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Action Philosophers #Vol. 1
Action Philosophers! Giant-Sized Thing, Vol. 1
Action Philosophers! details the lives and thoughts of history's A-list brain trust in a hip and humorous fashion that proves that philosophy is not just the province of boring, tweed-enveloped professors.
Action Philosophers! Giant-Sized Thing, Volume 1 collects the first three sold-out issues of the smash-hit award-winning comic book series, from writer Fred Van Lente and artist Ryan Dunlavey.
Action Philosophers! Giant-Sized Thing, Volume 1 collects the first three sold-out issues of the smash-hit award-winning comic book series, from writer Fred Van Lente and artist Ryan Dunlavey.
94 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2006
14 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Fred Van Lente
1,353 books320 followersFred Van Lente is the New York Times-bestselling author of comics as varied as Archer & Armstrong (Harvey Award nominee, Best Series), Taskmaster, MODOK's 11, Amazing Spider-Man, Conan the Avenger, Weird Detective, and Cowboys & Aliens (upon which the 2011 movie was based), as well as the novels Ten Dead Comedians and The Con Artist.
Van Lente also specializes in entertaining readers with offbeat histories with the help of his incredibly talented artists. He has written the multiple-award winning Action Philosophers!, The Comic Book History of Comics, Action Presidents! (all drawn by Ryan Dunlavey), and The Comic Book Story of Basketball with Joe Cooper (Ten Speed September 2020).
He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Crystal Skillman, and some mostly ungrateful cats.
Van Lente also specializes in entertaining readers with offbeat histories with the help of his incredibly talented artists. He has written the multiple-award winning Action Philosophers!, The Comic Book History of Comics, Action Presidents! (all drawn by Ryan Dunlavey), and The Comic Book Story of Basketball with Joe Cooper (Ten Speed September 2020).
He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Crystal Skillman, and some mostly ungrateful cats.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 4, 2015
Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s Action Philosophers takes bite-sized looks at mankind’s greatest philosophers, their lives and their teachings – and it’s brilliant!
This first volume includes: Plato, Bodhidharma, St Augustine, Thomas Jefferson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Ayn Rand and Joseph Campbell with chapters ranging from 6 to 14 pages per philosopher.
It’s really impressive how Van Lente is able to condense complex theories and biographies into such a small number of pages. Unfortunately for me the philosophies are comprehensible while reading, especially with the assistance of Dunlavey’s humorous and enlightening artwork, but I almost never retain the nuances communicated!
Instead, I appreciate the biographical elements to the philosophers more. Like the way Plato’s drawn as a Hulk-like wrestler, which isn’t just a jokey reference to the title “Action Philosophers”, but he was actually an aspiring wrestler in his youth! I also learned that Bodhidharma invented Zen Buddhism AND kung fu and that for all Ayn Rand’s cold intelligence, it was a cheating lover that ensured her legacy would be severely diminished for years – the heart beating even the smartest brains!
It’s a very minor complaint but aside from Plato the wrestler and Bodhidharma the kung fu master, the other philosophers don’t really live up to the “Action” part of the title as opposed to later books where Marx was reimagined as Rambo and Derrida was The Deconstructonator (riffing on The Terminator). It doesn’t take away from any enjoyment of the book though.
Action Philosophers Volume 1 is an excellent read for guys like me who have a passing interest in philosophy but don’t want to invest too much time reading lengthy bios/dense philosophical tracts! It’s a wonderful collection of entertaining and informative comics – highly recommended!
This first volume includes: Plato, Bodhidharma, St Augustine, Thomas Jefferson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Ayn Rand and Joseph Campbell with chapters ranging from 6 to 14 pages per philosopher.
It’s really impressive how Van Lente is able to condense complex theories and biographies into such a small number of pages. Unfortunately for me the philosophies are comprehensible while reading, especially with the assistance of Dunlavey’s humorous and enlightening artwork, but I almost never retain the nuances communicated!
Instead, I appreciate the biographical elements to the philosophers more. Like the way Plato’s drawn as a Hulk-like wrestler, which isn’t just a jokey reference to the title “Action Philosophers”, but he was actually an aspiring wrestler in his youth! I also learned that Bodhidharma invented Zen Buddhism AND kung fu and that for all Ayn Rand’s cold intelligence, it was a cheating lover that ensured her legacy would be severely diminished for years – the heart beating even the smartest brains!
