The Argyle Sweater is a comic for grown-ups but it's inspired by a childlike imagination and charm. Follow bears, bees, chickens, wolves, dogs, cats, zebras, cops, game shows, phones, cavemen, and even nursery rhyme icons and an evil scientist, into the mischief and perfect-fitting dialogue of The Argyle Sweater world. Hilburn jokes he thought about naming the strip For Better or For Worse but noted "that that one was already taken."
Since launching as an online feature in 2006, The Argyle Sweater has cemented its reputation as the comic strip for fans of absurd, clever humor. Now, cartoonist Scott Hilburn has collected the best of his 2009 strips in 50% Wool, 50% Asinine. Coming from The Argyle Sweater's customary skewed perspective, the comic strips collected in 50% Wool, 50% Asinine will delight readers with the puns (both verbal and visual) and cerebral wit that are the hallmarks of this hilarious strip. A true fan favorite, The Argyle Sweater has gathered a loyal and enthusiastic following with origins that even predate its hugely successful launch with Universal Press Syndicate. Funny, irreverent, smart, and entertaining, 50% Wool, 50% Asinine is perfect for devoted fans of the strip and a great introduction for those lucky enough to get to experience for the first time this intelligent comic strip infused with childlike imagination.
Scott Hilburn's The Argyle Sweater boasts a readership ranging from the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times to the Calgary Herald, and more than 1 million Argyle Sweater greeting cards have been sold. Inside Hilburn's colorful cartoon panel, oversized animals, malevolent Care Bears, and an unstable Hamburger Helper cavort with bees, wolves, zebras, cavemen, mad scientists, and nursery-rhyme and funny-page icons to offer a critique of society and popular culture. Captured with Hilburn's visceral talent and bold pen stroke, The Argyle Sweater is a celebrated visual and cerebrally astute panel fueled by thoughtful imagination and a skewered attention to detail.
This zany strip enters the comic-collection scene with circus-like zeal. All that's missing is a parade of elephants and a clown-car escort. Gary and Glenn McCoy's delightfully absurd comic panel blends superheroes, office humor, huggable animals, and twisted relationships in a bizarre marriage of Gary Larson, the New Yorker, Conan O'Brien, and Mad Magazine. Put succinctly, the brothers McCoy present "comics for a bold new world." Creating a world where greeting cards heal hospital patients, police officers pull over children driving bumper cars, babies use the patch to quell the pacifier habit, and nudists find out what constitutes a streaker in their colony, the St. Louis area natives alternate writing and drawing duties for the daily panel. The brothers each have been nominated for multiple National Cartoonists Society awards, and Glenn has won in three categories. Gary McCoy's past as a comedian (he won HBO's Stand-Up Stand-Off contest for the St. Louis area in 1995) also shines through in the strip's offbeat humor. Their impressive freelance client list reads like a who's who in cartooning: Disney, DreamWorks, and Hyperion, to name just a few.
From the vast frozen wilderness of Alaska, Chad Carpenter brings Tundra. The National Cartoonists Society named Tundra as the Best Newspaper Panel Cartoon of the Year in 2007. These are award-winning cartoons from a naturally wonderful place. A tour guide might overlook some of the more quirky aspects of Alaska, but Carpenter sees it in a completely different light (even if that light only shows itself part of the year). Carpenter gives nature's residents, the furry and the not-so-furry, full attention. He also gives them voices that can bring a tear of laughter to the eye. Tundra is full of talking snowmen, inept hunters, obsessed fishermen, and inviting wildlife looking for their next meal. It's also packed with an abundance of hilarity. Tundra: Nature's Favorite Comic Strip features a "best of" collection with 560 cartoons from over 16 years of syndication.
"Annetarsia Knits" is a reference book for learning to knit intarsia flat or in the round, in stockinette or garter stitch. The book includes workshops, a motif library, and 28 patterns for using the new techniques. Content is designed for knitters of all skill levels.
Coast-to-coast readers of more than 150 newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlanta Constitution, Chicago Sun-Times, and Toronto Star share Fagan's view of this laugh-out-loud strip that deftly balances the tightrope of political correctness. Pardon My Planet: Omigawd! I've Become My Mother! represents the first collection of this uproarious cartoon that finds humor in all that makes us a little uncomfortable. Lee's razor wit is delivered through an array of seven recurring characters, each with their own off-kilter look at the world. In one panel, middle-aged suburbanites Dennis and Chloe learn from their Realtor that they may have found a home in their price range, but "unfortunately, there's a Scottish terrier named Rusty living in it." In another panel, while twentysomething roommates Jesse-Jane and Norris are dining out, Jesse-Jane asks the server how the chicken is prepared. The waiter dryly replies, "With no sugar-coating. We tell them right up front they're going to die." At times, the humor of Pardon My Planet is subtle but speaks to a deeper truth. Other times it is flat-out bizarre. This heady and hilarious collection captures it all, laying bare the annoyances and eccentricities of the inhabitants of our planet in this strip's unique and fresh way.
The Argyle Sweater is a comic for grown-ups but it's inspired by a childlike imagination and charm. Follow bears, bees, chickens, wolves, dogs, cats, zebras, cops, game shows, phones, cavemen, and even nursery rhyme icons and an evil scientist, into the mischief and perfect-fitting dialogue of The Argyle Sweater world. Hilburn jokes he thought about naming the strip For Better or For Worse but noted "that that one was already taken."
From simple stripes to intricate Fair Isle patterns, this resource provides a solid foundation and numerous examples of the best ways to bring knits to life. Full of gorgeous patterns and clear instructions, 15 top knitwear designers--including Veronik Avery, Mags Kandis, Deborah Newton, Kristin Nicholas, and Shirley Paden--provide inspiration and practical projects for the beginning and experienced knitter alike. From an easy-to-knit pullover that alternates narrow stripes of solid and variegated yarns to a multicolored Fair Isle cardigan worked with steeks, this guidebook is filled with projects that take advantage of the countless ways in which knits can be enriched with color.
