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Pearls Before Swine #23-24
Pearls Awaits the Tide: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury
Prepare to get swept up in a tidal wave of hilarity, sarcasm, and atrocious puns courtesy of award-winning Pearls Before Swine cartoonist Stephan Pastis.
For the past 20 years, Pearls Before Swine has been one of the most popular and consistently hilarious comic strip in newspapers. This treasury packs in 18 months' worth of daily comic strips from 2018-2019, including an introduction, essay, and special commentary by the author.
For the past 20 years, Pearls Before Swine has been one of the most popular and consistently hilarious comic strip in newspapers. This treasury packs in 18 months' worth of daily comic strips from 2018-2019, including an introduction, essay, and special commentary by the author.
256 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2021
32 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Stephan Pastis
90 books444 followersStephan Pastis was born in 1968 and raised in San Marino, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989 with a degree in political science. Although he had always wanted to be a syndicated cartoonist, Pastis realized that the odds of syndication were slim, so he entered UCLA Law School in 1990 and became an attorney instead. He practiced law in the San Francisco Bay area from 1993 to 2002. While an attorney, he began submitting various comic strip concepts to all of the syndicates, and, like virtually all beginning cartoonists, got his fair share of rejection slips. Then, in 1997, he began drawing Pearls Before Swine, which he submitted to the syndicates in mid-1999. In December, 1999, he signed a contract with United.
Pearls Before Swine debuted in newspapers in January, 2002, and Pastis left his law practice in August of that year. Pearls Before Swine was nominated in 2003, 2004 and 2007 as "Best Newspaper Comic Strip" by the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) and won the award in 2004 and 2007. Pastis lives with his family in Northern California.
Pearls Before Swine debuted in newspapers in January, 2002, and Pastis left his law practice in August of that year. Pearls Before Swine was nominated in 2003, 2004 and 2007 as "Best Newspaper Comic Strip" by the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) and won the award in 2004 and 2007. Pastis lives with his family in Northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 7, 2023
4 stars
My first Pearls Before Swine collection. I met the Pearls in Garfield Magazine, which has been running since 1990 in Hungary, and always presents guest artists. Stephan Pastis is a regular.
Sharp, critical, very relevant, sarcastic, straightforward strips. My favorite character is Pig.
My first Pearls Before Swine collection. I met the Pearls in Garfield Magazine, which has been running since 1990 in Hungary, and always presents guest artists. Stephan Pastis is a regular.
Sharp, critical, very relevant, sarcastic, straightforward strips. My favorite character is Pig.
January 12, 2022
Since the author and I are about the same age, a lot of these dad jokes, bitter jabs, and belabored puns left me chuckling out loud. Pastis is pretty consistent even after all these years, leaning heavily this time into his pet peeves of political correctness and cancel culture. And as a bonus he even throws in short commentaries for most of the strips.
January 8, 2022
I'm one of the dinosaurs that still read the daily newspaper. I read it for four things
- The front page to give me a snapshot of what's going on in the world and my community. Good journalism is the rock of my information base.
- The sports page to tell me how my local teams are doing.
- The editorial page to challenge my opinions and puts the news into context.
- And the comics pages to make the other three go down smoothly and give me a chuckle for the day.
Comic strips started coming into their own during the depression. when people truly needed a lift, and they've continued as a critical part of the newspaper industry into today a century later. We can only take so much depressing news, and our deep-seated negativity biases put more weight on bad news stories over good ones. Comedy helps to take some of the edge off of the bad news of the day, making even the worst of it seem bearable while reminding us to laugh at the absurdities of everyday life. Late night talk shows from Johnny Carson's Tonight Show to Stephen Colbert's The Late Show have tried to intermix comic bits with real news, and their talented writing staffs have helped put bad news into healthier perspectives. Perhaps they know that going to bed with a smile on your face helps wipe away the day's negativity.
While many of the great cartoonists- Charles Schulz, Gary Larson, Mort Walker, Bill Watterson and Johnny Hart have died or retired, some of their strips have lived on through reruns or new people taking them over. Pearls Before Swine is, in my humble opinion, the best current comic strip by far, and this treasury, Pearls Awaits the Tide, does not disappoint with its full collection of mostly 2019 strips. Treasuries differ from most comic strip anthologies in that they present both color and black and white reprints, added with commentary from the cartoonist that can be both enlightening and silly.
I tend to forget most of what I read in the newspaper from year to year, but the comic strips stay with me forever. The comic strip royalty that I will always treasure include Peanuts, The Far Side, Bloom County, Doonesbury, Dilbert, and Calvin & Hobbes. These strips have to come up with over 200 original jokes or insights every year, which can't be easy. The best ones not only make us laugh, but make us think, and even touch our heart. Pearls does all three of those things.