It’s a very minor complaint but aside from Plato the wrestler and Bodhidharma the kung fu master, the other philosophers don’t really live up to the “Action” part of the title as opposed to later books where Marx was reimagined as Rambo and Derrida was The Deconstructonator (riffing on The Terminator). It doesn’t take away from any enjoyment of the book though.
Action Philosophers Volume 1 is an excellent read for guys like me who have a passing interest in philosophy but don’t want to invest too much time reading lengthy bios/dense philosophical tracts! It’s a wonderful collection of entertaining and informative comics – highly recommended!
September 18, 2024
Fantastic but make sure you check out the completed edition instead.
From wikipedia:
Action Philosophers #1-3
# 1: - Nietzsche, Bodhidharma, & Plato: "Wrestling Superstar of Ancient Greece!", featuring one of the series' most famous lines, "PLATO SMASH!"
# 2: - The "All Sex Special", featuring Ayn Rand, Thomas Jefferson, & Saint Augustine.
# 3: - "Self Help for Stupid Ugly Losers" featuring Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, & Joseph Campbell.
From wikipedia:
Action Philosophers #1-3
# 1: - Nietzsche, Bodhidharma, & Plato: "Wrestling Superstar of Ancient Greece!", featuring one of the series' most famous lines, "PLATO SMASH!"
# 2: - The "All Sex Special", featuring Ayn Rand, Thomas Jefferson, & Saint Augustine.
# 3: - "Self Help for Stupid Ugly Losers" featuring Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, & Joseph Campbell.
August 8, 2017
Pertama kali saya baca buku ini sewaktu sedang butek-buteknya belajar di kelas Dasar-Dasar Filsafat. Waktu itu, saya meminjam ini dari seorang teman dan setelah membacanya..... *cling cling* SAUDARA-SAUDARA, SAYA JADI MEMAHAMI ARTI KEHIDUPAN!!
.......oke, nggak sampai begitu juga sih. Namun, saya memang sangat merasakan gunanya komik edukasi ini. Di volume pertama, 9 filsuf terkemuka dan pemikiran berpengaruh mereka ditampilkan dengan kombinasi penjelasan apik + gambar jenaka. Plato, Bodhidarma, Nietzsche, Jefferson, St Agustinus, Rand, Freud, Jung, Campbell.... sosok yang kalau di teks akademis berkesan 'pemikir ide-ide jenius bin njelimet' jadi terasa lebih akrab karena digambarkan sebagai 'orang-orang sableng yang hobi menghabiskan waktu dengan mikir yang aneh-aneh' (.....sebentar, itu mah saya).
Riwayat hidup para pemikir ini diceritakan dengan singkat tapi padat. Ada landasan konteks yang kuat dalam menjelaskan bagaimana mereka dapat menghasilkan berbagai pemikiran kontroversial, dibumbui sentuhan humor sarkastis nan cerdas. Duet penulis buku ini tak segan 'menelanjangi' hal-hal yang tidak sinkron dalam sepak terjang para filsuf, seperti kontradiksi dalam diri Thomas Jefferson:
Jefferson: Semua manusia itu setara! Hapus perbudakan!!
Audiensi: ......lho, Anda sendiri punya 200 budak yang mengurusi tanah Anda?
Jefferson: *pura-pura budek*
Humor sarkastis dan nakal memang sulit diterjemahkan, tapi alih bahasa dalam komik ini sudah cukup baik.... terlepas dari beberapa pelokalan dialog yang rasanya agak kebablasan (".... aku udah rencana mau ke Glodok buat beli Playstation" Errrr).
(*LOL @ "Mama, kenalkan ini Judy, ibu saya .... eh! Anu, maksudnya istri saya..." <- penjelasan Freudian Slip).
Konsep kompleks seperti dunia bendanya Plato, objektivismenya Rand, psikoanalisisnya Freud dan Jung, dan lain-lain tergolong sukar dipahami bila hanya dibaca melalui teks deskriptif. Melalui dialog narasi dan perumpamaan visual, komik ini pun membuat konsep-konsep tersebut jadi lebih mudah dipahami tanpa menghilangkan esensinya.
