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The Colossal Computer Cartoon Book
The Colossal Computer Cartoon Book is the best collection ever of computer cartoons from the 1970s! It features 120 pages of original cartoons and a preface by legendary editor and publisher David H. Ahl. It includes cartoons about robots, office life, computer dating, calculators, computers, and related technology. Laugh, chuckle, giggle, or groan and have a little cybernetic fun!
- GenresHumor
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1977
About the author
David H. Ahl
21 books1 followerLibrary of Congress Authorities: David H. Ahl
Books sometimes say only "David Ahl"
Books sometimes say only "David Ahl"
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
February 11, 2019
A lot of these cartoons are still funny today. And a lot of them were probably just as silly back in 1977. There is a lot of emulation going on here: one cartoonist (Paul Swan) does a very good job of emulating G. B. Trudeau’s style—both the drawing and the pacing—before he took his break and learned about shadow and perspective. Another (Cork) does a passable job emulating Edward Gorey’s dark humor. And Shary Flenniken does a great job of being Shary Flenniken.
A lot of the sillier cartoons involve a play on the word “bug”.
More interesting are ones like John Paine’s letterman telling the computer operator, “If it was mine, I’d pin-stripe and wax it!” Glamming up pocket computers like people used to glam up their hotrods is an entire industry today.
Some computer humor is timeless. I ended up sending “In case of air conditioning failure, break glass” (for an old-fashioned accordion bellows behind glass) to my previous place of employment, which was always having air-conditioning trouble in the server room.
And in proof that unexpected is also occasionally funny, one of my favorites is Sandy Dean’s cartoon of a man about to present an anniversary gift to a woman, and the tagline has her saying “Do I remember what special day it is? Hmmm… Of course! It’s Norbert Wiener’s birthday!”
It makes no sense. It’s more the idea of Norbert Wiener being in the punchline of any joke at all that’s funny.
A very good book of cartoons from the seventies, about how people, or at least cartoonists, who are like people, viewed computers and computer science.
A lot of the sillier cartoons involve a play on the word “bug”.
More interesting are ones like John Paine’s letterman telling the computer operator, “If it was mine, I’d pin-stripe and wax it!” Glamming up pocket computers like people used to glam up their hotrods is an entire industry today.
Some computer humor is timeless. I ended up sending “In case of air conditioning failure, break glass” (for an old-fashioned accordion bellows behind glass) to my previous place of employment, which was always having air-conditioning trouble in the server room.
And in proof that unexpected is also occasionally funny, one of my favorites is Sandy Dean’s cartoon of a man about to present an anniversary gift to a woman, and the tagline has her saying “Do I remember what special day it is? Hmmm… Of course! It’s Norbert Wiener’s birthday!”
It makes no sense. It’s more the idea of Norbert Wiener being in the punchline of any joke at all that’s funny.
A very good book of cartoons from the seventies, about how people, or at least cartoonists, who are like people, viewed computers and computer science.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review