The Argyle Sweater, 1: A Cartoon Collection

This is the first exposure to the work of Scott Hilburn. Similar in style to the Far Side, these color cartoons are a parody of our lives and society. The topics range from pop culture, cartoon characters, superheroes, history, and science. Some topics are a bit risque for young children and younger adolescents, so I would recommend this only to a more mature audience. The book is comprised of 2 to 3 cartoons on each page and in full color. Like most comic style books, this book does not classify topics into chapters. Overall, this is a hilarious compilation of cartoons poking fun at life. It has my curiosity and I am ready for more. I re-read the book and I am looking out for the next collection. This author is going to become a star! I highly recommend this collection.

You will LOVE this book. Just the cover alone gave me the giggles for five minutes. The drawings are all in color and the humor is clever and witty. Though The Farside is still funnier, hands down, there aren't any new Farside books to read. This book would make a wonderful gift for any age or gender as long as the person has a sense of humor.

Hilburn fits in the small group of humorists that successfully mingles absurdity with sophistication, creating something of an approachable elitism. The barage of pop-culture references separate The Argyle Sweater from Gary Larson's The Far Side, though the paneling and art influence is unmistakable. And that's not a bad thing. By keeping references mainstream and current, The Argyle Sweater feels relevent and fun, and closely akin to Seth McFarland's Family Guy series. And I give the same admonition about this book I do about those I've compared it to: it isn't for everybody. And that's okay. This is a savvy, styled collection that will delight those who get it and will be passable to the mainstream.

A bit warped, but that works for me. Involving nursery rhymes, animals and insects with human traits, and cavemen make it interesting and funny. Somewhat reminiscent of the Far Side. Lots of good yucks sprinkled with laugh-out-loud situations. This humor stands out as way funnier than most of the comic strips today. I highly recommend it to anyone who's funny bone is a bit bent.

Cartoonist Scott Hillburn and I have a lot in common. We both share the same first name and we were both exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation as children. We also have all our teeth, a weird sense of humor, and a strong affection for puns. Unlike me, however, Hillman is also a talented artist, and a hilarious cartoonist. The Argyle Sweater is a collection of Scott Hillerman's single-panel cartoon by the same name. The influence of Gary Larson's Far Side comics is easily noticeable when enjoying Hillerman's work, yet it never feels like he is attempting to copy or mimic Larson's work. Hillerman's humor is his own, a laughable blend of bad puns, unfortunate antonyms, and other fun examples of humorous wordplay. This is where a book review would normally give a more detailed description of the contents, but I simply refuse to be the guy who sits there describing cartoons and ruining the joke. All I can tell you is that I will never look at the Pillsbury Doughboy the same way again. You can count on laughing out loud every so often, in between the giggles and chuckles that will no doubt follow any reading of The Argyle Sweater. The Argyle Sweater is a great collection of Scott Hillerman's past work, but there's no need to stop there. You can also view his newest creations at theargylesweater.com, many of which no doubt comprise another wonderful collection in the near future. There are so few cartoons left that are worth reading, let alone worthy of open laughter. Do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this one.