Showing posts with label cartoons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cartoons. Show all posts

Early Book Review: Herding Cats: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen

Herding Cats: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection is the third volume of collected comics from Sarah Andersen. Her distinctive style and humor do a painfully on point job of illustrating the very specific growing pains that occur on the way to becoming a mature, put-together grownup. The illustrations also show how to behave as an adult, even though keeping up that behavior is just as hard as getting there to begin with. At the end there is also encouragement and support for readers trying to keep their head above water when dealing with creativity, art, anxiety, and life in general.
Sarah valiantly struggles with waking up in the morning, being productive, and dealing with social situations. Sarah's Scribbles is the comic strip that follows her life, finding humor in living as an adulting introvert that is at times weird, awkward, and embarrassing. While we might not all have the same levels on anxiety or the same creative outlets as this author and artist-  we have all had the moments when we felt so very different, anxious, or other as the drawn version of Sarah. I could relate to so many of her strips. Even in the strips I could not relate personally I could see the reality of the day to day struggles that so many face. I loved the relateable feel, and the perseverance and humor that underlies her actions. Some of the strips were ones I have seen before, since I follow Sarah's Scribbles, however I felt like there were a significant number of fresh, new strips. I also found the other text from Anderson at the end of the book to be uplifting and supportive to artists and others dealing with anxiety or having trouble adulting to be a great way to connect with and support her readers. All most of us want is to know we are not alone, and seeing someone that you might look up to commiserating with the same troubles could be just the encouragement readers need.

Book Review: Fowl Language: The Struggle Is Real by Brian Gordon

Fowl Language: The Struggle Is Real by Brian Gordon is a collection of comics about parenting, some were already published by Fowl Language online while some of it is brand new. Fowl Language is a comic for any parent or caregiver. The joy, frustration, wonder, and misery that are all part of caring for the next generation told via cartoon ducks. I follow the comic on Facebook, so I already had seen a few, but for some reason they never get old. 
Fowl Language: The Struggle Is Real is funny, sometime poignant, and almost always relatable. I love that Gordon includes the moments that we struggle with it all as well as the moments that make it all worth while. Anyone that enjoys the online comic will want to at least take a look at the book, but adding it to the home library might help get through the harder nights. This would also be a great gift to new or expecting parents, and those sending their kids out into the world on their own. 

Early Book Review: If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Age Men by Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal)

If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Age Men by Matthew Inman (also known as The Oatmeal) is currently schedule for release on September 26 2017.  This charmingly absurd gift book about man’s best friend is the kind of humor and art that one fully expects from the mind behind The Oatmeal and books like How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You. In If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men, Matthew Inman imagines what life would be like if his dogs were a couple of old men running around his house. The result is a pitch-perfect gift for any dog owner, animal lover, or fan of The Oatmeal.
If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Age Men gives readers exactly what they should expect from this author, with this title. Inman draws his two dogs as middle age men and puts them in everyday doggy situations. Not high brow humor by any means- but anyone with dogs (or pets of any kind really) can relate to the adventures of this two, and the reactions of their owner. They are suitably silly and occasionally gross- like any animal is bound to be. The book is amusing and hits all the right notes, at least the ones that anyone with any prior knowledge of the Oatmeal would expect. It was short, but I think that is better than dragging on the jokes to the point where they are no longer quite as amusing. 

Early Book Review: Life Lessons from Catass by Claude Combacau

Life Lessons from Catass by Claude Combacau is currently scheduled for release on July 4 2017. This is a book full of sassy, cat-themed coloring pages, mazes, and puzzles with directions like: “Put the pieces of the $3,000 vase Catsass just destroyed back together. Three odd pieces are parts of other ruined objects because you don’t deserve to have it easy.” Combacau’s “Catsass” cartoons about a mischief-making feline remind cat lovers and haters alike that cats are mostly self-serving creatures. Yes, your particular cat may be awesome and sweet, but this does not make up for the number of cats whose favorite activity is knocking stuff over.
Life Lessons from Catass is a collection of activities all featuring Catsass, who I will admit to having never heard of before, even though I thought I was current on my cartoon and internet cats. Catsass is a cat that is full of mischief and more than a little crass on occasion. I think Catsass shows all the aspects of cats that haters are quick to see and point out, and that cat lovers are aware of but try to ignore. I will admit to chuckling a time or two, and finding the activities to be cute and clever. However, I think it went on just a little too long. 

Book Review: Catology: Inside the Twisted Mind of Our Feline Friends by Adrian Searle, Oliver Ninis

Catology: Inside the Twisted Mind of our Feline Friends by Adrian Searle and Oliver Ninis is a collection of over eighty cartoons that give readers a glimpse into the minds of their feline companions. Just what is your cat thinking? As it gazes up at you, are those eyes filled with love and admiration or spite and scorn? From the author of the award-winning 101 Uses of a Dead Kindle and If Dogs Could Swear comes a hilarious insight into the twisted, venal, self-serving psychology of our cutest four-legged sociopaths. Catology is a psychiatrist's view of your moggy; a brilliant, unforgettable and twisted look at the many bizarre, ridiculous and instantly recognizable scenarios in which cat owners find their beloved pets every day.
Catology: Inside the Twisted Mind of our Feline Friends is a fun and cute collection of cartoons. Some were funnier than others, and some will speak to particular readers more than others. The artwork is done in black and white line drawings, and like the humor some are more appealing than others. I enjoyed the read, some of the cartoons made me chuckle, but others had me shaking my head and moving on to the next page. Occasionally I found the artwork to be less skillful or complete than on other pages. This might be a good gift for some cat lovers, but this cat fan was only mildly amused rather than laughing out loud, which is what I was hoping for.