MUTTS is impossibly large. Its subject is the world, all living beings in it, and their relationship with each other. . . . Its touch is incredibly light and gentle, which explains how it alights in your mind and rests there. . . . The way that McDonnell's stories oscillate between gentle comedy and understated pathos is the strip's greatest strength."—Christopher Brayshaw, Vancouver Review

  Animal lovers everywhere adore Patrick McDonnell's charming but pointed MUTTS. The strip strikes a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and social commentary—on the human condition as well as the animal world. The deceptively simple comic follows the adventures of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, an unlikely best-friend team, and Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby. Patrick's distinctive cartooning style effectively relays the all-too-real concerns of his characters with entertaining, clever, laugh-out-loud banter.

  Infodad.com describes MUTTS as "humane and funny and gentle and caring and heartfelt and-did we mention funny?" The site goes on to say that the strip "includes enough hijinks and outstanding art (yes, art! ) to please anyone with a taste for animals and amusement."

 The popularity of Sherman's Lagoon continues to swell like the perfect wave. The strip's rather slow namesake shark is back with more urbane wit and capricious creatures in his famous lagoon. While the imagery and setting appeal to a younger generation, Sherman and his pals' clever dialogue and outlandish hang-ups appeal to their parents and grandparents as well. Sherman the dim-witted shark and his cast of characters in Sherman's Lagoon provide enough laughs for a barrel of monkeys, not that they've ever seen any. The Lagoonies, as they're known to regular comic strip readers, are a motley crew—mostly of sea life—known for their acerbic humor. There's Megan, Sherman's wife (a soft-touch despite the tough exterior). Fillmore the sea turtle makes up for Sherman's lack of intellect. Hawthorne the hermit crab resides in a beer can and is always in a "crabby" mood. Ernest the fish is a computer whiz, and Thornton the polar bear stumbled upon the island while floating by on an iceberg. Captain Quigley is the only human (or "beach ape") who resides in Sherman's Lagoon. He lost his leg to Sherman and is now out for revenge, but never quite gets close enough. To round out the cast there's Bob the bottom dweller. Enough said. 

  Readers love Sherman and his friends for their hilarious reflections of human behavior as seen through a seawater lens. Jim balances the lighthearted antics of this quirky group by promoting the importance of marine conservation. Sherman's Lagoon is quite a catch!

Sherman's Lagoon has been in syndication since 1991, and boasts a circulation of more than 200 daily newspapers on five continents.

Fish are people too. Or so it seems on the imaginary island of Kapupu, the setting for the wet and witty sea creatures of Sherman's Lagoon. For more than a decade, creator Jim Toomey has delighted readers with his off-center look at pop culture through the eyes of its namesake character, Sherman, and his coral-reef companions. Now, for the first time, the very best of this cast of lagoonies is captured in a treasury of classics. Sherman's Lagoon 1991-2001: Greatest Hits and Near Misses gives readers the opportunity to follow the evolution of the satirical strip from the first day it ran in the Escondido (Calif.) Times-Advocate on May 13, 1991, all the way up to the present day.This comprehensive collection highlights the complete history of the adventures of Sherman, the happy-go-lucky, brain-go-slow shark, and his lagoon-dwelling friends, including:o Fillmore the turtle, Sherman's sensible sidekicko Hawthorne, the cranky, beer can-dwelling hermit crabo Megan, Sherman's pearl-clad wifeo Ernest, the big-brained philosophical fisho And Thornton, the surfboard-toting polar bearThe compendium also features the funniest moments from the occasional humans who have inhabited the make-believe lagoon, such as Captain Quigley, the vengeful fisherman who lost his leg to Sherman years ago.This master collection of Jim Toomey's colorful cast of creatures will be treasured by longtime fans-and provide those new to the satirical strip an opportunity to catch up on all the underwater fun they've missed during the last decade.

The third Far Side treasury. 1988 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.

Calvin and Hobbes are at it again, and this time, our irrepressible friends are taking a walk on the wild side. Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat chronicles another segment of the multifarious adventures of this wild child and his faithful, but skeptical, friend. If the best cartoons compel readers to identify themselves within the funny frames, then all who enjoy Calvin and Hobbes are creative, imaginative, and ... bad, bad, bad! Calvin, the irascible little boy with the stuffed tiger who comes to life are a pair bound for trouble. Boring school lessons become occasions for death-defying alien air battles, speeding snow sled descents elicit philosophical discussions on the meaning of life, and Hobbe's natural inclination to pounce on his little friend wreaks havoc on Calvin's sense of security. Calvin's the kid we all wish we'd been. Sassy, imaginative, far more verbal than his parents can manage, Calvin is the quintessential bad boy -- and the boy we love to see. He terrorizes little Susie, offers "Candid Opinions" from a neighborhood stand, and questions his parents' authority. "What assurance do I have that your parenting isn't screwing me up?" he demands. Calvin and Hobbes manages to say what needs to be said about childhood and life: "Eww, mud," says Calvin. "Look at this gooshy, dirty, slimy, thick, wet mud ... Bleecch ... Talk about a kid magnet! "