Pearls is drawn by Stephan Pastis, an ex-lawyer from California who walked away from the legal profession to pursue his passion of drawing funny animals. Pastis idolized Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, meeting him once and even volunteering at the Schulz museum not far from his home. His strips are a mixture of bad puns, irreverent commentary on society, and playful poking at both himself and other cartoonists. He regularly breaks the fourth wall to appear in his own strip, and it's always in a self-deprecating way that makes his characters seem smarter than him.
Pearls Before Swine contains a comic ensemble of animal characters, but the two most important are named simply "Rat" and "Pig". Rat was Pastis' first creation, coming a decade before the strip was ever picked up, as a bored lawyer's doodle. Rat was an irreverent, immoral little asshole who would say whatever was on his mind, as long as it was funny. Pastis soon learned that Rat was just too dark of a character to be in a strip by himself, and eventually added more animal characters for balance.
Rat says a lot of things we'd like to say, and his musings can be dark and cynical but still ring true. He speaks the unspoken truths that most of us think but never say. But Rat rarely gets away with anything, on rare occasions even being nice.
In contrast to Rat, the true star of Pearls is Pig, a sweet, naive, and simple character who rarely understands the punch lines he creates. Where Rat is the strips' Id, Pig is its heart. Pig cares about his fellow creatures, even his "girlfriend", Pigita, who is always putting him down. His sweet vulnerability is exposed regularly, and while the strip pokes gentle fun at his stupidity, he ends up with the best lines of the comic pages. The interplay between Rat and Pig is Yin and Yang at its best, with Pig usually coming out on top.
Other notable characters include Goat, the resident intellectual, who is given little to do other than comment on the lunacy around him. If Pig is the heart, and Rat is the Id, then Goat is the logical brain. Like with humans, the brain generally is powerless against the other two forces.
Zebra plays the hapless prey of the hilariously clueless Crocodiles, and their back and forth is always a highlight. Their interplay reminds me of Road Runner and Coyote, if the coyote were 10 times stupider and could talk.
There are a few humans in the Pearls universe, most notably cyclist Jeff, who Pastis paints as egotistical and stuck up, and the Comic Book Censor, a caricature of cancel culture who's always a step behind the naughty bits that Pastis slips through. But the most important human character is Pastis himself, who inserts himself regularly into the strip to poke fun at himself. Pastis loves a bad pun, but he punishes himself through his characters after each one.
And then once in a while, on the full-color, oversized panels for the Sunday newspapers, Pastis throws out all his characters and gets on his soapbox to advocate for something he truly cares about. He uses his platform to tout the importance of reading books, having an independent mind, supporting local newspapers, and being kind to each other. These beautiful and poignant bits of comedy make my newspaper subscription worth every penny.
The steady stream of news today can be disheartening and confusing. Our brains are wired to look for the worst of it and discount the good stuff. That's why it's so important to have people like Stephen Pastis and comic strips like Pearls to help us put it into perspective and laugh at it. I encourage people to support their local newspapers whenever possible. For those who don't or can't read a local newspaper, check his strips out on his Facebook page or GoComics.com , or buy these treasuries, of which this one is number 12.
Cartoonists have one of the toughest paths to publishing. It took Pastis nearly a decade to get noticed, and very few strips break through anymore because of all the old strips (Blondie, Family Circus, Beetle Bailey) that won't ever die. If we're lucky, we get one or two cartoonists per generation that become popular enough to make a difference, and this strip is one of the rare ones. Keep watching the news for sure, especially from professional, varied sources- but mix that with some comic relief whenever possible, because all the news in the world won't help you if you lose your faith in humanity.
- The front page to give me a snapshot of what's going on in the world and my community. Good journalism is the rock of my information base.
- The sports page to tell me how my local teams are doing.
- The editorial page to challenge my opinions and puts the news into context.
- And the comics pages to make the other three go down smoothly and give me a chuckle for the day.
Comic strips started coming into their own during the depression. when people truly needed a lift, and they've continued as a critical part of the newspaper industry into today a century later. We can only take so much depressing news, and our deep-seated negativity biases put more weight on bad news stories over good ones. Comedy helps to take some of the edge off of the bad news of the day, making even the worst of it seem bearable while reminding us to laugh at the absurdities of everyday life. Late night talk shows from Johnny Carson's Tonight Show to Stephen Colbert's The Late Show have tried to intermix comic bits with real news, and their talented writing staffs have helped put bad news into healthier perspectives. Perhaps they know that going to bed with a smile on your face helps wipe away the day's negativity.