Untuk mendalami setiap konsep lebih lanjut, tentunya perlu membaca bahan lain dan terutama sekali diskusi dengan berbagai orang. Namun, komik ini dapat menjadi sumber referensi awal yang memberantas persepsi bahwa dunia filsafat adalah dunia yang suram dan mengawang-awang. Karena dunia ini memang pada dasarnya sableng, mari ngakak dan merenung bersama para filsuf sableng....
.......oke, nggak sampai begitu juga sih. Namun, saya memang sangat merasakan gunanya komik edukasi ini. Di volume pertama, 9 filsuf terkemuka dan pemikiran berpengaruh mereka ditampilkan dengan kombinasi penjelasan apik + gambar jenaka. Plato, Bodhidarma, Nietzsche, Jefferson, St Agustinus, Rand, Freud, Jung, Campbell.... sosok yang kalau di teks akademis berkesan 'pemikir ide-ide jenius bin njelimet' jadi terasa lebih akrab karena digambarkan sebagai 'orang-orang sableng yang hobi menghabiskan waktu dengan mikir yang aneh-aneh' (.....sebentar, itu mah saya).
Riwayat hidup para pemikir ini diceritakan dengan singkat tapi padat. Ada landasan konteks yang kuat dalam menjelaskan bagaimana mereka dapat menghasilkan berbagai pemikiran kontroversial, dibumbui sentuhan humor sarkastis nan cerdas. Duet penulis buku ini tak segan 'menelanjangi' hal-hal yang tidak sinkron dalam sepak terjang para filsuf, seperti kontradiksi dalam diri Thomas Jefferson:
Jefferson: Semua manusia itu setara! Hapus perbudakan!!
Audiensi: ......lho, Anda sendiri punya 200 budak yang mengurusi tanah Anda?
Jefferson: *pura-pura budek*
Humor sarkastis dan nakal memang sulit diterjemahkan, tapi alih bahasa dalam komik ini sudah cukup baik.... terlepas dari beberapa pelokalan dialog yang rasanya agak kebablasan (".... aku udah rencana mau ke Glodok buat beli Playstation" Errrr).
(*LOL @ "Mama, kenalkan ini Judy, ibu saya .... eh! Anu, maksudnya istri saya..." <- penjelasan Freudian Slip).
Konsep kompleks seperti dunia bendanya Plato, objektivismenya Rand, psikoanalisisnya Freud dan Jung, dan lain-lain tergolong sukar dipahami bila hanya dibaca melalui teks deskriptif. Melalui dialog narasi dan perumpamaan visual, komik ini pun membuat konsep-konsep tersebut jadi lebih mudah dipahami tanpa menghilangkan esensinya.
Untuk mendalami setiap konsep lebih lanjut, tentunya perlu membaca bahan lain dan terutama sekali diskusi dengan berbagai orang. Namun, komik ini dapat menjadi sumber referensi awal yang memberantas persepsi bahwa dunia filsafat adalah dunia yang suram dan mengawang-awang. Karena dunia ini memang pada dasarnya sableng, mari ngakak dan merenung bersama para filsuf sableng....
July 1, 2008
A great pick for people who fancy themselves to be intellectuals but really prefer reading comic books. Not only did this book cover the basic philosophies espoused by several great thinkers, it also provided important biographical information (who knew that Ayn Rand had a thing for much younger men?). I'm looking forward to reading the second volume!
March 26, 2023
This reminds me of the Very Short Introduction... series, plus Paul Cobley's comic book "Introducing Semiotics": a shallow introduction allowing the reader to quickly absorb core concepts and survey whether they're interested in learning more.
July 2, 2022
The opening and closing chapters were my favourites: Plato and Joseph Campbell (of The Hero's Journey fame). I also liked Nietzsche reading to his nephews.
18 June 2022: copying my text update here in case it is disappeared:
May 16, 2022 – page 14
15.22% "Chapter 1: Plato. Some fun little details: Socrates' poison cup is a cocktail glass complete with umbrella, and Plato (an aspiring wrestler in his youth) wears a luchador mask and dreams of the Village People."
18 June 2022: copying my text update here in case it is disappeared:
May 16, 2022 – page 14
15.22% "Chapter 1: Plato. Some fun little details: Socrates' poison cup is a cocktail glass complete with umbrella, and Plato (an aspiring wrestler in his youth) wears a luchador mask and dreams of the Village People."
