No one walks away from a Close to Home cartoon unscathed. John McPherson's lumpy characters and bizarre situations are tailor-made for gut-splitting laughs. And then there are the cartoons that leave readers shaking their heads, sputtering, "Oh my gosh" as a guilty smile passes across their faces. The Scourge of Vinyl Car Seats delivers what fans expect from McPherson: jokes about everything from parenting to dating to car repairs. McPherson takes his readers on a journey that's very Close to Home.

  "MUTTS is the real thing, a comic strip that can touch, amuse and astound all at the same time."—Riverfront Times

  The comic strip MUTTS has won the National Cartoonists Society's coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award, and its author, Patrick McDonnell, has earned the NCS's Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Award.

What Now? chronicles the humorous happenings of Earl the dog and his feline friend Mooch. As usual, the endearing pair can be counted on for laughs and charming adventures. In this collection, Mooch professes his love . . . for a little pink sock.

"How can I take you seriously with a little pink sock in your mouth?" asks Earl."This from a guy who wears a 'Shnoopy' collar," retorts Mooch.

Mooch's affection for his sock is so deep, he sings little songs about it. But the love affair comes to an abrupt end when his pal Earl buries it to try to end the obsession. Fortunately for Mooch, socks come in pairs, and he's soon reunited with "its twin sister."

  Earl and Mooch put their comic spin on a wide range of subjects, from napping and poetry to summer vacations and Christmas anticipations. Interspersed with its charming humor are more weighty messages on issues important to McDonnell, such as animal shelters, saving our endangered species, and other animal-protection topics.

What Now? delivers creative style and the charm of yesteryear unlike any other strip on the funny pages today.

With fatherhood looming, I kept seeing that six-year-old version of myself drawing comics in his bedroom, and I thought how crushed he would be to find out that I had given up on our dream. . . . So, three months after my daughter was born, I submitted Cow and Boy." -Mark Leiknes, creator of Cow and Boy Evocative of a boy and his pet beagle, or a precocious six-year-old and his imaginary pet tiger, Cow and Boy isn't afraid to tackle the complex relationship that exists between a boy and his cow.More Cow and BoyTo balance yin, there is yang. To complement day, we have night. There are just some things in life that harmonize with one another and Mark Leiknes's Cow and Boy creation definitely benefits from the paradox of its two central characters, namely one towheaded boy named Billy and his trusty bell-ringing sidekick Cow, who move through life's adventures with a refined balance of curiosity, meaning, pathos, and humor. From inspired games of chess to grassy afternoon talks of reincarnation to lakeside swimming-hole ponderings that make room for a game of charades, Cow and Boy thoughtfully explores a different species of friendship in the funny pages.

"The humor is a wickedly authentic blend of young-professional-bachelor shtick and pets-from-hell high jinks. . . . And, perhaps best of all, the strip keeps getting better." Indeed, Get Fuzzy has rocketed to the top of the list of syndicated newspaper strips. It now appears in 250 newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Seattle Times. Readers can't get enough of the goofy trio that populate this hilarious strip: Rob Wilco, the single, mild-mannered advertising executive, and his two rambunctious pets, Bucky, the sharp-fanged, self-absorbed cat, and Satchel, the easygoing mixed-breed dog who ends up on the receiving end of Bucky's mischief. The combination creates Get Fuzzy's astutely witty take on relationships between the species.

Now, in a size and format that's perfect for die-hard fans and those looking for the perfect gift, I Would Have Bought You a Cat, But . . . will become the must-have little treasure for everyone who craves a bit more of the trademark Get Fuzzy foolishness, or just enjoys a good chuckle.