The humor and appeal of FoxTrot derive from the interaction of it's characters, not from silly events imposed from without." -Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes

Everyone with a brother or sister knows about sibling rivalry, but when it involves Peter, Paige, and Jason Fox, the chaos that ensues is hilariously one of a kind. In Bill Amend's comic strip, FoxTrot, the three kids continuously push each other's buttons while parents Roger and Andy try somehow to keep up. Amend's insightful peek inside the Fox family provides fans with recognition and laughs.

Wildly FoxTrot featuers all the cartoons (including full-color Sunday's) from the best-sellers, May the Force Be With Us, and Take Us to Your Mall, and includes a special illustrated story.

Universal Press Syndicate newspaper feature:

*FoxTrot

Author's web site: www.foxtrot.com/

  "Anyone with children, or anyone who even likes being around children, will find something to laugh about in Baby Blues." —Blade Citizen, Oceanside, CA

  Who can resist adorably wide-eyed Zoe MacPherson? Certainly not her parents, Wanda and Darryl, a mid-thirties career couple who've become mommy and daddy. But, like the millions of parents who flock to this engaging comic strip, the MacPhersons also find parenthood more rewarding—and frustrating—than they'd expected. Each day of this incisive and entertaining comic series, millions empathize with them as they face the joys and demands of parenting.

I Thought Labor Ended When the Baby Was Born is a heartwarming collection from Baby Blues creators Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott. Developed in 1990 after Kirkman became a neophyte dad, Baby Blues appeals to anyone who's witnessed the eye-opening experiences only a baby can bring. Moms, for example, relate to Wanda, a former midlevel career woman who now stays home full-time to care for the mostly adorable Zoe. Dads connect with rattled-but-determined Darryl, as he still staggers off to an office each day despite mind-boggling changes life has wrought at home. Together, Mom and Dad juggle and struggle to decipher their new relationship, wondering where romance fits in, whether they're "parentnoid," and how they're affecting their daughter.

  Artist Rick Kirkman and writer Jerry Scott know about parenting and provide a hilarious, yet true-to-life, view of this mixed blessing.

$14 in the Bank and a $200 Face in My Purse gives a delightfully funny yet honest look at the single career woman's life. Cathy, the character who has given a voice to the anxieties and triumphs of modern women, is a must-read in newspapers worldwide. In this collection, Cathy has broken up with long-time beau Irving. She keeps busy binging on chocolate and fighting deadline pressures at the office—but Cathy's not too busy to explore modern methods of meeting men: by fax and through bachelor auctions. When her dog Electra gets depressed, the canine psychologist prescribes a visit with Irving to pep up the pup. Imagine Cathy's surprise when Irving reappears thirty pounds overweight. And her dismay and resentment over the next few weeks as the weight melts off him effortlessly.

  Bad perms, bad dates, fights with the insurance company, shopping, and mother all take their toll in $14 in the Bank and a $200 Face in My Purse. Cathy has a uniquely funny way of coping with life, and her millions of fans count on Cathy to put their shared experiences in a humorous light.

Cats are famous for being aloof, but "cat-titude" reaches new heights in Get Fuzzy, the bitingly funny comic strip from cartoonist Darby Conley. Wry and witty, Get Fuzzy is a hilarious portrait of single life with pets. Rob Wilco is the human who heads the household, but it's really Bucky the cat who's in charge. Satchel, the gentle pooch with a sensitive soul who tries to remain neutral, frequently ends up on the receiving end of Bucky's mischief. Together, this trio makes it through the trials and tribulations of daily life as an unlikely team. Darby Conley's Fuzzy Logic will hit the funny bone of everyone who enjoys their pets with an attitude.

1982 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.

1992 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.

  "Calvin and Hobbes provided an exhilarating blend of fantasy, sophistication, pungent humor and superb drawing that was dazzling." —The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio With keen insight, Bill Watterson depicted life through the eyes of a child in Calvin and Hobbes—with all the inherent fun and frustrations. Through the adventures of this engaging pair, the limits of our imaginations were challenged as we enjoyed accompanying Calvin and Hobbes as they traveled through time, transmogrified themselves, and stirred up trouble. Watterson's vibrant characterization of event and personality, deft artistic presentation, and whimsical perspective have cultivated an unwavering affection for his characters. In The Revenge of the Baby-Sat, readers can relish the opportunity to dwell once more in the enduring reminder of life as a child today.