January 11, 2008
A nice and light hearted black and white comics that is a touch off beat. I'll be honest the graphics are more cartoon than art, the paper is pulp, and the content introductory - but still this is a real nice piece of intro via comics to a ever widening range of 'philosophers' as the series spirals ever outward.
By 'philosophers' being in quotes I mean to direct your attention to the fact that the book takes a certain liberty in the term that includes people not often thought to be philosophers. Maybe thinkers would be better. But then Action Thinkers sounds more in line with self help books.
This is not serious stuff though and if your expecting to learn much about details you seriously need to reconsider the source material you choose for your philosophical commentary. Perfect for those of us from 12 to 18 - but the shtick will annoy anyone older who isn't immune to sophomoric humor mixed with their high-falutin concepts.
By 'philosophers' being in quotes I mean to direct your attention to the fact that the book takes a certain liberty in the term that includes people not often thought to be philosophers. Maybe thinkers would be better. But then Action Thinkers sounds more in line with self help books.
This is not serious stuff though and if your expecting to learn much about details you seriously need to reconsider the source material you choose for your philosophical commentary. Perfect for those of us from 12 to 18 - but the shtick will annoy anyone older who isn't immune to sophomoric humor mixed with their high-falutin concepts.
June 29, 2007
Plato Smash!
The idea of having Plato speak like The Hulk might sound ridiculous in a book that claims to be (at least somewhat) historically accurate. But remember the book is also trying to entertain, and make philosophy fun. No, Plato was not a professional wrestler, but his tendency to destroy to theories of those before him lends itself to this adapted personality. In the end, it all makes sense (somewhat).
Anyway, Action Philosophers is not only enjoyable, but incredibly factual. I actually learned stuff from this book in easy to understand 20 pages stories that my former philosophy professors took 4 months to even attempt to have us understand. They should have used this.
I met Van Lente at NYCC and he convinced me to pick these books up. Quite possibly the best purchase of that day.
The idea of having Plato speak like The Hulk might sound ridiculous in a book that claims to be (at least somewhat) historically accurate. But remember the book is also trying to entertain, and make philosophy fun. No, Plato was not a professional wrestler, but his tendency to destroy to theories of those before him lends itself to this adapted personality. In the end, it all makes sense (somewhat).
Anyway, Action Philosophers is not only enjoyable, but incredibly factual. I actually learned stuff from this book in easy to understand 20 pages stories that my former philosophy professors took 4 months to even attempt to have us understand. They should have used this.
I met Van Lente at NYCC and he convinced me to pick these books up. Quite possibly the best purchase of that day.
January 18, 2010
What is not to love about Action Philosophers? Van Lente & Dunlavely present the core ideas of the great philosophers in a humorous irreverent style that actually does not misrepresent or over-simplify too much. I'm not sure if the goal here is to expose comic book readers to the great thinkers of the past, or just give a laugh to former philosophy majors.
August 13, 2008
Not a narrative story, but comic mini-biographies of Plato, Nietzsche, Freud, etc. See the slaves of Monticello tap Thomas Jefferson on the shoulder and ask, "What about us?" Watch as Ayn Rand's rationalization skills crumble when her lover starts sleeping with a student.
