sayings, cartoons, mimeographed sheets, and folk tales. The chapters proceed thematically, covering the church, love, civil rights, motherly advice, and much more.

Stone Soup


Jan Eliot - 1997
    Stone Soup is a funny, irreverent, sympathetic comic strip read by more than 8 million people every day. This first collection, with forward by Lynn Johnston, creator of For Better or For Worse, will help you find the humor in modern family.

Quantum and Woody: The Director's Cut


Christopher J. Priest - 1997
    But, they were not a couple. They were best friends. One day, Woody disappeared from their sheltered uppercrust life, abandoning his best friend. But, they were not a couple.Now these two former best friends are stuck with each other for the rest of their lives, trying to make sense of everything as superheroes. But they are not a couple. Can Quantum & Woody--and their pet goat, Vincent--handle the new responsibility thrust upon them, o will they drive each other crazy?

License to Dream


Pat Brady - 1997
    The strip stars child-at-heart Rose and her ASD (Attentiveness Surplus Disorder) husband Jimbo. Their gentle son Pasquale is watched over by his Guardian Angel who morphs from tiny cherub into gargantuan protector. Family kitten Peekaboo boasts that her humans are the cutest in town. Readers relish the romance in Rose and Jimbo's marriage, yet cheer the emergence of Rose's rebel alter ego, the fearless, wild and ready-to-roll Vicki the Biker.

The Skunk Ladder


Patrick F. McManus - 1997
    

Life of the Party


Mary Fleener - 1997
    In a gloriously straightforward manner, Mary Fleener illustrates her oftentimes decadent social experiences in this complete collection of her autobiographical comics work. The tableaux she weaves are a candid take on the party scene of Southern California, but what is most distinctive isn't her storytelling--it's her art. She has developed a unique style that she calls "cubismo": a blend of underground comix and cubism. She uses this style to convey changes in mental states--specifically, changes in the subjective fields of experience--whether from anger, frustration, or drug use. A truly remarkable achievement.

Dances With Sheep: A K Chronicles Compendium


Keith Knight - 1997
    Whether depicting zany adventures about buying condoms and living with out-of-control roommates or confronting more serious issues like racism and urban squalor, Keith Knight's comics are simultaneously twisted and insightful.

No More Homework! No More Tests!: Kids' Favorite Funny School Poems


Bruce Lansky - 1997
    These hilarious poems were written by a number of poets, including Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, David L. Harrison, Colin McNaughton, Carol Diggory Shields, Kalli Dakos, and Bruce Lansky. Sillier than a teacher with hiccups, funnier than toilet paper stuck to the bottom of the principal's shoe, it is certain to have readers laughing by the first page. This book puts the cool back in school and makes students WANT to write and read poetry. Appropriate for Grades 1-6, and Ages 5-12.

Tundra


Chad Carpenter - 1997
    This is an important addition to any self-respecting bathroom library!

True Love


Robert Fulghum - 1997
    An irresistible collection of real-life love stories, mixed with Robert Fulghum's own quirky insights and unmistakable homespun observations, True Love tells the many unpredictable tales of love. Here it is: the intriguing story of the woman who marries her mother's high school flame; a man who learns that "old love" and new pajamas are a dangerous mix; a man who miraculously reunites with his first love (after 20 years) on an LA freeway; the touching tale of a husband's love for his wife after her disabling stroke; a 14-year-old's philosophy of looking for love on the boardwalk; the brief moment of connection of a smile shared at a stoplight; and so many more.

Always Wear Clean Underwear!: And Other Ways Parents Say "I Love You"


Marc Gellman - 1997
    Gellman speaks directly to kids in a warm, often comical way that doesn't make him sound like a grownup trying to teach a lesson.--ALA Booklist.

Erma Bombeck: A Life in Humor


Susan Edwards - 1997
    Here is Erma Bombeck, laughing her way through childhood, marriage, motherhood, and celebrity status, even keeping her sense of humor as she battled terminal illness.

