5 comments about The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design.

1. There's minimal reading in this book, which is nice since it's good for reference. The reading that it does have is very simple with bulleted paragraphs full of information that you can't get from looking at the diagrams.
   Great diagrams for industrial design students (I got this for one of my classes), gives you the measurements, reach, sight and motion range, pretty much any numeric info you need to know for the 1 percentile, 99 percentile, and 50 percentile man/woman.
   Also has nice chart of child development w/descriptions of what the ave. child can do at each age, as well as diagrams for the elderly (and in wheelchair). This book is essential if you are going for product design or interior design.



2. I found a handful of pages out of this book useful for space planning. Not worth fifty bucks unless you are designing equipment and products.



3. I'm studying furniture design and this book will be extremely helpful for me. It gives tons and tons of measurements throughout the human life span. All kinds of positions, arrangements, etc. There is section on every age, even infants and elderly. It's also just an interesting thing to read, regardless of being an awesome reference book. I loved reading about how different abilities/capacities develop at certain ages. This way you can know when humans are able to do what. This can help better understand human's needs, in a physical and spatial sense.
   
   Great book, just get it.



4. As a design student this is a very useful book. It makes assignments sound great when Information in this book is referenced. The drawings are very simple and easy to understand, however it is cramped full of numbers and stats (or 'data'). So u should only be buying this book if that's what u are looking for. It covers a diverse range of human factors in design like optimal reach, grip, vision length, working temperatures, noise, radiation, lighting, ect...
   
   This is exactly what i wanted so i am extremely happy with this purchase especially since it was in high demand in my uni library.



5. This book is an excellent resource for designing products that must accomodate various shapes and sizes of people. The charts provide a useful starting point for design. Some data, however, is quite old which dilutes it's relevancy. Also, do not purchase the instant, online access to this book. There are many dimesions and small details which can't be read due to the poor resolution of the on-screen viewer.

5 comments about 100 Years of Fashion Illustration.

1. This is a great book for any illustrator to have, loaded thick with full color images. The illustrations are done in a wide variety of different styles, hours could be spent considering some of the images. If your interested in drawing people this is a good book to have on your shelf.



2. This book is an absolute dream come true for me. It has inspired me not only costume wise, but also decorating my new apartment. You just never know where inspiration can come from. I would not hesitate for one second to recommend this book. It's really beautifully done.



3. Excellent visual paranoma of fashion with panache. Should please everybody. There is a nice touch of elegance to it and chich flaire. Nice to have it on the shelves or on your cafe table.



4. As a lover of fashion illustration, with book shelves and file drawers filled to capacity, I highly recommend this book. I like the small size and the fact that it includes examples from all eras. My only complaint, and this may be a personal preference, is that there was not one example of the work of George Stavrinos, a masterful draftsman who did work for Bergdorf Goodman, The NY Times, Barney's and The NYC Opera in the 1980's. He died too young, but really deserves a book of his own.



5. It needed more coverage on Italian Moda.
   But the whole expose is great.
   I would recommend it.
   Great approach to the new and the classic.

5 comments about Vitamin D: New Perspectives in Drawing (Themes).

1. Vitamin D, is complete inside and out. The binding is terrific, the type, the torn paper edges, the layout, everything that went into designing this book was well thought out. Its not only fabulous, but a pleasure to look through. The artists chosen are all exceptionally talented, and each with a unique edge. Nevertheless, all work presented will be a definite point of reference for many many years to come, including the work by my own mentor,and teacher.



2. If you are interested in a wide range of edgy drawings..this book is terrific. It is inspiring, informative and current...not a "how-to" but a survey of all the wonderful and strange drawings being done today.