While many of the great cartoonists- Charles Schulz, Gary Larson, Mort Walker, Bill Watterson and Johnny Hart have died or retired, some of their strips have lived on through reruns or new people taking them over. Pearls Before Swine is, in my humble opinion, the best current comic strip by far, and this treasury, Pearls Awaits the Tide, does not disappoint with its full collection of mostly 2019 strips. Treasuries differ from most comic strip anthologies in that they present both color and black and white reprints, added with commentary from the cartoonist that can be both enlightening and silly.
I tend to forget most of what I read in the newspaper from year to year, but the comic strips stay with me forever. The comic strip royalty that I will always treasure include Peanuts, The Far Side, Bloom County, Doonesbury, Dilbert, and Calvin & Hobbes. These strips have to come up with over 200 original jokes or insights every year, which can't be easy. The best ones not only make us laugh, but make us think, and even touch our heart. Pearls does all three of those things.
Pearls is drawn by Stephan Pastis, an ex-lawyer from California who walked away from the legal profession to pursue his passion of drawing funny animals. Pastis idolized Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, meeting him once and even volunteering at the Schulz museum not far from his home. His strips are a mixture of bad puns, irreverent commentary on society, and playful poking at both himself and other cartoonists. He regularly breaks the fourth wall to appear in his own strip, and it's always in a self-deprecating way that makes his characters seem smarter than him.
Pearls Before Swine contains a comic ensemble of animal characters, but the two most important are named simply "Rat" and "Pig". Rat was Pastis' first creation, coming a decade before the strip was ever picked up, as a bored lawyer's doodle. Rat was an irreverent, immoral little asshole who would say whatever was on his mind, as long as it was funny. Pastis soon learned that Rat was just too dark of a character to be in a strip by himself, and eventually added more animal characters for balance.
Rat says a lot of things we'd like to say, and his musings can be dark and cynical but still ring true. He speaks the unspoken truths that most of us think but never say. But Rat rarely gets away with anything, on rare occasions even being nice.
In contrast to Rat, the true star of Pearls is Pig, a sweet, naive, and simple character who rarely understands the punch lines he creates. Where Rat is the strips' Id, Pig is its heart. Pig cares about his fellow creatures, even his "girlfriend", Pigita, who is always putting him down. His sweet vulnerability is exposed regularly, and while the strip pokes gentle fun at his stupidity, he ends up with the best lines of the comic pages. The interplay between Rat and Pig is Yin and Yang at its best, with Pig usually coming out on top.
Other notable characters include Goat, the resident intellectual, who is given little to do other than comment on the lunacy around him. If Pig is the heart, and Rat is the Id, then Goat is the logical brain. Like with humans, the brain generally is powerless against the other two forces.
Zebra plays the hapless prey of the hilariously clueless Crocodiles, and their back and forth is always a highlight. Their interplay reminds me of Road Runner and Coyote, if the coyote were 10 times stupider and could talk.
There are a few humans in the Pearls universe, most notably cyclist Jeff, who Pastis paints as egotistical and stuck up, and the Comic Book Censor, a caricature of cancel culture who's always a step behind the naughty bits that Pastis slips through. But the most important human character is Pastis himself, who inserts himself regularly into the strip to poke fun at himself. Pastis loves a bad pun, but he punishes himself through his characters after each one.
And then once in a while, on the full-color, oversized panels for the Sunday newspapers, Pastis throws out all his characters and gets on his soapbox to advocate for something he truly cares about. He uses his platform to tout the importance of reading books, having an independent mind, supporting local newspapers, and being kind to each other. These beautiful and poignant bits of comedy make my newspaper subscription worth every penny.
The steady stream of news today can be disheartening and confusing. Our brains are wired to look for the worst of it and discount the good stuff. That's why it's so important to have people like Stephen Pastis and comic strips like Pearls to help us put it into perspective and laugh at it. I encourage people to support their local newspapers whenever possible. For those who don't or can't read a local newspaper, check his strips out on his Facebook page or GoComics.com , or buy these treasuries, of which this one is number 12.
Cartoonists have one of the toughest paths to publishing. It took Pastis nearly a decade to get noticed, and very few strips break through anymore because of all the old strips (Blondie, Family Circus, Beetle Bailey) that won't ever die. If we're lucky, we get one or two cartoonists per generation that become popular enough to make a difference, and this strip is one of the rare ones. Keep watching the news for sure, especially from professional, varied sources- but mix that with some comic relief whenever possible, because all the news in the world won't help you if you lose your faith in humanity.