The Terrible Tudors and The Slimy Stuarts


Terry Deary - 1997
    As antislavery crusader John Brown gathers men and arms at a small farm near Harper's Ferry, seventeen-year-old Annie Brown must decide: Is her father a visionary or a madman?

Rancid Crabtree and the Demon Bat


Patrick F. McManus - 1997
    

The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon


Karen Elizabeth Gordon - 1997
    But one can find this Creole French word delectably defined in THE DISHEVELED DICTIONARY, which does for vocabulary what Gordon's cult classic THE WELL-TEMPERED SENTENCE did for punctuation and THE TRANSITIVE VAMPIRE did for grammar. THE DISHEVELED DICTIONARY takes a voluptuary's approach to language, offering a lavish feast of words and their multiple uses. Favorite characters from Gordon's earlier books appear in cameo, including Yolanta, Jonquil Mapp, cowboys with lingerie, and assorted royal riffraff. With her trademark cache of illustrations and flamboyantly gothic examples, Gordon takes readers on a hedonist's tour of the world of words, where they can check into the Last Judgment Pinball Machine Motel, slip into susurrant silk pajamas at Cafe Frangipane, or plunge into scenes from such literary works as Torpor in the Swing,The Wretch of Lugubria, and Gossamer and the Green Light. Laced with erudite insights and eccentric wit, THE DISHEVELED DICTIONARY is about the music of speech and the sound and sensuality of language, celebrating not only the obsure but also our most beloved and basic words.

Swingers: The Swingers' Rules and a Screenplay


Jon Favreau - 1997
    Here are The Swingers Rules, the do's and don'ts of dating in the club scene as explained by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn.

Minority Report


H.L. Mencken - 1997
    Now, fifty years after Mencken’s death, the Johns Hopkins University Press announces The Buncombe Collection, newly packaged editions of nine Mencken classics: Happy Days, Heathen Days, Newspaper Days, Prejudices, Treatise on the Gods, On Politics, Thirty-Five Years of Newspaper Work, Minority Report, and A Second Mencken Chrestomathy.In 1956, Mencken read through his notebooks and extracted those pieces he thought truest, most pertinent, most precise, or most likely to blow the dust out of a reader's brain.

Medieval Messenger


Paul Dowswell - 1997
    The Medieval Messenger depicts in lurid detail the terrors and triumphs of the Middle Ages. '

Just Above Water: Prose Poems


Louis Jenkins - 1997
    Several of these poems are included in the performance script of NICE FISH, the play.

Inconspicuous Consumption: An Obsessive Look at the Stuff We Take for Granted, from the Everyday to the Obscure


Paul Lukas - 1997
    He wanders the aisles of supermarkets, hardware stores, and secondhand shops, taking obsessively detailed notice of products and services that are either too obscure or weird for us to notice, or so ubiquitous that we've stopped seeing them at all. He reviews them all in his acclaimed 'zine, Beer Frame: The Journal of Inconspicuous Consumption. In Inconspicuous Consumption you'll find the very best of these hilarious reviews - 100 products and services that add up to an irresistible read. From kitschy novelties and wildly unappetizing food products to beautifully functional items, Inconspicuous Consumption is a delightful celebration of the sometimes elegant, sometimes ridiculous, and always unsung fringes of our late-twentieth-century consumer culture.

Something to Crow About: Short Stories


Alejandro R. Roces - 1997
    

The Von Hoffmann Bros.' Big Damn Book Of Sheer Manliness


Todd Von Hoffmann - 1997
    Sports, tools, gals, cars, movies, clothes--this book leaves no stone unturned, no pants "unpantsed" in its pursuit of the eternal masculine. The Von Hoffmann brothers' culinary interests, for example, range all the way from "Colon Cleaner Chili" to a greasy Philly cheese steak; the rule of thumb seems to be, if it makes you wince, it's good eating. The primary virtue of The Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness is its willingness to go over the top, and far beyond: there's an extended exegesis of Kubrick's Spartacus, "the manliest movie ever made"; photos of not only the B-17 bomber, but also "the three-tailed devil" (the P-38 Lightning); Zippo lighters; John Ford Westerns; pocket knives; and WD-40. Some might say that the Von Hoffmanns are stuck in adolescence, and they may be right--but where else can you find out who painted that picture of dogs playing poker? (Cassius Marcellus Coolidge).