3. Vitamin D is an outstanding publication of drawings from contemporary artists which shows great depth in both subjectivity and theme, the one overwhelming issue seems to be the quality of the reproductions within. Context gives us the reason for this.. in that these are works by CONTEMPORARY artists and as such have not been digitized as throughly as say the often if not OVER reproduced imagery of Leonardo or Michelangelo, so yes some of the reproductions are less stunning however they are more than adequate and what is more important, they are reproduced well enough to spark interest in seeing the original. Artwork can never truly be reproduced, you must experience the original to truly appreciate the pieces. However Vitamin D does what it was designed to, as did it's predecessor Vitamin P, giving a contemporary overview of works and the artists who create them which have yet to be studied. These books are history in the making and that alone gives them more merit than most art publications. This series is more than worth owning and will prove to be volumes you will return to again and again.



4. Anyone who would call this art is either lacking an objective sensibility or has some measure of vested interest in the sales of this book. The "drawings" (lol) in this book are fine examples of why mainstream Americans no longer care about the fine arts.
   
   One reviewer actually used the word "refreshing" in describing the contents. Are you kidding me? Refreshing, perhaps, if I had only been exposed to blank pages my entire life.
   
   This is not art. This is the Emperor's New Clothes.



5. As an artist myself, I have to first be aesthetically attracted to a book before I can look further, and the Vitamin series are truly stunning. In this edition, each of the numerous artists chosen get a two page spread, sometimes four. This spread included a lengthy blurb on the artist and images of their work. All I can do is highly recommend that you look at this book in person before buying it, and I think it will be nearly impossible to turn down after that. Great book to have in your collection!

5 comments about Fashion Design Drawing Course.

1. Very basic, it goes on a summary overview of areas of fashion design. So, it's great for a beginner that is looking for a quick introduction to what fashion desing drawing would include. Not for someone that has a general idea on what fashion design entails and is looking for more "hands-on" more sophisticated projects. For example, I was looking on how to actually draw clothes wore by people...there was only one area for that, it covered actual drawing of the human body; about 4 pages. A lot of general, finding your style, mood boards, etc. To the title I would add "101" so it is not misleading, then it would be an excellent book!



2. This book is more about collection development than it is about fashion drawing. And the worst part is... it's so sparse on the information even for how to develop a collection. Everything is in a nutshell. It's like picking up a children's book-- you don't get much out of it other than the obvious.



3. But about how to draw inspiration from common everyday things. It`s really not about rendering or drawing fashion, but more about the thought process in making the garments.



4. I bought this book acually wanting to draw and create clothes but I didn't do any of that. On the other hand it does teach you the right way to do certain things like how to get inspiration and how to get it on paper but again you don't actually draw.



5. It is interesting and well written. It guides through but not as deeply as I was expected.

5 comments about Bloom County Babylon: Five Years of Basic Naughtiness (Bloom County).

1. This book is an overview of the first five years of the strip, ranging from the early strips in which the focus is mostly on Milo, through the introductions of Binkley, Bobbi, Cutter John, Opus, Oliver Wendell Jones, Steve Dallas, and finally, Bill The Cat. Personally, I've always had a preference for the early, pre-Bill The Cat strips; I could deal with the silliness inherent in Opus and Oliver's anthropomorphic computer, but Bill just seemed one step over the line. But I know that he's very popular, and he's here, too. There are a few strips here that were reprinted from the previous three collections, but most of this material is NOT reprints. Of course, much of the humor will be completely incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't politically aware during the '80s, but I suspect that even for such a (hopefully) young person, there's plenty here to enjoy.



2. Bloom County is on my short list of all-time favorite comics. The original form, before short-lived "Outland" or the current "Opus", is long gone, though. Picking up this book was a wonderful piece of nostlagia.
   
   The series peaked some time in the early 80s, and "Babylon" offers a sample of that time. I had forgotten how topical it was, full of references to then-current supermodels, presidents, movies, and sitcoms. Despite that, much of the humor has aged well. Milo's anxiety closet, for example, never needs to end. Various bogey-men (and -women) will reside there for their times, and move on. The anxiety will always be there, however, no matter how silly it looks to everyone else.
   
   Even a book this size can't capture every strip in the five years (82-6) that it covers. That means that some of my favorite characters, like winsome Pistachio, barely even had cameo appearances. I'll take what I can get, though, and this is a pleasant sample.
   