January 8, 2022
Pearls is the perfect modern comic strip, so I have no idea why people are always saying the funny pages are worthless these days. Awaits the Tide has the added benefit of a perfect confluence of its natural tendencies and the world at large rising ever bravely to confirm them. Plus Stephan’s commentary is always great.
August 21, 2022
It has to be a testament to Pastis' writing that this leans way too heavily into "anti PC" culture, but somehow isn't unbearable. I like the strip but this was definitely on the longer side as a casual reader.
dnf-nfn
September 17, 2023DNF (Did Not Finish) @ 6%
I had quite enjoyed this comic strip a decade or two ago when I would see it in the newspaper, but when I picked up this collection I realized my humor style just doesn't jive with the author's at this point. A lot of the comics were focused on middle-aged guy problems and didn't really speak to me. Oh well!
I had quite enjoyed this comic strip a decade or two ago when I would see it in the newspaper, but when I picked up this collection I realized my humor style just doesn't jive with the author's at this point. A lot of the comics were focused on middle-aged guy problems and didn't really speak to me. Oh well!
May 19, 2023
Asi nemůžu napsat nic, co bych nepsal už u minulé knihy. Přijde mi trochu škoda, že se Pastis vzdal nějakých delších příběhů (samozřejmě, složených ze stripů), a sanozřejmě, většina nápadů se v různých obměnách opakuje, ale pořád si série udržuje styl a solidní kvalitu. Objevují se tu i vážnější témata a mezi slovními hříčkami čím dál víc vybublává skepse ze současného světa. Jedněmi z témat je konec novinařiny na úkor internetových senzací a to, jak si lidi zvykli se nad vším pohoršovat a propukat v spravedlivé rozhořčení. A to psal ještě v době před Covidem, od té doby se to všechno ještě znásobilo.
Ale klid, vedle vtípků na téma rozdělení lidstva prostřednictvím techniky jsou tu klasické invektivy na účet politiků a cyklistů (kteří odmítají, když se vzhledem k nimi používá termín cyklista, který se jim zdá příliš pejorativní) a usilovné snahy propašovat do stripů nevhodná slova. (Což mi připomnělo tu scénku ze Saturday Night Live, kdy firma „Sofa King“ prodávala tak skvělé pohovky, že se staly kvalitou sama pro sebe. Nebyl jen dobré, byly „Sofa King Great“. Bylo to v hlavním vysílacím čase, ale cenzoři měli smůlu.)
U stripů, zvláště vycházejících takhle dlouho, je asi nejdůležitější, jestli jste s autorem naladěni na stejnou vlnu a hodláte ho poslouchat, i když znáte většinu jeho triků. Což u Pastise celkem jsem.
Ale klid, vedle vtípků na téma rozdělení lidstva prostřednictvím techniky jsou tu klasické invektivy na účet politiků a cyklistů (kteří odmítají, když se vzhledem k nimi používá termín cyklista, který se jim zdá příliš pejorativní) a usilovné snahy propašovat do stripů nevhodná slova. (Což mi připomnělo tu scénku ze Saturday Night Live, kdy firma „Sofa King“ prodávala tak skvělé pohovky, že se staly kvalitou sama pro sebe. Nebyl jen dobré, byly „Sofa King Great“. Bylo to v hlavním vysílacím čase, ale cenzoři měli smůlu.)
U stripů, zvláště vycházejících takhle dlouho, je asi nejdůležitější, jestli jste s autorem naladěni na stejnou vlnu a hodláte ho poslouchat, i když znáte většinu jeho triků. Což u Pastise celkem jsem.
February 18, 2022
I know a comic strip may seem like a little thing. It is, really. But this strip in particular never fails to lift my spirits. And these days, we all need some lifting.
I always enjoy the insights I get from the notes in these treasuries. This one in particular seemed to be more revealing - practically intimate - with Stephan (may I call you Stephan?) sharing details of his life, family, faith and friendships. It spoke to me. Thanks.
If you're reading this to decide if you should buy this book, let me warn you: Pearls can be dark at times. Sarcastic, biting, occasionally vulgar... but there's heart here, and real caring. The characters have changed and developed over the years. You will get something out of this which will benefit you. That's a lot to get from a comic strip. Go buy the book.
I always enjoy the insights I get from the notes in these treasuries. This one in particular seemed to be more revealing - practically intimate - with Stephan (may I call you Stephan?) sharing details of his life, family, faith and friendships. It spoke to me. Thanks.