The Haunted Tea-Cosy


Edward Gorey - 1997
    What is Gorey's moral? Don't eat fruitcake? Don't look for morals? Don't mess with the classics? Whatever. You decide. But don't think too hard, and have a Merry Christmas.

Scud: The Disposable Assassin Vol. 2 - Programmed For Damage


Rob Schrab - 1997
    This is the only place you'll ever be able to find issue 5. PLUS: Foreward by Mondy Carter. Idiot guides to cast list and Jeff samples. "Scud in a nut shell." Original sketches of Scud characters. Prose from Dan Harmon, the mail room marauder. This book relives Scud's journey down south, his rematch with Jeff, his human arm, his introduction to Drywall and his brief stint with an afro.

The Unabridged Mark Twain, Vol. 1


Mark Twain - 1997
    These elegant volumes are bound in simulated leather with titles stamped in gold and gilt-edged pages.This volume offers original, unaltered versions of Twain's work in chronological order, including The Undertaker's Chat, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Prince and the Pauper.

SCHWA: World Operations Manual


The Schwa Corporation - 1997
    The manual is a complete guide and starter kit for contacting and taking command of any small planet.

Scud: The Disposable Assassin Vol. 4 - The Yellow Horseman


Rob Schrab - 1997
    This book finishes your Scud collection with HORSE. Scud and Sussudio battle The Producer, the evils of Middle Earth, jocks, and utter damnation all in the final five Scud books.

The Scrapper


Brendan O'Carroll - 1997
    Sparrow's dream is the World Lightweight Championship. But when he finally has it in his grasp he can't deliver the finishing punch. Sparrow's life falls apart, and fifteen years later he's a bum, a loser. Then something happens that convinces him that there are still things worth fighting for ...

The Collected Checkered Demon


S. Clay Wilson - 1997
    His wild stories of pirates, bikers, and deviants, centering around the character of the Checkered Demon, have kept their humor and philosophical bent while keeping their author far from mainstream comics publishing.

Primary Crullers


Jim Meddick - 1997
    "I've tried to create the comic strip equivalent of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus, '" says Jim Meddick.

Garfield's Jolly Holiday 3-pack


Jim Davis - 1997
    Christmas ham. Tricks and a bag full of treats. Holidays were made for Garfield. After all, what more could America's favorite tubby tabby ask for than a string of nationally sanctioned days of overeating? So whether he's tying up Odie with Christmas lights or raiding the fridge for a piece of pumpkin pie, Garfield's never happier--or feistier--than when he's filled with the holiday spirit . . . and bags of Halloween candy!

The Adventures of Captain Underpants


Dav Pilkey - 1997
    The story is immediately engaging—two fourth-grade boys who write comic books and love to pull pranks find themselves in big trouble. Mean Mr. Krupp, their principal, videotapes George and Harold setting up their stunts and threatens to expose them. The boys' luck changes when they send for a 3-D Hypno-Ring and hypnotize Krupp, turning him into Captain Underpants, their own superhero creation. Later, Pilkey includes several pages of flip-o-ramas that animate the action. The simple black-and-white illustrations on every page furnish comic-strip appeal. The cover features Captain Underpants, resplendent in white briefs, on top of a tall building. This book will fly off the shelves.

Green Side Out: Marine Corps Sea Stories


H.G. Duncan - 1997
    A saying made up by a Marine expressing the frustration of having to make up a pack with blanket roll (camouflaged, with one side predominately green, the other brown). Having followed instructions, he made up his pack with "green side out" only to have the word changed, resulting in having to do it all over again, "brown side out."These are the titles of the sea-stories in four books, stories which accurately reflect the Marine Corps from 1950 to 1979, comical, sad, and stories to bring back memories of the older Marines and paint a vivid picture for the newer ones. You'll meet some real characters -- Monk Monaco, Trash Eleven, Russell Wilcox, and many others who served their Corps proudly -- and with a real sense of honor -- and humor.