   If you ever liked any strip comic, you liked Bloom County or will like it. Maybe the 80s were before your time, but the characters will still look right up to date. Enjoy!
   
   //wiredweird



3. Despite what the item description says, there are no color pages in this cheap reprinting. The pages are printed only in black and white, and are printed in very poor quality. What a shame, because the book itself is fantastic. I have an original printing of this book and love it. I ordered this reprint as a gift and had to return it because of the poor print quality. I wish I had noticed the other reviews about this problem (listed below) before I wasted my time and money!



4. Thankfully we can still get his books of Bloom County and Outland and of course, his current iteration, Opus.
   
   I have always loved Berkely's quirky look at life, politics, love and what not through the eyes of Milo, Opus, Cutter John and others throughout the years and when I bought this book, I would read 2-3 pages, often before turning out the light at night and would find myself laughing at much of the strips. That's how good they are, even now some 20 years later and I recall reading many of then when they were running in the papers. While some of the strips show their age a little, the strip is as still timeless now as when they were originally conceaved. That's a rare feat in my book.
   
   While it's by no means all of his Bloom County strips, it's a good collection of some of the best and that alone is worth it.



5. Im assuming anyone who is reading this knows Berkeley Breathed, Opus and Bill the Cat. This is a great collection of his comic strips and would be a wise purchase of anyone who enjoys this comic strip.

5 comments about Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner.

1. This is a fabulous book for the beginning artist. I have just started an art class, and when I found this book I was estatic. It is a great lesson by lesson drawing tool. It is very easy to follow and like the title says it is for the absolute and utter beginner. I also feel like those who ARE more advanced will also benefit from the book. I like how there are examples from her students of all levels.



2. I like this book because it is very friendly, images are very good and I've noticed it has helped me a LOT in my drawing skills. Quality of the paper is excellent and I think it will help a lot of people like me.



3. Recently I decided to get back into drawing. I purchased this book after reading some good reviews about it on a number of art sites. It tackles not only the technical aspect of drawing, but the mental process behind it as well. I found this important as I was having trouble coming to the realisation of how your mind can hinder you greatly. All in all, the layout of the book is great, the comments and diagrams by students is encouraging and I have certainly found more success in my drawing and sketching results.



4. I can't say I was blown away with this book, nor can I say I was disappointed, this the rating of 3 stars. It has great text to tell you "why" each part is important which a lot of books seem to lack any decent text at all. So for that I give it 5 stars.
   
   I was "expecting" at least some technique tips and pointers, like, here's a good way to draw texture on a leaf, or more concrete examples, like maybe some "tips" in the margins or something. A little cheat to keep you saying "oh cool" or something. At some point it seems to drown in text, which I suppose is probably what a beginner needs, but I'm more of a lets get to it kind of person. I want to see at least something fun at the end of my first lesson, not a squiggly line, so I would suggest complementing this book with a tips and technique book to get a well rounded beginners experience to keep it fun and keep you motivated.
   
   Obviously my expectations were not met, and that may be my own fault. I would say if you are a beginner, this will give you the start and the "classroom" portion, but add a book that will add the FUN and instant success to it too. It's a decent book, give it a shot.



5. An easy to follow, step-by-step instruction on realistic drawing that includes a variety of mediums. As the title states this book is a intended for the raw beginner. Other books such as Betty Edwards "Drawing on the Right Side of Brain" contain similar lessons, but this one "clicked" with me. No drawing book will be all things to all people, but this volume is certainly a good place to start. I can also recommend "Drawing for Older Children & Teens" by Mona Brooks, these titles compliment each other nicely.

5 comments about Transmetropolitan Vol. 2: Lust for Life.

1. This is really something I could say is a Graphic Novel without smirking. I'm no veteran when it comes to comics, but I've lent it out to a few people I know that are, and they rave about it as well. It's very much like a Fear And Loathing influenced cyberpunk tale of journalism in a future that, for all its random technical advances, is still populated by people and therefore still plagued by the same kinds of problems we face today.



