School Is Hell

Life in Hell #3

by Matt Groening

Educate yourself with this comic compendium of cartoon strips from the genius behind The Simpsons.From kindergarten to graduation, this is a snapshot of school-life, featuring the befezzed duo Akbar and Jeff as well as Blinky, Bongo and Sheba the fuzzy rabbits, from the definitive doodler Matt Groening.The most hellish subject of all - school - is the subject of this vital tome, as Matt turns to his well of wit and wacky wizardry to create a comicopia of childhood. Lessons How to drive a crazy teacher crazier ( 3 annoying ways to ask to go to the lavatory).Teacher's can be illuminated too, with the Teacher's Guide to Words that Make Kids Snicker.Life in Hell was the syndicated newspaper cartoon strip by Matt Groening which ran in the States during the 80s and early 90s. Asked to turn the characters into TV animation, Groening instead developed The Simpsons, retaining many of the characteristics of Binky, Bongo, Sheba, Jeff and Akbar in the series. In a world where The Simpsons and Futurama are as popular as ever, these hellish cartoons featuring Matt Groening's zany brand of comic genius are simply gold dust.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Cartoon, Education, Comedy

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.

Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.

He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Reviews

[Paula Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

School is Hell. When the book first came out, I took it to school to share with my students. It proved to be so right-on that it passed all around and I never got it back. I think I gave away a few more. Now, I think I'll get another one for me.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's good stuff in here. Very funny and enjoyable.

[PoMo_Is_Trash · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 50% of this book is four or five star stuff. There's about one laugh-out loud joke on each page, along with lots of other good ones. The second half is stuff that I don't think was ever published, judging by the blurb on the back. It shows in the quality. It's about passable.

If you liked this, don't get "Work is Hell", "Childhood is Hell" etc. Go straight on to the "Big Book of Hell", which has the best parts of all of them.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The public library had these four books and I read them sometime in high school. I wound up buying them from the library later when they were getting rid of them. I often wish I could share some of these cartoons with my students, but they are not exactly appropriate.

[Megan Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this after Jeff & Akbar because I'm now officially on a Matt Groening kick. A truly dark look at school, including actual journals from Matt's childhood. Really smart and funny at the same time, paired perfectly with his ultra-simple Life in Hell illustrations. I'm obsessed.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should clarify that I "really liked it" when I was in 5th grade. Not sure if I still would.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

School is Hell, Groening is God.

[Sam D’Antonio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t lie, pretty boring, brutal stuff. It was cool to see some of the Life is Hell characters/Groening’s art in general and how they turned into fully fleshed out Simpsons characters.

[McKenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My dad is the one who told me that I should read this book. He is a huge fan of the Matt Groening series the Simpsons. I like the series as well however I don't know if I found this book to match the quality. I feel that I would have laughed more with the jokes if they were narrated because I could then hear the tone that they needed to be in. Otherwise, I feel that this is a good book for those who are a fan of his other work. HAPPY READING!

[Krista Lukas · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I give this charming cartoon book any less than five stars?

[AquaMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first encountered this book when I was...oh, about 9 or 10. And, while I didn't understand all the humor contained within, I, being a school student and immersed in daily school life, could certainly "get" much of it. And the rest? Well, it went right over my sweet and innocent little pig-tailed head. As did the concept of the early 80s Apple Computer game Liesure Suit Larry, which my cousins and I once hacked into by researching and memorizing the trivia you had to answer to "prove" you were over 18 (it was forbidden and we were curious). But I digress... Either way, my enjoyment of this book proves I was a fan of Matt Groening even before The Simpsons made their debut many years later.

I recently had the pleasure of re-reading this delightful book. And, even though my school days are far behind me (thankfully!), I snickered anew. At all the old jokes...and the ones I previously didn't get. Yes, some of the material is a bit dated (remember, this was created in the days before cell phones, MP3 players, the internet, and other modern inventions), but the old-schoolness of it is part of its charm.

No spoilers here. You'll have to check this out for yourselves!

[Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Haven't read this since I was in college in the late 80's. I remember loving it then, but it has definitely lost it's luster in the last 25 years. "Love In Hell" is definitely worth revisiting, but I think the rest can be skipped..... unless you just want to see the early workings of the mind that brought us "The Simpsons."

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit)]

This book used to hide in a backroom in my stepdad's house and my sisters and I would peruse its pages with its funny little characters and wonder if highschool really was 'hell'. Then we grew up and I forgot it existed. Coming across it here on Goodreads makes me wish I had it in my possession to look at again.

[Mawgojzeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these early cartoons from Matt Groening during the 1980s. Was so happy to discover a collection in a book a couple years after it was published. All these years later I still own the book and still enjoy the cartoons.

[M.kenosian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that I had plenty of company in my experience of grade school. I learned that I could laugh about it. Now.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more truthful book has never been written. Hilarious.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me get through middle school and beyond. Loved it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book behind my textbook in high school.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I owned this back in college way before "The Simpsons" were on the map.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

WELL, IT IS.

[Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book during middle school and referred back to it throughout the years for a chuckle, all the way into college. Thank you Matt Groening.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually one of the Life is Hell books I don't remember that much about, except that it's adorable, and my best friend and I bonded over it when I was in sixth grade.

[Colin Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me through Middle School, the deepest pit in Hell.

[Joseph Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it I could relate to almost all of it which makes it funny and anyone could find this enjoyable

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title really says it all. Scary in it's aptness, funny but sharp as nails.

[Fira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still with Matt Groening's style. School is hell is lighter to read than Work is hell. It makes me smile and smile reminding my school life. Good Job, Bongo.

[RA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha, required reading before, during and after school!!!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had this book as a teenager and it's just as funny as I remember it to be.

[Conrad Cotterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the term "hipster" may have origins with Mr. Gru-nink….

[Al Capwned · Rating 4 out of 5]

So true in a bitter and funny way at the same time. Matt Groening's early comic strips are really something.