Pogo, Vol. 7


Walt Kelly - 1997
    A masterpiece of comic strip art, Kelly transcended his anthropomorphic genre by crafting the sharpest political and social satire the funny pages had ever seen, not to mention the most inimitable and lasting character dialects since George Herriman. Vol. 1 begins with the strip's debut in 1948; each chronological volume contains a year's worth of strips. The following volumes are currently in stock:

Jipi and the Paranoid Chip


Neal Stephenson - 1997
    The fiftieth floor of a neighboring high-rise houses the Asian-Pacific headquarters of Mindshare Management, under the regional supervisor, Mr. Cardoza.Goto Engineering is conducting a city-wide sewer replacement project which produce unpleasant gases that have hurt the city's hospitality industry. Jipi, looking for work, is given employment by Mr. Cardoza at the Manila Hotel in order to monitor guests in the lobby for signs of having noticed the unpleasant sewer gases and to have them distracted by Cardoza's actors before they become aware of the construction across the street and lower the hotel's reputation.Mr. Cardoza explains a new job to Jipi. A California software firm, under contract with requests from law enforcement, have produced evolving software inclined to detect paranoid schizophrenics during conversations over the Internet. Eventually, several million descendent generations of software are evolved that mimics the persona of a paranoid human, thus making them ideal against a hacker trying to shut them down. Shenzhen begins to make pirated wholesale copies of the chip, which are sold to a tariff-free zone city in North Africa, which leads to the manufacture of an evolved theft-deterrent alarm-activated car bomb unit. Not knowing the amount of explosives to use with the car alarms, one manufacturer's particular shipment of Czech Semtex is equally divided into 48 customer deliveries, each with enough charge to level part of a city block. After one levels a mall in California, Mr. Cardoza, in Manila, is hired to track down the remaining 47 vehicles using each vehicle's wireless internet modems. Recognizing Jipi's charm, he recruits her to type messages in internet conversation to the next of the remaining schizoid-induced personality car alarms via satellite connection to track down clues to its location until local police can shut it down.

Forty Reasons Why Life Is More Fun After the Big 40


Liz Curtis Higgs - 1997
    It's all original and mostly true! Not to mention, very funny.

Pogo, Vol. 6


Walt Kelly - 1997
    A masterpiece of comic strip art, Kelly transcended his anthropomorphic genre by crafting the sharpest political and social satire the funny pages had ever seen, not to mention the most inimitable and lasting character dialects since George Herriman. Vol. 1 begins with the strip's debut in 1948; each chronological volume contains a year's worth of strips. The following volumes are currently in stock:

The Replacement God


Zander Cannon - 1997
    Series creator Zander Cannon garnered a Harvey Award nomination for his work on this series, before going on to win an Eisner along with Alan Moore and Gene Ha for Top Ten. Many of these issues are out of print, and this collection is the best introduction to Zander's work. It will especially appeal to fans of fantasy books and good old-fashioned adventure tales.

The Dumb Bunnies Go to the Zoo


Sue Denim - 1997
    Dav Pilkey's beloved Dumb Bunnies return in their second silly adventure--now in Scholastic Bookshelf!From BOOKLIST: "A supremely silly adventure. This time out the dim-witted trio go to the zoo, where they spot a butterfly hovering over the sign "Lion" in front of the big cat's cage and figure the butterfly is the lion. Announcing that "THE LION IS LOOSE," they almost start a riot. As in the first two books, much of the humor is visual: the buck toothed bunnies' garden grows SWEET POTATOES that smooch, and MUMS that look just like mom.... Pint-size fans and their good-humored parents should equally enjoy this one."