2. Lust for Life is probably the weakest collection of Transmet. It falls in between the initial story arc, and when Helix Comics, was shut down and the title was moved to Vertigo. It has some nice establishing moments, and sets up some characters that will play critical roles through out the series. But, it's that point in between where the story starts and where it finds its feet.
   It's still a part of the larger whole though, and can't be skipped if you're trying to read the series beginning to end. And Transmet is still one of the best comic series out there, so, even at its weakest, it continues to be a very strong piece.
   In the end, if you haven't read the first trade, this is a poor place to start. If you did and disliked it, Lust for Life does expand the characters, but, you probably won't find anything to change your mind. If you loved the first trade, or just found it mildly enjoyable, it's worth continuing, though, mostly for where the series does find its feet, in the third trade.



3. This book too much focuses on "being punk" instead of focusing on story. There are great ideas but they are not really explored.



4. Even though subsequent volumes in Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson's TRANSMETROPOLITAN series would surpass this very diverse collection of stories, it is still a first rate addition to the series. It is always outrageous, frequently funny, sometimes absurd, but always stimulating.
   
   There two aspects of the series that make it especially interesting to me. First, no other comic series explores the meaning of the media in general and the Fourth Estate in particular. For all his cynicism and rebelliousness, anti-hero Spider Jerusalem is a journalist who believes that reporting should strive to make the world a better place . . . or at least not quite so bad. Sometimes Spider's posing and stunts get in the way of that, but Ellis does manage to get the story back around to that conceit from time to time. Second, the series goes further than any other I know in looking at the furthest extremes of what people will do to remake and reconstruct themselves. Many writers have pointed out that ours is already a Cyborg culture. How else can you characterize someone who has an artificial hip, a pacemaker, and lasik eye surgery? Other writers, like Ray Kurzweil and Hans Moravec, have fantasized about a utopian future in which the human brain is sliced up and downloaded into a database, where one's consciousness can enjoy a virtual immortality (though personally, I just think of this as a bizarre way to die). Many of these notions are taken up and explored in the Transmet series.
   
   The two books that begin the series are good, but newcomers should keep in mind that it gets much better in subsequent volumes. So while I recommend this, I even more strongly recommend reading the volumes that follow.



5. This book was as good as the first one I bought.He is a prophet of our American Civilization. Someday; we will be like the society in his books. The best adult comic book writers come from United Kingdom. Since The UK is our best international friend; They earned the right to be our best critics. Again; As usual Amazon delivered.

5 comments about Dynamic Figure Drawing (Practical Art Books).

1. Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth is an explosion of human motion. The text, like the drawings, is crisp and forthright. There are no unnecessary lines in Hogarth's sketches or his dialogue on how to create them. This is the book to give anyone, of any age, with, or without talent. The beauty of the illustrations almost eclipses their value as examples. The figures curl, cringe and almost seem to launch from their empty backgrounds. There are no distractions of composition, just the human body in motion, caught on paper. The static, frozen, two dimensional renderings of anatomy previously available to artists don't give a clue as to how the bones, muscles and tendons will flex with movement. Hogarth's work clearly and beautifully shows how to capture the human body in motion. If you love art, of any form, you will find endless enjoyment in this book. If you are an artist you will find it an invaluable anatomical reference. This is the book to give anyone interested in art, but in the hands of the very young, that person just forming their talent, it would be invaluable.



2. I have been learning anatomy for my drawing for a long time. I own quite a few anatomy books but I have been having trouble converting my knowledge of anatomy into drawing people. After buying this book it all changed.
   
   You will not learn everything from this book, which I think is fair enough. I do not understand the attitude of people who think a book should include every detail of subject. It shouldn't. A book should set out to achieve a purpose and supply everything needed to achieve this purpose. Which is what this book does.
   
   This book will teach you how to draw your figures in different, dynamic poses. It goes into foreshortening and overlapping of body parts and it breaks down each body part into shapes and outlines how the body parts flow into one another. There a wealth of examples that you can copy and experiment with.
   There are two main problems with this book.
   
