Touching the hearts and tickling the funny bones of readers since 1971, Ziggy is a cultural icon. Who knows how many yellowed and curling clippings of the cartoon are displayed on refrigerators, computers, doors, and bulletin boards across America? Some of the most cherished panels are ones that feature Ziggy performing small acts of kindness and good works. The best of these are collected in the latest Ziggy book, Character Matters.

The charm of Ziggy is that he lives a sweetly simple life. Things often don't go his way, but he always perseveres and maintains his sunny outlook. Ziggy is Everyperson, the part of us that harbors warm feelings and good intentions, but sometimes gets stepped on by a reckless world. In the great tradition of Ben Franklin, Roy Rogers, and Forrest Gump, Ziggy delivers his own homespun philosophy and retains his individualism and character, regardless of the transforming forces at work in a swiftly changing world.

Comforted and inspired by his steadfastness, his tenacity, and his gentle spirit, Ziggy fans have been intensely loyal for over three decades.

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.

You have to wonder what kind of pets cartoonist Darby Conley had as a child. If they were anything like Bucky Katt and Satchel Pooch. . . well, life in the Conley house must have been interesting to say the least. The wacky triumvirate of Bucky, Satchel, and Rob are back in this Get Fuzzy collection,

Rob Wilco is the mild-mannered ad executive caretaker of Bucky and Satchel. Satchel is a sweet and naïve shar-pei-yellow-Lab cross, while Bucky is a Siamese with "cat-titude" to spare. Bucky and Satchel get along like, well, like cats and dogs. Like a beleaguered parent, Rob constantly must thwart Bucky's schemes and protect the unsuspecting Satchel. His pets' mischief continually disrupts his attempts to meet women. You try explaining to your date why your cat thinks he's a gangsta rapper and your dog is filming his ";crib" for MTV. Would anyone live with humans who behaved like this?

Bitingly funny with a wry sense of the absurdity of life with pets, Get Fuzzy appeals to everyone who has ever lived in a mixed-species household.

Dan: What's your secret to a long life, Fred?Fred: No secret. Haven't any...maybe bee pollen and honey.Dan: When you get to heaven, what do you think God will say to you? Fred: What took you so long? --From the foreward.

Reynolds Unwrapped has earned its reputation as one of the craziest panel cartoons around. In this collection, the spotlight is on getting older. Aaww, but don't worry: The laugh lines will be worth it!

Viagra, botox injections, antiwrinkle cream: Everyone is trying to fight the effects of aging, and the latest research indicates that laughter may be the real fountain of youth. If that's the case, then How Aging Affects Belt Height is your prescription for vitality. It will have you laughing like a kid again! Dan Reynolds's own age-defying generation, the boomers, will recognize themselves in the offbeat humor of these wacky cartoons. They remind us that aging may not be fun, but it sure beats the alternative!