Moot Points: Deranged Drawings

Few books come along that in so brief a span change the paradigm of modern thought. "The unparallelled camaraderie of desert yoga", "Apocalypso" or simply "Creamcheese driveway death". Come on, aren't you the least bit intrigued?!!!... If you're familiar with this little gem, do civilization a favour and petition the publisher to reprint it and use the number......let's see...10 million for a first run.

If you like B. Kliban, you'll like J.C. Duffy. I found this book about twenty years ago at the same time I encountered Kliban, and I'm afraid they combined to do some damage.How to describe the quality of Duffy's stuff? I can't possibly do justice either to his drawing style or his either-you-get-it-or-you-don't sense of things. Here's an example: one cartoon features a simple-looking fellow sitting in front of a sign that says "No Standing," while a car runs over his legs. The caption reads: "Steady as a rock, and twice as smart."Read this book too many times and you will find yourself saying such things to your friends. Worse, you may find yourself _choosing_ your friends based on whether they understand you when you say things like, "Sweet Jesus, this is no simple trek to the north forty!" It may actually put you off when someone fails to pick up on your passing reference to the priest with a suspicious case of rugburn-on-the-knee, or doesn't know what you're talking about when you characterize someone as "The Happy Guy." Well, into each night some days must fall, and sometimes you're just too tired to climb the walls.If this collection ever comes back into print, buy it at once. Otherwise you'll be -- as another of Duffy's cartoons puts it -- missing the humor in everyday life. In the meantime, go buy everything of Kliban's that's still available.

As my friend Jesse told me in college, "If you have not read this book, you are illiterate." You will read this book over and over. You will begin to have random mootisms come to mind during everyday situations. You will begin to greet others with "Scudda Hoo!" They will look at you strangely.

Moot Points is one of those gems you kick yourself for not hanging onto, and now you can't find it anywhere, much less anyone who's ever heard of it. I have searched high and low for this book, but it seems that anyone who has a copy hangs onto it (unlike me). I've never even seen it in a second hand book store. If anyone can tell me where I might find a copy, PLEASE do! I will be forever in your debt.

Very well done, A bit of the twilight zone meets Hogarth. If you have it, treasure it, if you don't keep looking