   Firstly, there is not a lot of structure to it. It really could have used an editor or somebody to go through it and organize it a bit.
   
   Secondly, the text is very academic and can be hard to understand. If you look at the accompanying pictures though you should be able to work it out.
   
   You will still need to learn anatomy. Anatomy is a fundamental that all aspiring artist needs to learn and this book isn't a shortcut, but I found that this book was able to bridge a huge gap for me in my drawing. It is something I think I will use for the rest of my life. I only wish I had found it earlier.



3. This is the best one for action figures and How To draw them of all his other books. Recommended highly ONLY if you are willing to actually take the TIME to do the exercises in drawing he outlines in detail. You can copy his stuff and never learn HOW he thinks to see things in motion as he does. His 'effortless' drawings took dicipline to learn and I am still going thru it AGAIN now. I ordered these books in the 80's and admired them, but NEVER did the exercises. I just never made the TIME. Now I re-ordered the paperbacks (the hardbacks are in storage!) and actually am going step by tedious step and it is changing the way I SEE and draw. Worth it if you will actually DO what he says!!! Recommended highly! As a physician who is rehabbing a Iraq brain injury and probably headed back into Art-my 1st career- I cannot recommend this enough if you are SERIOUS about putting in the time/work to learn his techniques.



4. This book and the series by Hogarth in general, are a class apart in teaching the figure.
   
   In no other book I have seen the body masses so clearly and simply presented that with just one look you 'understand' the form and add it to your repertoire. Just like that.
   
   One striking difference we notice is the three dimensional presentation of the drawings using probably charcoal or a very soft pencil, how else will we understand that form if its not rendered in three dimensions?! Yet so many books exist, even the ones from great such as Loomis, where you would see a more finished figure, where the contours take over, making the student wonder 'why is a line in front of the other?' etc. Hogarth aims as dispensing such doubts and to get rid of the guesswork from the minds of the artist.
   
   He talks about 'inventing' the figure, and about a notation of representig the figure in deep space, meaning three dimesnions.
   As the masters such as Vilppu would say, drawing is all about learning how to represent the form in two dimensional paper, and about knowing the form one wants to draw. We do get both in this book by Hogarth. more actually on the forms of the figure. more than half the book presents the figure, the varous parts, the torso, the limbs and the head in great detail using simple three dimensional forms. and the remainder of the book deals with how one would approach or rather go about drawing the figure.
   
   An interesting approach here is to begin with the torso, and not with the head. torso, legs, arms and then comes the head, and surprise surprise, this is such an effective way of setting up the figure in the desired gesture. Vilppu would talk about a Ball and a box in a sock to study the torso. Bridgman would also talk in detail about these two forms, Hogarth lays down explicitly the order, and importance. This approach must be tried before understanding its effectiveness.
   
   This is overall a great book for the figurative art student. I found it most effective, because every single picture in this book teaches me something that I can apply directly. The rendering of the forms make it so easy to understand them and cast to memory not only the form but its relations to the other forms in context as well as what happens when they twist and turn and go about doing whatever a figure would do.
   
   This book stays right at the top along with Kimon Nicholaides and Glenn Vilppu and Bridgman.



5. These books are so helpful in studying the human body in an exagerated way. Helps identify muscle groups and form.

5 comments about Drawing for Dummies.

1. This is a nice basic drawing book. This book teaches you how to do tonal drawings by crosshatching. She doesn't smudge her drawings to save time and you can tell by the finished piece. This would be good practice for someone interested in printmaking.