Lap Dancing for Mommy: Tender Stories of Disgust, Blame and Inspiration


Erika Lopez - 1997
    Whether she's revealing Phallusies: The Fake Penis Exhibition, relating the psycho antics of Therapy Girl or the troubles of Camaro Joe, or taking friendly shots at sexuality and the '70s Sisterhood, Lopez's talent and intellect take her work far beyond the usual comic fare.Erika Lopez's cartoons are so corrosive they should come with a hazardous material warning. Buy this book now and surrender to her exquisitely vile and depraved genius. -- Alison Bechdel, creator of Dykes to Watch Out For

Uncle Mike's Guide to the Real Oregon Coast


Michael Burgess - 1997
    A hilarious send-up of all the things wrong with a beach town on the North Oregon Coast - starting with the weather! Tongue-in-cheek appraisal meant to keep people away, or to warn them about what they'll encounter...or...is it just a ploy to keep the beach pristine and deserted for the people who live there?

Mad About the Fifties


MAD Magazine - 1997
    Travel back to the wacky Fifties in this comic compilation of the best of MAD's early years! From the Cold War and Richard Nixon (the first time around) to Howdy Doody and Mickey Mouse, this one's got it all...and then some!

Insights From The Outfield


Charles M. Schulz - 1997
    With a pitcher who is knocked off the mound with every hit, a fielder who has never caught a ball, and a beagle playing shortstop, they don't stand much of a chance--but they'll entertain with their attempts! Insights From The Outfield celebrates the humor and spirit of America's favorite pastime.

This is True: Glow-in-Dark Plants Could Help Farmers (And 500 Other Bizarre-but-True Stories and Headlines from the World's Press) [v2]


Randy Cassingham - 1997
    The Jay Leno of Cyberspace." --Los Angeles Times+ How did he get so popular so fast? Well, for one thing, he writes funny stuff." --New York Times+ "Best in Net Entertainment." --Internet WorldThis is True is one of the first Internet-based features, created by Randy Cassingham as an e-mail newsletter in early 1994. True's mission is to provoke thought through social commentary. But if readers aren't entertained by the stories, they won't read very many. Thus its vehicle, weird-but-true news from legitimate news sources from around the world. The result spans the gamut of the crazy things we humans think we can get away with: this collection of jaw-dropping examples of the human thought process, and the realization that we can do better — a lot better!What sort of stories?+ Two robbers were in the process of their crime when one changed his mind and arrested the other.+ Pigeons in Britain are so lazy they've learned how to get around the city on commuter trains.+ A man sued his doctor because he survived his cancer longer than the doctor predicted.The weird-but-true stories come from all over the world, each one punctuated by Randy's wild commentary — a tagline that is humorous, ironic, opinionated, or (with luck) some combination of the three. "Truth is stranger than fiction," Randy likes to say, "because fiction has to make sense."This is Volume 2 of the series, collecting the second year of stories and headlines from mid-1995 to mid-1996. The newsletter is still active, too: see www.ThisIsTrue.com for details.

Sunday Afternoon, Looking for the Car: The Aberrant Art of Barry Kite


Alan Bisbort - 1997
    He uses found imagery and completes each collage by applying his own photographic and hand-coloring techniques. His strangely beautiful images bring together incongruous elements in startlingly powerful visual statements.Author Alan Bisbort offers explanatory text about each collage presented, but he is careful to remind you that an important part of experiencing the world of Barry Kite is to bring your own interpretative talents to bear.

Southern Bells


Donald Davis - 1997
    When the Southern Bells brought the modern age to Waynesville, North Carolina, in 1953, the telephone company didn't count on was the chatty Leatherwood sisters.

Mother Father Uncle Aunt: Stories from Lake Wobegon


Garrison Keillor - 1997
    It might be the clean prairie air. It might be the wholesome wheat that's grown by the Norwegian bachelor farmers. And it just might be their strong, good-looking parents.Garrison Keillor's collection of "News from Lake Wobegon" monologues—all taken from live broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion—is an extended meditation on the joys, sorrows, challenges, and humor of raising children. The tales include "Ronnie and the Winnebago" about a young man, his rock-star girlfriend, and his long struggle to earn his father's understanding; "Love While You Dare" the story of August Johnson, who, after losing his brother in a gambler's prank in Copenhagen, flees to America rather than face his mother--who later comes to visit him in Lake Wobegon; and six more splendid, unforgettable accounts of how, in Keillor's words, "the meek shall inherit the earth, and when we have done all we can with our children, it's time to step back and let them inherit it." Contents:  Ball Jars, Love While you Dare To, Saturday Morning in The Bon Marche, Family Trip to Yellowstone, The Flood, Bob Anderson's Last Dance, Children Will Break Your Heart, Ronnie and The Winnebago, Carl's Christmas Pageant, The Tombstone

The Viking Invader


Paul Dowswell - 1997
    This tabloid-style work contains illustrations and photographs, which help present a wealth of accurate historical material in an irresistible fashion.

