What Would Satan Do?: Cartoons About Right, Wrong, and Very, Very Wrong

by Pat Byrnes

Whether you are an eternal equivocator or simply a person whose moral compass blows with the ethical wind, cartoonist Pat Byrnes delivers a delightfully depraved new cartoon book. A devilish play on the over-asked (if you ask us) "What Would Jesus Do?" question, this hilarious and edgy book delivers a host of witty cartoons on ethics in today's society.

The author himself would be the first to say we all like to think we know right from wrong, but in the heat of real-world moral decisions, things often arise to cloud our minds. From a doctor peeking into a patient's room to remark, "85 dollars just to poke my head through the door! Doesn't that make you sick?" to a minister telling his congregation, "I won't be giving a sermon today because you're all going to hell anyway," Byrnes's offbeat humor will delight anyone who has ever considered leaving a few (or all) of their morals behind. Byrnes offers guidance, too, to those still struggling with good and "If you know what would absolutely be wrong, then you know that you absolutely should search in the other direction."

Genres: Humor, Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Immigration Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very amusing examination of morality these days. AND it features heaven, hell, clergymen, and regular folks making decisions about right & wrong in all sorts of situations. What Would Satan Do? He'd read this book!

[Izabella Britten · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good and funny however, not funny enough for 5 stars I think it was a good work with some room for improvement.

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't very familiar with Pat Byrnes before I picked up this wondeful collection of his cartoons. He's evidently done a lot of work for The New Yorker, which is why he's well-known (to certain people - certainly not to me). I picked this up because I loved the title, not to mention the subtitle.

According to the introduction by the author, this book came about as a direct reaction to the phrase "What Would Jesus Do?" - something the author now believes is very overused. And really, how helpful is it to ask what Jesus would do in any given situation? Wouldn't it be more helpful to ask what Satan would do, and then do the exact opposite? Sure it would! Thus, the cartoons included in the book.

The humor runs the gamut here, from overt to subtle, from hilarious to groan-inducing. The artwork is great, with a mix of black & white and color 'toons. And I thought they were all quite funny. For example, one of my favorites shows two older, obviously rich, gentleman sitting in front of a fireplace. They have on their smoking jackets and slippers, and each has a glass of what appears to be brandy. The thinner of the two is looking at his companion and says "Release the hounds! That's your answer to everything." Too funny!


This won't take you long to read, maybe a half hour tops, so my advice is to see if your local library has it. Unless you really, really enjoy it, in which case you could certainly afford to buy it at the very reasonal rate of $14.95.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cartoons of the New Yorker variety are a long way from comic books or most newspaper comic strips when it comes to social commentary. Byrnes is a well-known practitioner of the slightly cynical cartoonist’s art, often giving the reader pause: “Wait -- What did he just say?” Like the businessman asking on the phone, “What’s our policy on honesty?” Or the magnate remarking to a younger manager, “When I lost my sense of humor, I lost my sense of compassion, which is how I got where I am today.” And sometimes his commentary is sharper, such as with the parents in front of a family camp-tent addressing their youngest child: “I’m sorry, Tommy, you’ve been voted out.”

[Rowena · Rating 4 out of 5]

hahaha it is so funny!!!!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep it in sight in my office.

[Cass · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really not worth reading, good ideas in most of them but only a couple were funny...

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very funny comic book and don't be turned off by title. It is really not all about Satan, but more of an expose' on the moral status of the country. Quick and dirty!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aptly read on December 26--Innocents Day. Done in barely half an hour, and that includes a break for fried plantains. Funny. Consumerism-funny. As only someone in advertising can make it out to be.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny. Pat Byrnes is quite clever.