2. I like this book on some levels. On other levels...erm...there are problems. I agree that there are a lot of cartoony drawings, as well as some more realistic ones where she seemed to go through a looong period of giving people strange looking round clown type noses. The effect is off putting...not charming as I think was hoped.
   She also uses what I think is a lot of inappropriate hatching..making her subjects sometimes seem kind of...hairy looking.
   But these are all style issues...I really can't find fault with her technical ability. In fact, many drawings are beautiful.
   As for blending, she feels it is more difficult to do well , and that's why she doesn't really approach it here. On her website she states more or less that to blend or not should be up to the individual artist and gives a reasonable tutorial on blending correctly.
   Her examples are often not illustrated enough...and written instructions seem hurried, without details on how to do what she is talking about.
   Also the pics in the examples are far too small...
   But this is a good book as far as being approachable goes.
   It gives good solid info, and does cover many subjects.
   One book is rarely definitive in any endeavor one tries to learn...and often you can't cover everything in one book.
   Publishers sometimes have to think about the larger market and what it will pay for.As far as we know she may have a limit on how many words and images she can use!
   These books are designed to be inexpensive and general.
   Given that fact, I think this particular "Dummie" book, does pretty well.



3. Well, I really wanted to learn how to draw well, so I picked this up. The first few chapters really help, but then it became was to hard for a beginning artist. Some of the stuff she wants you to draw is insane, and I just gave up on this book. If you want a good drawing book for beginners, don't look at this one.



4. Drawing for Dummies was a gift for my nephew, who likes to draw comic chacters.As you might expect, they are all out of proportion and child-like.He is a teenager now and is looking for some guidance to improve his drawing. When I first received this book, I thumbed through it and read the chapter headings. I'm sure he will profit from this book. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
   A.R.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



5. Drawing for Dummies is a great drawing guide. I am somewhere between beginner and intermediate but no where near advanced in my drawing skills. I found this book to be of great help in learning new things and sharpening skills that I already have.
   It offers many exercises to improve and enhance your drawing style.
   It is a simple read; the author doesn't make it all technical and boring.
   I think this is a book that every aspiring artist should have on their shelves.

5 comments about Weirdos from Another Planet!.

1. I love all Calvin and Hobbes books, but this collection has a few of my favorites that never cease to make me laugh out loud, including:
   
   "The Disembodied Hand That Strangled People" (I snicker just writing it)
   
   The trip to Mars ("We're going in the wagon?" "Of course! What did YOU want to do? Flap your arms?" "I guess I hadn't thought about that part."
   "Obviously."



2. I am a Calvin and Hobbes fan. And this book did not dissapoint me.



3. Calvin and Hobbes has always been a great read. This was the first one in book form that I read and thoroughly enjoyed.
   
   The book has many good strips and quite a lot of Sunday strips as well. The aliens show up towards the end and there is a good many strips on that series where he explores the Martian surface and rightly is told by Hobbes that if one is not potty trained would you invite them to your home? So of course after damaging Earth, men need not expect a welcome from the Martians or anyone else.
   
   There is a lot of wisdom and good humour in the book. The opening splash page itself is attractive about why intelligent life hasn't contacted us - with a picture of deforestation.
   
   Other favourites are of course being a tiger, or the tiger's welcome to the kid coming home from school, Dad's approval ratings in the election, the family outing, room service for the ill kid, etc.
   
   The parents are delightfully tolerant of the crazy nutty Calvin. The family outing to the woods is a riot. Calvin wonders what kind of vacation is it if he has to be with his parents, LOLz. Even Calvin's vulnerability is explored when he panics after breaking Dad's binoculars.
   
   This book is cute as hell - and especially a great gift to pretty young girls who thank me endless for making their day. You won't ever be disappointed, probably not with any Calvin & Hobbes collection - they are a gem, a treasure, a laugh riot, a piece of modern art and culture.
   
   Beware of Captain Spiff, the T-Rex, the paleontologist, the incredible comic strip from the best graphic art has to offer.



4. 
   
   
   
   
   Is it possible that just 20 years ago that Calvin and Hobbes - - one of the finest comics strips ever created - - was fresh and poignant every day in the paper?
   
   "Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us," says Calvin, looking at the chain-sawn stump of a tree, in 'Weirdos from Another Planet' by Bill Watterson. The demise of Calvin and Hobbes is reason enough not to contact Earthlings.
   
   Doonesbury by Gary Trudeau is sometimes still incisive, with the same brilliance in political observations as when it was new and Richard Nixon was newly president. But brilliance is boring after 40 years of repetition. Doonesbury is dated. Nixon is long disgraced, dead and gone.
   
   Calvin remains relevant, because like Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' he dealt with the universal human condition - - - as it applies to small boys and to the grown men they become without ever losing their small-boy outlook on olife.
   
   "Do you believe our destinies are shaped by the stars?" Calvin asks Hobbes.
   
   Ever the logical one, Hobbes replies, "Nah."
   
   Calvin counters with words as relevant today as in 1988, because, "Life's a lot more fun when you're not responsible for your actions."
   
   How do we greet strangers? Calvin went to Mars and, after mugging for the Viking Lander "to blow some circuits at NASA" he met a live Martian. Hobbes thought the Martian must be as scared of them as they are of the Martian. Like many of us when meeting a foreign culture, Calvin explains, "We're just ordinary Earthlings, not weirdos from another plsanet, like HE is."
   
   Doonesbury was similarly brilliant in portraying Nixon as a weirdo; but, Nixon nostalgia remains firmly Nixon. "Weirdos from another planet" is sadly reminiscent of the usual reaction to the current resident of the White House, and most likely The-President-to-Be.
   
   Calvin's Dad isn't all that slow either, as when he sets him up in the first three panels of one daily strip by asking, "Hey, Calvin! Guess what time it is!"
   
   "Why? What time is it?
   
   "It's a very special time!
   
   "Oh boy, oh boy! What time is it?
   
   "Do you really want to know?
   
   "Yes, Yes! Tell me! Tell me! Quick! Please! Yes!
   
   "IT'S YOUR BATHTIME! OH BOY!!
   
   Gettting Calin into a bath is about the same agony as pilling a cat. In the final panel, a dejected Calvin is up to his nose in sudsy water and commenting, "You know how old people always write to Dear Abby, complaining that their kids never write,call or visit? Those letters really crack me up."
   
   Calvin had his own four-panel approach to homework, "When I grow up, I want to be an inventor. First I will invent a time machine. Then I'll come back to yesterday, and take myself to tomorrow, and skip this dumb assignment."
   
   Personally, for me, it was lima beans. Any time lima beans appeared, it was lima beans or no desert. Calvin and his Mom had more imagination; Calvin looked at his bowl of soup and horrified, "Hey! What's this stuff in my soup? Yeccch! Is this rice? It had better NOT be!"
   
   His Mom was very worried, "Rice? Let me see!"
   
   Calvin was insistent, "Look! These little white things! See, there's rice in my soup. I hate rice!"
   
   His Mom looked closely and explained, "I didn't put any rice in. These are maggots."
   
   Calvin was delighted, explaining, "Gosh, wait till I tell everyone at school what WE had for dinner.".
   
   His Dad lamented, "Another lovely meal at home with my family. I wish my job required more travel."
   
   Evolution? As Calvin explains, "Just think, Earth was a cloud of dust 4.5 billion years ago . . . 3 billion years ago, the first bacteria appeared, then came sea life, dinosaurs, birds, mammals, and finally, a million uears ago, man. Now, in 1988, there's me. The acme of evolutuion."
   
   Hobbes, rolling his eyes, responds, "Oh, PLEASE."
   
   Even Richard Feynman can't come up with better answers. Trudeau is always wordy, as Watterson was at times. But the genius of Watterson was the ability to draw a 14-panel Sunday strip showing Calvin filling a water balloon and sneaking up on Hobbes . . . . panel after panel. Only one dialoguie panel was needed, when Hobbes drily explains, just before he was otherwise to be doused, "As if life isn't short enough."
   
   It ends with a thoroughly frustrated Calvin resting beside Hobbes.
   
   This is the Master.



5. Got it for our 12-yr. old daughter's birthday. She loves it! She's a big fan of Calvin & Hobbes. This was her 5th book!