June 20, 2023
যারা দর্শন পড়া শুরু করতে চায় কিন্তু হাতে যথেষ্ট সময় নেই, বা কোত্থেকে শুরু করলে ভালো হয় বুঝতে পারছে না, তাদের জন্য এই বইটা চমৎকার।
এই কমিক বুক মিনিসিরিজে নয় খণ্ডে পাশ্চাত্যের (এবং কিছু ক্ষেত্রে প্রাচ্যের) বেশ কয়েকজন অসাধারণ দার্শনিকের দেওয়া ধারণাগুলোর সংক্ষিপ্ত বর্ণনা আছে। মাত্র দশ থেকে বারো পৃৃষ্ঠার মধ্যে লেখক ফ্রেড ভ্যান লেন্টে অসংখ্যবার অসাধ্য সাধন করেছেন। এই স্বল্পসংখ্যক পৃষ্ঠার মধ্যে তিনি দার্শনিকদের জীবন, তাদের আইডিয়া আর সমাজে সেই আইডিয়ার প্রভাবের ব্যাপারে বেশ সমৃদ্ধ একটা ধারণা দিতে পেরেছেন। যে দার্শনিকদের নিয়ে তিনি লিখেছেন, তারা সবাই হেভিওয়েট। প্লেটো, ইয়ুং, নিচাহ্ থেকে শুরু করে বোধিধর্ম, টমাস অ্যাকুইনাস, উইটগেনস্টাইন, প্রায় সবাই আছেন।
কমিকগুলো এঁকেছেন রায়ান ডানলেভি। তিনি দক্ষ কার্টুনিস্ট। চরিত্রেরা তার ক্যারিকেচারে জীবন্ত হয়ে ওঠে। গল্পগুলোকে মজার করে তোলার পেছনে তার অবদান অনেকখানি। চরিত্রদের দারুণ, বৈচিত্র্যময় অভিব্যক্তিতে ভরা চেহারা, গতিময় সিকোয়েন্স ওয়ার্ক আর লিখিত কৌতুকের পাশাপাশি অনেকগুলো ভিজুয়াল গ্যাগ বইটাকে ভীষণ উপভোগ্য করেছে।
তবে দেখতে কার্টুনি হলেও বইটা বাচ্চাদের জন্য নয়। এখানে ভ্যান লেন্টে হাস্যরস রা���লেও, কোনো দার্শনিকের আইডিয়া বিকৃত করেননি। অতিরিক্ত সরলও করেননি। বরং বেশ কিছু গল্পে আইডিয়াগুলোকে শুধু বর্ণনার মাধ্যমে নয়, গল্পের কাঠামো দিয়েও ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন। যেমন দেরিদার গল্পটায় বিনির্মাণের সংজ্ঞা বোঝাতে বোঝাতে গল্পটাই বিনির্মিত হয়ে যায়।
বনানীর জামিল’স কমিক শপে যোগাযোগ করলে বইটা ওরা বাইরে থেকে আনিয়ে দিতে পারবে।
এই কমিক বুক মিনিসিরিজে নয় খণ্ডে পাশ্চাত্যের (এবং কিছু ক্ষেত্রে প্রাচ্যের) বেশ কয়েকজন অসাধারণ দার্শনিকের দেওয়া ধারণাগুলোর সংক্ষিপ্ত বর্ণনা আছে। মাত্র দশ থেকে বারো পৃৃষ্ঠার মধ্যে লেখক ফ্রেড ভ্যান লেন্টে অসংখ্যবার অসাধ্য সাধন করেছেন। এই স্বল্পসংখ্যক পৃষ্ঠার মধ্যে তিনি দার্শনিকদের জীবন, তাদের আইডিয়া আর সমাজে সেই আইডিয়ার প্রভাবের ব্যাপারে বেশ সমৃদ্ধ একটা ধারণা দিতে পেরেছেন। যে দার্শনিকদের নিয়ে তিনি লিখেছেন, তারা সবাই হেভিওয়েট। প্লেটো, ইয়ুং, নিচাহ্ থেকে শুরু করে বোধিধর্ম, টমাস অ্যাকুইনাস, উইটগেনস্টাইন, প্রায় সবাই আছেন।
কমিকগুলো এঁকেছেন রায়ান ডানলেভি। তিনি দক্ষ কার্টুনিস্ট। চরিত্রেরা তার ক্যারিকেচারে জীবন্ত হয়ে ওঠে। গল্পগুলোকে মজার করে তোলার পেছনে তার অবদান অনেকখানি। চরিত্রদের দারুণ, বৈচিত্র্যময় অভিব্যক্তিতে ভরা চেহারা, গতিময় সিকোয়েন্স ওয়ার্ক আর লিখিত কৌতুকের পাশাপাশি অনেকগুলো ভিজুয়াল গ্যাগ বইটাকে ভীষণ উপভোগ্য করেছে।
তবে দেখতে কার্টুনি হলেও বইটা বাচ্চাদের জন্য নয়। এখানে ভ্যান লেন্টে হাস্যরস রা���লেও, কোনো দার্শনিকের আইডিয়া বিকৃত করেননি। অতিরিক্ত সরলও করেননি। বরং বেশ কিছু গল্পে আইডিয়াগুলোকে শুধু বর্ণনার মাধ্যমে নয়, গল্পের কাঠামো দিয়েও ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন। যেমন দেরিদার গল্পটায় বিনির্মাণের সংজ্ঞা বোঝাতে বোঝাতে গল্পটাই বিনির্মিত হয়ে যায়।
বনানীর জামিল’স কমিক শপে যোগাযোগ করলে বইটা ওরা বাইরে থেকে আনিয়ে দিতে পারবে।
March 13, 2024
Cette BD est une vulgarisation de l'histoire de la philosophie (pas seulement occidentale). Multitude de philosophes y ont leur pensée résumée en une page. (Ces n'est pas une histoire mais bien une anthologie de courts strips).
