The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set) by Gary Larson, Steve Martin
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Book Reviews of The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
Book Review: Superb, and There is Something New...
Summary: 5 Stars
For some reason I feel the need to respond to that one negative review of this collection, which was so far off base that it is ridiculous. The review criticizes "The Farside Complete" collection as being just a rehash of old stuff, nothing new, trashing the publishers for putting out the same old stuff. There is of course the obvious duh response: it is a collection, and offers a "complete" collection of all the Farside cartoons ever published, in a spectacularly presented format, on high quality paper, which is great unless you are one of the few people on earth who has every book, and all the other sources of Farside cartoons that were not available in book form. I mean, I have the first Farside Gallery, and there were cartoons in this collection from the first two years that I had never seen. And even if you do, the presentation quality of the cartoons in the book will be so far above what you already havem it would be worth it anyway. Then there is the fact that there is so much new in this collection: the organization in chronological order, the comments by the author at the beginning of each year, the introduction by the author's editor, the presentation of many cartoons in color that I had never seen in color, the addition of fan letters and hate mail to the author regarding specific cartoons and the Farside in general. Etc. Etc. In short this is a superb presentation of all the Farside cartoons and is a must have if you are a -fan- of this cartoon. It's like this: if you're a big fan of, say Pink Floyd, and you have all there old vinyl albums (scratched up, of course), you might want to buy a "complete" CD box set of digitally remastered recordings with new liner notes, comments by the band, etc.Book Review: Gary Larson's anthropomorphic wonderland shines.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a long time Far Side fan. My wife got this collection for me for Christmas and I have been savoring it slowly since. There is only one word to describe these books-awesome.Not only are there over 4000 great far side cartoons, there is also an excellent forward that details the origins and evolution of the series. Each year's section is preseded by an introduction by Larson wherein he discusses various aspects of his personal history and how it impacted the Far Side cartoon series. Seeded throughout the books are letters to and from Larson dealing with concerns, objections, interesting "true life" consequences or just plain reader bewilderment relating to the cartoons.
Probably somewhere around 60% of the cartoons are in color. The books are-to say te least-sturdily constructed. These are printed on high quality glossy paper with formidable covers. Larson has referred to these books as "hernia machines". That's not far off. You aren't going to be reading these puppies while lounging sedately in bed, that's for sure!
But it the end all the bells and whistles-as contributory as they are-fade to insignificance in the face of the cartoons themselves. Larson has a wonderfully skewed world view and a real knack of adopting common objects and anthropomorphizing common critters into human wannabe's.
Obviously, given a price that hovers around three figures and given the heft and size of the tow volumes involved, this is really aimed at the serious Far Side fan. If that's you, you're going to love this collection.
Book Review: Nostalgia and history.....
Summary: 5 Stars
Back in the day while I was still being brainwashed into what is socially appropriate came an introduction to Far Side comics. Though I'll probably never recall exactly how they were introduced, I'll never forget the memories that were embraced with countless hours of laughter. Every year on Christmas I would get another Far Side calender, unable to restrain myself from reading the entire yearly collection in just a few days. Again and again and again.....
Years have passed since those days and those memories. That is, I say, until this Christmas. Imagine my blissful intoxication when I received this set of two books containing every Far Side strip ever printed! Now I have the chance to form new memories with new appreciation, there is nothing more a fan of Far Side could humbly ask for.
Ive some of the negative complaints about excess "space" on the pages from the size of the strips contrasted to the size of the page, but I would argue this gives the the reader space to comfortably flow from one comic to the next. The layout is absolutely beautiful, the paper is high quality, and the binding is simply classic. The only complaint I have (and its a rather small one) are the page numbers need to be a tad bigger. Mainly because I dont want to accidentally miss a page when reliving and recreating some of the best memories in my life.
But really.... No excuses, get this book. Some may think the prices are a bit steep but given the content, its a bargain!
Book Review: Best cartoon book ever.
Summary: 5 Stars
When it comes to cartoons, Larson is still King. His twisted sense of humor isn't for all, and I notice elderly people just don't get it. So if you're over 65, save your money. For the rest, spend away - you won't regret it.
The letters from detractors and questioners are also funny and add a lot to this collection.
Not too long ago, almost every scientific meeting from the North American Benthological Society or the Desert Fishes Council to the American Academy of Family Practice would have lecture after lecture with slides from the Far Side as part of the lecture. These slides saved an awful lot of boring lectures. Then Gary Larson and his team of crack lawyers tracked down and shot everyone who used these without permission - and he never gives permission. So I've been forced to sleep through many lectures that I would have formerly been awake for. Many of these cartoons have a science background so they are best understood and appreciated from that background.
Since I can no longer get my Larson fix free in the comics pages nor in power-point presentations at scientific meetings, I guess the only thing to do is buy this book. (And yes those are real scientific societies I have personally attended.)
And one more thing. I rarely comment on the presentation of the reading material. I'm usually indifferent to the grade of paper, font, cover art or dust jacket but I must say that these books are very well made.
Book Review: Cow Tools
Summary: 5 Stars
Everything about this publication is of the highest caliber. The reviews below already (accurately) describe the high production quality of the two volumes themselves. The slipcase is correspondingly well-constructed; it is thick enough to accommodate the bulk of the books, and it is adorned on each side with a different vibrantly colored "painting" in classic Far Side tradition (one, depicting a couple of butchers hunting a flock of flying cows, can be seen in the image above, but the thumbnail hardly does the picture justice). And maybe it's just me, but the books even smell expensive.
The fact that the comics are in (roughly) chronological order allows anyone so disposed to track the evolution of The Far Side. One thing I noticed is that the Far Sides published in any given week tend to follow a particular theme, such as shark attacks or desert scenarios. Rereading more than a decade's worth of Far Side comics in such a relatively short time frame also reveals how much repetition there is, more so than I remembered. This is not necessarily a bad thing; as one commentator put it, "one could argue that the repetitive panels are like jazz riffs on the same melody."
Also, contrary to the publisher's description, only about a third of the panels are in color. This preserves the original presentation of the majority of the comics for Far Side purists, but also provides some refreshing variety for the reader and helps to justify the hefty price tag.