Advanced Cartooning and Other Drawings

by B. Kliban

The late cartoonist's final collection exemplifies his versatility on subjects ranging from physics to history, his strange sense of humor, his artistic talent, and, of course, the Kliban cats. Original. 35,000 first printing.

Genres: Cartoon, Humor, Comics

156 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1993

About the author

Bernard "Hap" Kliban was a popular American cartoonist. He became an instant cartoon sensation after the publication of his groundbreaking book Cat in 1975. Some forty years after their initial appearance, Kliban’s quirky, colorful cat illustrations are adored icons and cherished friends of fans worldwide. One of the top cartoonists of the 20th century, Kliban contributed work to national magazines for over 30 years.

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit more of a mixed bag than Kliban collections usually are, perhaps because it was apparently still in the works when he died. Anyway, there are numerous very funny cartoons, numerous typically Kliban impenetrable ones, and lots of cats. Indeed, that's one of the odd features--several pages in the latter half are more of a cat sketchbook than a cartoon collection. Admittedly, the title of the book refers to the contents as "drawings," which is a broader term than "cartoon," but it still feels odd. Some of the "Drawings," as well--especially in the latter half of the book--seem roughly-hewn, even for Kliban, which makes me wonder whether the book was padded out with unfinished or originally discarded cartoons (many of these ones are also less brilliant than one expects of Kliban). Regardless, Kilban fans will find much to laugh at and much to scratch the head over here.

[Dylan Zucati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone on twitter did a thread of B. Kliban art and this was the only collection available at the library. Flew through this in under an hour and felt the same childlike joy I did discovering The Far Side in middle school. This is going to be one of those artists I think about all the time and every couple years look into whether anyone's put together a definitive edition yet.

[Deke · Rating 2 out of 5]

While still some very clever bits, overall a disappointment when compared with his other books. Feels more like an end-of-career hodgepodge of cartoons and drawings than a cohesive work.