On y même les éléments philosophiques importants aux anecdotes biographiques comiques souvent tirés de Diogène Laërce pour garder tout ça intéressant. Je recommanderais certainement le comic à des jeunes curieux mais qui n'en sont pas encore à lire des essais.
On y même les éléments philosophiques importants aux anecdotes biographiques comiques souvent tirés de Diogène Laërce pour garder tout ça intéressant. Je recommanderais certainement le comic à des jeunes curieux mais qui n'en sont pas encore à lire des essais.
January 16, 2019
Fun and easy way to get to know about philosophers and their thoughts. Complicated things well-explained and oh, kudos to the translator! Philosophy hasn't been so digestable.
Three stars and perhaps a half.
Three stars and perhaps a half.
January 18, 2018
good onw
May 25, 2019
Entertaining and informative.
Favorites: Nietzsche, Plato, Augustus.
Favorites: Nietzsche, Plato, Augustus.
July 23, 2019
EXHILERATING!
December 20, 2021
Cocok buat yang penasaran tentang filsafat. Komiknya lucu jadi bacanya gak pusing-pusing banget.
May 30, 2017
I learned more about philosophy from this series of comic books than from all my years of school. Action Philosophers! Giant-Sized Thing, Vol. 1 is a fantastic introduction to mostly western philosophers. It's ridiculously entertaining and despite the graphic format is very thorough. For each philosopher we learn not only what they had to say, but also their life story, how their contemporaries perceived them, and how their ideas are related. In this volume I particularly enjoyed learning about how Joseph Campbell's thoughts on myths and archetypes are related to Jung and then back to Freud.
Recommended for adults. The books depict violence, drug use, and sexuality in a way that is very straightforward. Even though overall message is good, these things can make it difficult to use in education. However, there is more than enough great stuff here for any educator to use.
Vol. 1 contains:
Plato
Nietzsche
Bodhidharma
Ayn Rand
Thomas Jefferson
Saint Augustine
Freud
Carl Jung
Joseph Campbell
Recommended for adults. The books depict violence, drug use, and sexuality in a way that is very straightforward. Even though overall message is good, these things can make it difficult to use in education. However, there is more than enough great stuff here for any educator to use.
Vol. 1 contains:
Plato
Nietzsche
Bodhidharma
Ayn Rand
Thomas Jefferson
Saint Augustine
Freud
Carl Jung
Joseph Campbell
February 20, 2009
Action Philosophers! is a graphic novel- you guessed it- about philosophers, but presented in a quasi "action hero" guise. It's classed as Fic, though the majority of the contents are decidedly non-fic. It presents graphic profiles of Plato, Nietzsche, Bodhidharma, Ayn Rand, Thomas Jefferson, Saint Augustine, Freud, Carl Jung, and Joseph Campbell. Sounds boring right? Well, this book has a decidedly teen feel... so much so that I highly recommend you all read it just to know what you're getting into!!!
The voice used in throughout the book is highly contemporary and youthful- so it should not be such a suprise that by page 4 we see the phrase "Dialect this, mofo!" Similarly, the drawing style and content is consistent with the projected age range- the drawings are amusing and illustrative, though sometimes a bit abrasive. Some parents might object to a drawing of god giving people the old middle finger or a mother giving her daughter a dildo to make up for the fact that she has no penis (Freud's section, unsuprisingly). Make no mistake- this book is most definitely for an OLDER TEEN audience.
