Cartoon Puzzles

What’s nice about cartoonbooks collecting is that , over time, you have a very diverse collection. Many different styles, different book sizes, different countries, different artists…
This year, at “Boekenfestijn” in Kortrijk I discovered a cartoon puzzle book: “The New Yorker book of Cartoon Puzzles and Games”. The least I can say about the book is that it’s inventive and original!“It’s a puzzle book until you solve the puzzles – then it’s a book of New Yorker cartoons with pencil marks all over it.”
Some puzzles are quite difficult to solve, especially when you’re not a native English speaker. A few examples of my favourite games and puzzles in the book. (the puzzles that most people can solve with a little understanding of English).
“Once removed” – In some captionless cartoons some details have been removed and placed in a box. The game is to match each cartoon with the missing item in the box. Fun!
“Well-ordered” – put drawings from a multipanel cartoon in the prober order
“caption matching” – match a series of cartoons with its caption…

Afterwards I regretted not buying 2 copies of the book, the price was only 3,95 euro. One specimen to keep clean, and one to fill in the answers to the puzzles and games…

Read more:
Cartoonbank
The New Yorker Bookshop
Extended book review by forewordmagazine
[Cartoon Puzzles Cartoonbook File]

Online cartoonbook experience

I frequently buy (second hand) cartoonbooks on the internet . Veerle Nauts (Belgium) owns a small online bookshop. I bought several cartoonbooks from her and I am very satified of her service and products. I interviewed her for our blog. If you know some nice online cartoonbook addresses, please let us know!

Veerle, you are selling second hand books online, why do you sell cartoonbooks too?
“I am offering a variety of second hand books. So it is logical that among the other books, there are some cartoonbooks.”

Where do you find those older American cartoonbooks for your shop? I am thinking for example of booklets of Playboy, Chas Adams, Steinberg. Is this a well-kept secret, or can you reveil something to us?
“In fact, the truth is very simple. I buy books in bulk and sometimes there are cartoonbooks in between."

Is there much demand for such books?
“Not so very much. Popular are the books of the cartoon festivals (including Knokke-Heist). The interest is also dependent on the actual familiarity or popularity. Cartoons that appear nowadays in newspapers or magazines, reach a wider audience. Older cartoons be searched only by real lovers.”

What kind of people buy your cartoonbooks?
“People with humor .
It are always very pleasant contacts, either personally or through email.”

What tips can you give our readers still in their quest for cartoonbooks?
“Always make an effort to get the state of the book before you decide to buy. There are many charlatans among sellers who ask a lot of money for books in poor condition .Word of mouth advertising is still the best.
Take your time to make a tour on the net. You'll be amazed at the different prices for the same book.
If you can, go and get the book personally, instead of sending it. So you can see immediately what you buy."

What can cartoonbooks collectors still expect from you ?
"Humor and cartoons remain a part of my assortment. My condition is that the books I sell are quality (used) books in excellent condition."

Learn more:
levigon online bookshop
levigon offers books on yezzz
also on kapaza

Some books I bought from Levigon (click to see cartoonbook file):

Chas Addams
Frivolités
Steinberg

Joyeux Noël / Bonne Année

Even if this cartoon book is out of print, it should be - for obvious reasons - the right moment to mention it. This hardcover anthology was published in France by "editions Vents d'Ouest" in 1987 and, who knows, possibly available - as a second-hand book - on some websites like eBay. It's a kind of “two books in one”, as it is reversible: one can read the Christmas part, then one turns over the book and reads the New Year part. Most of these coloured cartoons have a (French) caption. They are drawn by 25 cartoonists. Among them are: Solé (both covers), Bélom, Dany, Pichon, Lerouge, Thomas, Hugot.
Well, it’s my way to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to every reader of the ECC Cartoon Books Club.
Jean-Marie Bertin.

[Joyeux Noël / Bonne Année cartoonbook file ]

New books December 2007

When there are new cartoon books to be published let me know. I'll put a link to your site. Of course when you send us a copy of your new book we will publish a review on the blog and make a cartoonbook file for our gallerie.

This month, we got a mail from Pierre Balouhey (France) for his new book:
"2007, Chaussettes"
- 46 drawings that appeared in Le Mémorial de l'Isère, The Guardian and Métro.

