Pure Ducky Goodness

Sheldon #1

by Dave Kellett

Dave Kellett brings you the first book collection of the popular daily comic strip, Sheldon! Selected favorites from the much-loved webcomic are collected in one beautifully bound volume. Take it with you wherever your jet-setting life may lead you—and enjoy the adventures of a 10-year-old software billionaire, his pet duck and the grandfather that raises them both. It's a wonderful mix of everyday family humor, pop culture references and the surreal!

Genres: Comics, Humor, Comic Strips, Graphic Novels, Webcomic, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Dave Kellett is the cartoonist of "Sheldon" (http://www.sheldoncomics.com).

Reviews

[Afryst · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful collection. Unlike most webcomics, which pride themselves on catering to a niche, Kellett's humour is refreshingly accessible, definitely hinting at a Bill Watterson influence. While his references sometimes tend towards the geekish, this by no means excludes the ordinary reader.

His strips frequently use the title character Sheldon (a 10-year old genius and billionaire) to lampoon contemporary adult attitudes, while his elderly grandfather struggles with the latest technological and cultural bric-a-brac. This commentary is blended with irreverence and downright sass from the other core character, Arthur the talking duck.

If this sounds too bizarre or impenetrable for your tastes, have no fear. Sheldon has that rarest of qualities, the ability to touch on sombre topics with subtlety and insight when required (though this is very occasional). When the tone once more shifts towards goofy, it never approaches disrespect, just honest affection. This deftness is the core of a truly heartwarming work.

The world of sequential art (and particularly webcomics) is a mixed bag, where quality varies wildly even within the same work. As the online archive of Sheldon strips will show, Kellett has produced a consistently high standard, though his early artwork is a bit rough. I have no doubt that everyone will find something to love in this and his other collections. Dave Kellett's following can only grow.

[Steve Chaput · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this comic strip. Sheldon is a ten year old boy, living with his Grandfather after the death of his parents. They own a pug and a duck. Who talks. Did I mention that Sheldon is a genius? His math program led to the creation of a company that earned him over a billion dollars. Just as an experiment he downloaded an encyclopedia into the brain of his pet duck, Arthur.

This collection introduces us to Sheldon, Gramps, Arthur and various other characters that Kellett created. It's a joy reading the strip which is available via Kellet's website and/or by e-mail. Every strip contains a smile and the more you get to know the characters the more some jokes will mean to you. Gramps' coffee addiction and failure with every diet he tries, rings a bit close to home for me and I love it. While some of the humor depends on knowledge of geek culture and literature, there are enough simpler gags that will enchant kids and adult.

[David H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retroactive Review (16 Nov 2023): This review is for the entire series. Unlike a lot of webcomics that have come and gone by since I started reading comics online, Sheldon has maintained its quality and sense of humor that just gels with mine so much. Sheldon is a billionaire boy with a talking duck who lives with his Gramps, but there's a lot of great nerd humor, too (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Mad Max, so on and so forth). Also, I love Gramps so much. There's also a lot of good jokes about pugs and coffee (not at the same time).

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read our Doonesbury collection a number of times start to finish. That is my measure of a collection of cartoons - can it be read more than once. This one certainly more than matches the criterion. There is a broad selection of topics from the production of art to growing old, from parenting to managing a multi million dollar corporation (although that is not quite as broadly applicable as the others). I enjoy the topics, like the drawing style and appreciate the humour. And it's Pacific Northwest.

[Matt Mazenauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me too long to get on the Sheldon bandwagon. Now loving the strip full time is easy, because it's consistently funny, earnestly cute, relatively original, and chock full of nerd humor. Unfortunately this first collection is a little sub-par, and clunky, as most first-book-in-the-collections are. Still totally worth reading.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get a kick out of reading this online so I bought the first book. Dave Kellet makes a lot of book and library references, which is another reason to love his comic. He did a great one about summer reading programs a few years ago but this book features the background of the series, the origin story, if you will.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Sheldon, a 10 year old genius who designed software to make the internet go faster. He's a huge geek.

Meet Gramps, the 65 year old ludite guardian of the boy wonder.

Meet Arthur, a talking duck due to some more software written by Sheldon.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is laugh out loud funny! I get out this book to re-read whenever I'm having a bad day; lifts my spirits right up. Better than chocolate (actually burns calories because of all of the belly laughs).

[Catorart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheldon is a consistently entertaining webcomic, well worth picking up in the collected print editions. I would have given this first book 5 stars, but the comic only gets better from here, so I had to leave myself some head room.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First Sheldon Collection, cliche as I may sound this strip is fabulous for all ages, for the young and young at heart. It has elements that everyone can relate to, especially in this information age.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheldon is a 10 year old Billionair who lives with his Grandpa and his talking pet Duck. It is the best comic strip about a 10 year old w/ a talking duck ever. everyone should read it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tee hee! Good fun. Check the strip out on the web and you will be hooked:

www.sheldoncomic.com

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute fav. webcomic. It makes me laugh, or smile every day.

[Mellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow the web comic and am looking forward to reading the books. This one has it all: young genius, old fart, talking duck, slightly less-than-bright dog, and cute gecko.

[Kurt Pankau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brisk introduction to the ever-charming world of Dave Kellet's Sheldon, the boy billionaire with a talking duck.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

good comic strip collection about the worlds brightest kid(At least I think so)

[Darin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still great. Probably my favorite comic strip ever.

[Potassium · Rating 5 out of 5]

:):)