That being said, I have to say that I love this book. It's the kind of subversive educational material that I think YAs latch onto. It's filled with great factual information as well as the kinds of really interesting historical tidbits that make history fun (such as the origins of the term Kung Fu). The profiles seem very balanced, showing both the positive and negative aspects of each of these highly influential individuals (usually with a big focus on their own flaws!). Although it is a fairly short graphic-novel, it is PACKED with information and horribly interesting!
Some interesting quotes:
"You wanna see me make it snow with my penis?"
"This pimple on my ass really hurts!"
"Ooh, Boy! Crack Money!"
The voice used in throughout the book is highly contemporary and youthful- so it should not be such a suprise that by page 4 we see the phrase "Dialect this, mofo!" Similarly, the drawing style and content is consistent with the projected age range- the drawings are amusing and illustrative, though sometimes a bit abrasive. Some parents might object to a drawing of god giving people the old middle finger or a mother giving her daughter a dildo to make up for the fact that she has no penis (Freud's section, unsuprisingly). Make no mistake- this book is most definitely for an OLDER TEEN audience.
That being said, I have to say that I love this book. It's the kind of subversive educational material that I think YAs latch onto. It's filled with great factual information as well as the kinds of really interesting historical tidbits that make history fun (such as the origins of the term Kung Fu). The profiles seem very balanced, showing both the positive and negative aspects of each of these highly influential individuals (usually with a big focus on their own flaws!). Although it is a fairly short graphic-novel, it is PACKED with information and horribly interesting!
Some interesting quotes:
"You wanna see me make it snow with my penis?"
"This pimple on my ass really hurts!"
"Ooh, Boy! Crack Money!"
February 17, 2008
On page one the authors instruct us that this is as factually accurate as possible. On page two, we see Plato guerilla pressing a scrawny pro wrestling whose waist is smaller than Plato's fist.
It is with that great spirit that the artist and scribe produce a black and white comic that mixes slapstick cartoon storytelling with some of the greatest minds in human history. It's dumb humor for smart people, much funnier if you know more, while still funny if you're smart enough to learn. They rapidly whip off heresies and fallacies, logic and math, in a very simple and understandable way. But it takes a relaxed mind to appreciate Plato being likened to the Incredible Hulk on the same as the explanation of his ideals for philosophers - one that I'll expect many philosophers don't have. But anyone who is loose enough to enjoy a decent and well-meaning comic about things that aren't normally allowed into such a "low" medium will probably enjoy this trip.
It is with that great spirit that the artist and scribe produce a black and white comic that mixes slapstick cartoon storytelling with some of the greatest minds in human history. It's dumb humor for smart people, much funnier if you know more, while still funny if you're smart enough to learn. They rapidly whip off heresies and fallacies, logic and math, in a very simple and understandable way. But it takes a relaxed mind to appreciate Plato being likened to the Incredible Hulk on the same as the explanation of his ideals for philosophers - one that I'll expect many philosophers don't have. But anyone who is loose enough to enjoy a decent and well-meaning comic about things that aren't normally allowed into such a "low" medium will probably enjoy this trip.
December 17, 2008
No, I don't just read westerns. If you've always found philosophy boring, try this. Comic book (or should I say graphic novel) style, bite-sized capsule versions of some of the great minds in history. Not much depth here, but just enough so you can say you've heard of them. Plato as a masked wrestler, Thomas Jefferson as an idealist who fails to see his own faults as contrary to what he writes about, a board game by Joseph Campbell to explain his monomyth theory; these philosophers and many more. The panels can be very busy and difficult to follow at times. If you were never enthusiastic about philosophy before, you probably won't be after this book. But, the good news is there are at least two more volumes.
May 10, 2012
Action Philosophers! is a graphic novel that explains nine philosophers’ beliefs and what led them to come up with their theories. The book takes an otften dull topic and spins it in a fun and humorous way that keeps readers intrigued and amused. The book covers some adult themes and has some tough vocabulary, but the illustrations and the quick wit will keep older teens and adults reading until the end.
I learned so much from this book and yet I still managed to enjoy myself while doing it. This is an amazing feat considering the book was about philosophers, something I find extremely unappealing. The illustrations were funny and added to the story, and there were many jokes to keep the reader interested.