Very Important Paintings - Karl Meersman

It doesn’t happen so often to me, but my first reaction when I looked in the new book of Karl was really “wow! fantastic!” And I mean it. ‘Very Impressive Portraits’ (also VIP) that’s the least you can state.
In the introduction, Patrick Duynslaegher calls him ‘the last craftsman’. There are no computers involved! Very honorable is that Karl never wants to offend or scandalize the people he paints, that's to easy. That’s not his way to associate with people. For that reason Karl likes more talking about ‘portraits’ than ‘caricatures’.

Because there was the exhibition of Karl’s VIPS paintings in Gent, I took a look myself. Though I knew the paintings from the book, it was a real pleasure to see the originals. I asked the other people in the exhibition what their impression was. They all agreed: Karl Meersman is an extraordinary talented craftsman. They all enjoyed the exhibition. If the World Olympic Games in China had a discipline for illustrators, we should certainly send Karl. I’m sure, he’s a potential gold medal winner !

“VIP’s is the first collection of Karl Meersman’s remarkable drawings, based on the fascinating (and at times) Laughable world of film, music and television. With these ‘Very Important Paintings’ Karl manages to put into perspective the doings of the Great of the Earth and reduce them to the statue of small, anecdotal passers-by… Life on the red carpet, as revealed by more than 100 artistic gems. Karl Meersman is the artist in residence for Focus-Knack an Trends Magazine.” (Belgium)

Are you looking for an original present for under the X-mas tree or for New Year, VIPS is a good choice!

(with thanks to Roularta Books and Karl Meersman)

Read and learn more:

Visit the site of Karl Meersman (recommended!)
My photo report - pics with comments
The Exhibiton -ended dec 9- use Google Translate
Karl at Press Cartoon Belgium
Roulartabooks.be

[VIPS cartoonbook file]

Cartoonbooks at the Braderie de Lille

The 'hard' way to find cartoonbooks is to visit flee markets. If you like flee markets, don't miss the Braderie de Lille (France). Great atmosphere, great pleasure and every year I find some cartoonbooks there!

Every first weekend of September, since 5 years, I visit the Braderie. It’s the biggest flee market in Europe: more then 100km of booths and stands, a day to nose about, a day to search for cartoonbooks. Even though it’s not easy to find them, you must have a bit of luck eventually. This year I found several early books of Claude Serre, a book by Trez. Some books I had already in my collection, but having doubles is interesting to swap later on. Follow the links to to see a photo impression. Did you ever find a cartoon book on a flee market?
Click on 'comments' below and give your feedback.

Read more:

Braderie Lille 2007 - my photo impression
Braderie Lille 2007 - other impressions by Alain
Official Braderie Site

Some books I found at the braderie - press [ctrl] + click to see Cartoonbook File
Claude Serre
Michel Bridenne
Mordillo
Dessin Drôle

Comments and Discussions

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Cattoonbook

Yes, I must admit: I am a cat lover. We have three cats at home and they are irresistable. A few years ago I found the book “Catdreams” by B. Kliban. A real nice “cattoonbook” in whitch I certainly recognize our cats characters. The Cat of Kliban is loved bij millions.

Cat dreams. Cat plays the trombone. Cat shops, eats spaghetti, and paint. Cat boxes and dances and wrestles.And, of course, Cat sleeps, sunbathes and goes fishing…
In 1970 Kliban introduced the now-classic book Cat.
Never before had we met a cat who could do human things and still seem like a cat.
CatDreams brings together the joyfully mesmerizing paintings Kliban executed for a series of calendars published between 1977 and 1986 and places them toghether with many of his irresistible cartoon drawings.

B. “Hap” Kliban (1935-1990) was an internationally known American cartoonist, humourist, and illustrator. He was a regular contributor to Playboy magazine for more than thirty years and he wrote and drew many books. Pomegranate publishes his paintings of Cat in calendars and in the book of postcards Kliban’s Cats.

Read more :
The official web site of the B. Kliban®Cats. It includes drawings, history and the latest information on the Kliban Cats and their products. www.eatmousies.com (an appropriate name! turn sound on)
B. Kliban at wikipedia
Pomegranate, publisher of Kliban books and calendars

[Cartoonbookfile]

这是为什么的weblog英文？

The humor of cartoons is universal, especially when we are talking about captionless cartoons, caricature or humorphotos.
As most of us do not speak chinese, we prefer to write items and comments in english, so most people can read and understand the texts. If the english language is a true problem to you, you can write us also in Dutch, French or German. We'll understand, but many readers will not.
For that reason, we suggest writing in english.
To help you a bit, there's a link to google translate on the blog. Translation is not 100%, but it helps.