The Cut-Throat Celts


Terry Deary - 1997
    Terry Deary's take on Celtic history, nude fighting, human head collection, laughing at funerals, suffering Saints and Dreadful Druids.

Mountain Goats Never Say Cheese


Patrick F. McManus - 1997
    Cubs is the tale of ice, fire, mosquitoes, camping, skinny dipping, and the most successful practical joke ever. But Where Is the Park Papa? exposes the bizarre side of vacationing in what used to be nature. And Mean Gifts, a hilarious tale about gifts--gross ones, dangerous ones, ones that make children anxious, and one that sends sportsmen to jail.

Creating Extraordinary Beads from Ordinary Materials


Tina Casey - 1997
    From the back cover: ...With the help of this book, you can create your own beautiful beads out of any kind of paper -- construction paper, wrapping paper, newspaper inserts, origami paper, tissue paper -- as well as cotton, fabric scraps, yarn and other inexpensive materials.

The Cats of Mrs. Calamari


John Stadler - 1997
    Calamari and her several feline companions engage in a variety of humorous antics trying to convince their cat-hating landlord, Mr. Gangplank, that the cats are really statues or visiting relatives.

The Wasp Cookbook


Alexandra Wentworth - 1997
    After a lifetime of addiction to Italian food, I had no idea you could do so much with mayonnaise.--Jay Leno.

Don't Laugh, Joe!


Keiko Kasza - 1997
    But Joe, a playful young possum, can't seem to make them stop. This causes one problem after another, especially when Joe's mom tries to teach him to play dead, and a big, grumpy bear comes along! Full color.

Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles: Norwegian Torque Wrench Techniques and Other Fine Points of Tractor Restoration


Roger Welsch - 1997
    In this hilarious follow-up to his bestselling Old Tractors and the Men Who Love Them, he chronicles the unlikely restoration of an Allis Chalmers tractor nicknamed Woodpecker.

Dexter's Journey


Chris d'Lacey - 1997
    All of the other ducks are found and distributed by seagulls, rock climbers, fishermen, an explorer, and a hunter, leaving Dexter all alone until he, too, is found.

Hansel and Gretel


Dom Deluise - 1997
    Includes recipes for fat free chicken soup and sugarless apple pie.

Very Bad Poetry


Kathryn Petras - 1997
    Writing very bad poetry requires talent. It helps to have a wooden ear for words, a penchant for sinking into a mire of sentimentality, and an enviable confidence that allows one to write despite absolutely appalling incompetence.The 131 poems collected in this first-of-its-kind anthology are so glaringly awful that they embody a kind of genius. From Fred Emerson Brooks' "The Stuttering Lover" to Matthew Green's "The Spleen" to Georgia Bailey Parrington's misguided "An Elegy to a Dissected Puppy," they mangle meter, run rampant over rhyme, and bludgeon us into insensibility with their grandiosity, anticlimax, and malapropism.Guaranteed to move even the most stoic reader to tears (of laughter), Very Bad Poetry is sure to become a favorite of the poetically inclined (and disinclined).

Madman Comics Volume 4: Heaven and Hell


Mike Allred - 1997
    This fourth collection chronicling the life of Frank as he makes amends with a beatnik ghoul, meets Santa Claus, gets his house fixed up, and goes on an unexpected adventure.Contains: Madman Comics #16-20

Railway Ribaldry: Being 96 pages of railway humour


W. Heath Robinson - 1997
    Featuring almost 100 cartoons - including amusing takes on the varied duties of railway police, the first 'ladies only' carriage and countless 'ingenious plans' and inventions —it is the perfect gift for any railway enthusiast.