I learned so much from this book and yet I still managed to enjoy myself while doing it. This is an amazing feat considering the book was about philosophers, something I find extremely unappealing. The illustrations were funny and added to the story, and there were many jokes to keep the reader interested.
August 19, 2008
"aneh"..."lucu"..."pliisss d"
awalnya tiga kata itu yg mewakili sensansi yg gw dapet saat mulai baca buku ini...
lalu kemudian...
"wah jangan2 ini improvisasi penerjemah aja"
tapi kayaknya...
sepanjang gw baca, buku ini adalah review yg dilakukan Fred dan Ryan yang merupakan interpretasi dan kritik mreka atas teori2 para filsuf yg di review disini...
ada gambar pliss deh-nya teori perbatasan dunia gelap dan dunia terang yang ada tukang jual oleh2 perbatasan [jadi inget waktu di skouw..:p]
trus ternyata...
[blm selese niy]
awalnya tiga kata itu yg mewakili sensansi yg gw dapet saat mulai baca buku ini...
lalu kemudian...
"wah jangan2 ini improvisasi penerjemah aja"
tapi kayaknya...
sepanjang gw baca, buku ini adalah review yg dilakukan Fred dan Ryan yang merupakan interpretasi dan kritik mreka atas teori2 para filsuf yg di review disini...
ada gambar pliss deh-nya teori perbatasan dunia gelap dan dunia terang yang ada tukang jual oleh2 perbatasan [jadi inget waktu di skouw..:p]
trus ternyata...
[blm selese niy]
November 23, 2009
Membaca komik ini bagaikan memahami filsafat dengan cara yang easy-going!! Dibumbui dengan jokes yang cukup lucu sehingga membuat pelajaran filsafat jadi menyenangkan. Walaupun gue pribadi sedikit keteteran untuk memahami beberapa filsafat yang belum gue kurang familiar. But it's OK lah... I still could follow.
Komik ini recommended banget buat orang-orang yang belum pernah baca mengenai filsafat sebelumnya (kayak gue) dan pengen tau tentang filsafat dengan cara yang lebih kerutan-kening-free.
Komik ini recommended banget buat orang-orang yang belum pernah baca mengenai filsafat sebelumnya (kayak gue) dan pengen tau tentang filsafat dengan cara yang lebih kerutan-kening-free.
May 9, 2009
An interesting, if light introduction to a number of philosophers. Their section on Bodhidharma was the most interesting to me, if only because I've read very little of his history. My father, a philosophy major, was wary of some of their interpretations of the philosophers involved, but took no real issue with the text and enjoyed it.
Van Lente and Dunlavey also have a series on the history of comics that I found superior to their work on philsophers, but Goodreads doesn't include comic issues.
Van Lente and Dunlavey also have a series on the history of comics that I found superior to their work on philsophers, but Goodreads doesn't include comic issues.
October 20, 2009
This is a fun, light-hearted summary (in comic form) of the major ideas of several famous philosophers throughout history. The art is nothing special (it's a style I find unappealing, and it doesn't even have coloring), but the writing is witty and fast-paced. One thing that I particularly enjoyed was the way the author connected each philosopher's ideas to his or her personal life...it adds that personal touch that you don't often get in more academic treatments of philosophical theories. For a short, irreverent look at philosophy, you couldn't do much better than this series.
November 1, 2012
This was a fun way to get reacquainted with some great philosophers, or rather great minds, as you have there some spiritual masters and some psychologists. I thought their basic theories were well summed up, and of course often in a very funny way. So if you are afraid of launching into philosophy, that’s a great springboard.
There are 3 volumes available I believe.
I include larger cover pictures, so that you can see the names of the authors featured in each volume.
full post:
http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/01/28/g...
There are 3 volumes available I believe.
I include larger cover pictures, so that you can see the names of the authors featured in each volume.
full post:
http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/01/28/g...
July 24, 2008
This is a delightfully tongue-in-cheek look at philosophy and the lives of philosophers that is as informative as it is hilarious. Highly recommended for students and anyone interested in the art, even if you have a hard time with the comic book format.
January 22, 2015
There is some okay history here, but generally it is not helpful for an understanding of the people or the philosophy. And it includes Ayn Rand, who is as antithetical to actual philosophy as air is to vacuum.
September 18, 2007
HILARITY
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