If the Raindrops United: Drawings and Cartoons

by Judah Friedlander

A book of hilarious and ingenious comic drawings from the popular 30 Rock star and "World Champion" comedian Judah Friedlander, hailed by Tina Fey as "one of the all-time great weirdos."

Most Americans know Judah Friedlander from his role as Frank Rossitano on 30 Rock and from appearances in films like American Splendor and The Wrestler . But long before he became a film and TV star and stand-up comic Friedlander drew stuff.
Now, in this quirky, hilarious, and surprisingly profound collection of drawings, Friedlander shows a new side to his "terrifically entertaining" ( New York Times ) comedy. Whether imagining George Washington in Las Vegas, plastic surgery for imperfect triangles, and the Keystone Pipeline as a sex act, Friedlander's "Joodles" push boundaries as they explore the absurdities of American life, sex, and even history and human rights. If the Raindrops United is a milestone in the career of one of America's most inventive comedians.

Praise for If the Raindrops United :

"Judah has drawn a weird and funny book in the grand '70s tradition of B. Kliban! I think this book will probably fix the world." -- Tina Fey

"Some people meditate. Some people masturbate. But if you don't have the time or patience for either of those, I recommend reading If the Raindrops United to calm down, have a little laugh, or a big think." -- Susan Sarandon

"I've known Judah for many years and I still don't understand how his mind works, but it sure works. Seriously strange. Seriously funny. A National Treasure. Sadly, I need to get a restraining order against him." -- Paul Giamatti

"Judah thank you for writing a funny twisted book. It is such an easy read. Even dum dums like me can enjoy it!!! Buy this book." -- Dave Attell

"Judah's drawings are deceptively simple, yet they become more compelling with every page. His talent as an actor/writer/comedian is further conveyed in ANOTHER medium. He's a Quadruple Threat. He wears many hats. Literally." -- Janeane Garofalo

"Reading Judah Friedlander's new book is a lot like hanging out with Judah occasionally baffling, frequently thought-provoking, but, most of all, consistently hilarious!" --Mick Foley

"To compare Judah Friedlander to a great cartoonist like Jim Davis would be a compliment to Jim Davis." -- Wyatt Cenac

"Another hit from The World Champ tackling the signs and symbols you frequently question while dropping hot lava in your American Standard VorMax." -- Eddie Huang

Genres: Humor, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Art, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Comedy

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

Reviews

[Ali Alhasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coffee table book. Always puts a smile on my face.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute for what it is - essentially a vanity pressing - but certainly not groundbreaking.

[James Park · Rating 1 out of 5]

where is my lighter fluid

[Adna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The stuff nightmares are made of.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see what you did there.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of amateur-ish drawings, many on the adult spectrum, some I didn't really understand, several...just weird, others made a good comment/stand against pollution. It was a quick read anyway...

[Judson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less funny than the hats were.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny.

[Vlad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy win for your reading numbers

[Daniel A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodness knows I tried to enjoy If the Raindrops United: Drawings and Cartoons by Judah Friedlander; unfortunately, Friedlander's reputation as a weirdo preceded him, and many, if not most, of the cartoons in this book were weird to the point of being disturbing.

[Asma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how one reviews a book of drawings and cartoons. There weren't necessarily many words (a few pages at most), but the doodles were enough to make readers think of what's important to Judah. Much of it is relevant to what's happening in the U.S, from social issues, to environmental issues. And some varies from being quickly understood to taking some time to sink in (mostly because I wasn't familiar with the references). Much like how he is on television, Friedlander inserts intelligent humor in his doodles, which I adored.

Overall though, this is a quaint book of doodles, that packs a lot of messages with deep thoughts, sometimes bordering controversial, but it was a delight to sift through.

For more book reviews, check out my blog A Reading Kabocha.

[Becki Iverson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be totally honest about Judah Frielander: I've always thought of him as a total weirdo, and never found him very funny. That being said, I became intrigued with this book after he did a bizarre interview on The Daily Show, and I'm glad I picked it up! An obsession with nipples and penises aside, most of his drawings are surprisingly insightful, and more than a few definitely make you pause to think. This is great for any fans of the Far Side comics, easy sketch-style illustration, liberal political leanings and off the wall humor.

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of drawings and cartoons has some hits and some misses. Judah Friedlander is a comedian who also stared in 30 Rock but we librarians know him best from his FIRST book which was highly successful "How to beat up anybody."

I think my favorite is his self portrait that appears on the cover. It gives me hope for my future as an artist.

[Christine Ott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I loved Judah Friedlander on 30 Rock, so I was excited to stumble across this book at the library yesterday. Some of it is quite clever, and some drawings are even funny. A couple pages offer biting commentary on our culture. But nearly 90% of the book is so-so. When I got to the last page, my first thought was, "Whew, I'm glad I didn't spend money on THAT."

[Toby Finke · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were at most 10 drawings that I thought were great, but the rest seemed childish. I went into this thinking it would be satirical, like a book SNL would use for inspiration, but it was just ggofy comics a kid could make.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whoever knew "guy from 30 rock with the beard and weird hats" (ie "Frank") was a poor man's David Shrigley? But, he is. Sorry, gotta stick with the original (to me) and best funnymorbid doodler: Shrigley.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was mediocre at best. I did laugh a few times, but I wasn't too impressed with the overall feel of the book. Some parts were really goofy and then others were super serious. Just not my kind of book.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was funny at times, political, sad profound and gross at others. A fun quick read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever and enjoyable drawings. Love Judah Friedlander.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually, I think Judah Friedlander is hilarious, but I just couldn't get into this book. A lot of the cartoons just weren't funny to me. It's not my kind of humor.

[Joseph Rizzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world champion drew a book. Interesting collection of bizarre and occasionally R rated humor.
I would describe some of it as Farside-ish.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I thought it was smart and funny.

[Tessa in Mid-Michigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather crude in places (somewhat obsessed with gender issues or sex?), quite pointed in his political cartoons (liberal pov's), but sometimes genius funny, a la Far Side.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird book, with some funny drawings. Some are just strange, but I liked how quirky it was.

[Karlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Judah Friedlander. Did not love this book.

[Andréa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty crude. Not a fan.

[Palak · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked it up because it was bestseller and had good reviews but I am disappointed. Maybe I just didn't get the humor.

[Jurgen Poci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting...hmm...to be revisited.

[Mekiah Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 0r 4 stars

The humor in this book was very clever, it's all pictures and a few words. An easy read.
And if you want some odd-ball stuff to laugh at, this book would be it.

[Marjorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

reminiscent of mad magazine stuff