Foxtrot, Assembled with Care

First Bill Watterson retired and there was no more new Calvin and Hobbes. Then Charles Scultz retired and unexpectedly passed away, so many newspapers stopped running Peantus. At first it would seem there isn't anything all that funny left in the funny papers. Ah, but one grand gem remains: Fox Trot. Appearing about half a decade before the funnies started to become unfunny, Fox Trot remains as about the only witty and upbeat comic that can be seen in papers. ASSEMBLED WITH CARE is a collection of two-year's worth of Fox Trot comics. I'm not for sure of the exact dates, but the strips ran around 1999-2000. The stories make grand observations on life, but are also constantly ribbing pop culture and (then) current events. Two of my favorite story lines are the one where Jason and Marcus imagine themselves acting in the just announced production of THE LORD OF THE RINGS (the director looks like a hybrid between Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson) and the series that ran the week that Y2K could have happened (the comic strip finds itself back in 1900). A great collection of one of the best comic strips still being written.

With all the grief going on in the world today, Bill Amend continues to provide us with wonderful relief. This latest collection is at least as enjoyable as the previous seven. I should note that I only buy the anthologies because storage space is limited. Other strips try to drag us into the "real world" of tragedy and loss, but Amend provides us with a little bit of escape into a world that is just plausible enough to believe, and a world that many of us can relate to either at this time in our life or in the past. I imagine that most of us that enjoy "Foxtrot" relate to the resident nerd, Jason, who almost always comes out on top of the situation in contrast to the real world. This newer format with more strips per page is really easier to manage since the book is lighter overall. I tend to read it just before going to sleep at night as a wonderful way to end the day on a positive tone and insure a good night's sleep. I highly recommend all of Bill Amend's collections to anybody who is seeking a thoroughly entertaining way to spend a few hours. May he live long and prosper. Bill: while you may be making a living from drawing this strip, know that you are also providing mankind with a very valuable service, and I don't mean a sleep sedative!

FoxTrot anthologies never cease to amaze me. I have a lot of the books separately, but these big collections are the best for when you want to read a lot without having to bring so many books with you. And plus, some of the strips are in color as well! "FoxTrot: Assemble with Care" is a great collection that is bound to get laughs from just about anyone.This anthology includes strips from the books "Death by Field Trip," "Encyclopedias Brown and White," and "His Code Name was The Fox." All three are hilarious and make this collection worth every penny. You will follow the crazy chaos that visits the Fox Family. Just when you think Bill Amend can't do any better, he does every single time. This collection is 191 pages of non-stop hilarity.You will see extremely funny strips, such as:*Jason's field trip**Andy's mother visits**Jason's new Grinch cartoon**Moron of the Rings**Peter's cell phone**E-Team Football**Roger's novel**Jason's new playmate**Roger and Peter go grocery shopping*and much, MUCH more!"FoxTrot: Assemble with Care" is an outstanding anthology collection that will keep you entertained for hours. If you've been feeling down and are due for a few laughs, think about picking up this bad boy and let the pages fly. You will not be disappointed.

This treasury of the comic strip Fox Trot includes cartoons from the last three collections (Death by Field Trip, Encyclopedias Brown and White, & His Code Name Was The Fox).In case you were worried that this long running strip was running out of steam, don't. I found myself laughing my way through this book just as much as I had the previous treasuries. And not much has changed in the household. Peter and Paige still try to avoid homework while Jason loves it. Jason's still a computer geek that invents new ways to torment his sister daily. Andy still serves food the rest of the family can't stand to eat. I found myself laughing at the new punch lines for these and other favorite storylines. The humor is timeless with timely topics. I especially loved the strips on The Lord of the Rings movies. Other fun series included Marcus and Jason playing detective to find a scrap book and the family vacation. And I got a kick out of seeing ultimate Frisbee get a mention in one of the strips.The book introduces a new format to the treasuries. Each page now represents a complete week's strips, so it's a little smaller and easier to hold while reading. Of course, Sunday strips are still in color.Alas, there is a down side. There is almost two years worth of strips here. Plenty to laugh at, but that means it'll be two years before we can enjoy another treasury of this wonderful comic strip.

I like to read Foxtrot because of it's fresh appeal and it is continually funny. Bill Ammend's latest compilation, FoxTrot: Assembled with Care, is no exception.First of all, note that this is a Foxtrot Anthology collection. So, in other words, all the comic strips in this book have appeared in their own separate books. The books that this collection is made up of are: Death by Field Trip, Encyclopedias Brown and White, and His Code Name Was The Fox.This book is the first of the Foxtrot Anthologies to follow a new format. Instead of the standard 3 strips on a page and full-page Sunday strips, all the strips in this book have been crammed in together to fit four on a page. This doesn't bother me too much, except for the fact that each line is slightly smaller.At 191 pages, this book is shorter than previous Foxtrot Anthologies; however, because of the new format, it actually has more strips included for the same cover price. It is the first Foxtrot Anthology to be made up of 3 books instead of the usual 2.All these reasons make this an excellent book and an absolutely necesary purchase for any Foxtrot fan!