If you're reading this to decide if you should buy this book, let me warn you: Pearls can be dark at times. Sarcastic, biting, occasionally vulgar... but there's heart here, and real caring. The characters have changed and developed over the years. You will get something out of this which will benefit you. That's a lot to get from a comic strip. Go buy the book.
April 26, 2022
Yet another strong treasury collection of Pearls Before Swine. The puns, the sarcasm, the dark humor, the clean artwork, it's all here as usual. Pastis' commentary is often as amusing as the strips themselves.
It's interesting to see the strip catch up to current time, since I only read it in collections. The final strips of this treasury were published right as the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning in the United States. While there's no mention of that event since Pastis is usually months ahead of schedule, there's still a prescient strip or two.
It's interesting to see the strip catch up to current time, since I only read it in collections. The final strips of this treasury were published right as the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning in the United States. While there's no mention of that event since Pastis is usually months ahead of schedule, there's still a prescient strip or two.
August 2, 2023
Absolutely hilarious and (occasionally) touching and often thought provoking. I've been a "Pearls Before Swine" fan for years. In 2022 my husband and I had the honor of meeting Stephan Pastis at one of his book signings. We brought three volumes of "Pearls" for him to sign and he not only signed them, but drew a cartoon character in each book. Stephan spoke to the everyone in attendance at length. He was so warm, funny and engaging. Such a great experience. I encourage everyone to read "Pearls." You won't be disappointed!
Read
December 3, 2024I love pearls before swine. I lived for a few years recently in a house that got a paper delivered and laughed every single time I read the daily strip. I don't want to read it on a computer. I get distracted when it's a compilation of comics with the author's commentary underneath, which is what this is. It throws the rhythm off
January 8, 2022
Life in three (or more) panels
I live for Pearls! Great collection of Steph's comic and a great guide to life. Try every day to be a little more like Pig and a little less like Rat. And for God's sake... Don't be like Larry!
I live for Pearls! Great collection of Steph's comic and a great guide to life. Try every day to be a little more like Pig and a little less like Rat. And for God's sake... Don't be like Larry!
February 1, 2022
Pearls Before Swine is one of my favorite comics because it’s so witty and hilarious. I especially like the characters Rat and Pig whose comical exchanges often have me howling with laughter. This comic is a guaranteed mood booster and I highly recommend this book.
August 1, 2022
Brilliant social commentary from a humorous comic strip that has become one of my favorites of recent years. I absolutely adore Pearls Before Swine, and I agree with Pastis that Blue Star Donuts is the best donut shop in Portland.
June 12, 2023
Very punny take on modern life with strips taken from 2019. Rat is the selfish ID, Goat the highly moral superego, and Pig the lovable ego just trying to keep hope alive in the existential horror of everyday life. Entertaining and thoughtful!
January 17, 2022
I love these Pearls Before Swine treasuries and was happy to see guard duck
January 19, 2022
These books consistently made me giggle out loud. Some days/years...you just need that.
January 20, 2022
I always enjoy the Stephan Pastis's commentary in these treasuries as much as the comics.
January 22, 2022
Brilliant as usual! Love the treasuries for Stephan’s comments!
February 7, 2022
I got this for Christmas from a friend. It’s funny as always. Enjoyed it immensely.
March 27, 2022
Lots of puns, reminders that good journalism is worth paying for, and rants against cyclists and political correctness.
Read
April 12, 2022fun as usual :D
April 26, 2022
Many brilliant strips. A lot of dry commentary from Mr. Pastis. Generally a magnificent collection.
June 8, 2022
A great collection of Pearls Before Swine strips! This book is the first time I've read Pearls, and a great introduction to the strip. Bravo!
August 10, 2022
I giggled and laughed so much, both at the strips and at the comments. This strip gets better the more of it you read.
December 17, 2022
Pearls Awaits the Tide by Stephan Pastis – A master of the pun and the creator of the most obnoxious rat in cartoons lol. Happy Reading!
January 3, 2023
J'ai adoré
Un humour varié et intelligent. Aucun talent en dessin, mais who cares!!! Très bon livre, je recommande. J'ai eu un bon temps.
Un humour varié et intelligent. Aucun talent en dessin, mais who cares!!! Très bon livre, je recommande. J'ai eu un bon temps.
May 15, 2023
i would have given this 5 stars, but he states that it's okay to put ketchup on a hot dog, and he is clearly wrong.
July 23, 2024
Tied with Calvin and Hobbes among my favorite comics (Far Side will always be #1). The commentary below the strips in this book are a bonus.
September 11, 2024
Pastis continues to put out predictable entertainment.
Predictable isn't a bad thing.
Predictable isn't a bad thing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews