Tequila Mockingbird: A Book of Animal Cartoons

Rating:
Summary: It's a Cartoon Jungle Out There and Leo's the King
Review: I was thrilled to discover this new volume of animal cartoons by New Yorker cartoonist Leo Cullum!

Like Scotch & Toilet Water?: A Book of Dog Cartoons, Tequila Mockingbird is further evidence that Cullum's first name is so appropriate. It's a cartoon jungle out there, and Leo's the king.

A wonderful 128 page volume, the book is stuffed with wonderful animal cartoons from Smokey the Bear on the witness stand testifying that "Absolutely! Where there's smoke there's fire," to a businessman commenting to his suit clad simian counterpart "You've had enough 'monkey see,' Edwards. We want some 'monkey do.'"

By far my favorite though is one in which a doctor with his stethoscope on a giant raven's back is asking the bird to "quoth." Its cartoons like that that continue to challenge me to write better.

Please pick this up in hardcover (my mother-in-law and I agree that the only real books are hardcovers) as soon as your cartoon book budget will allow. And if you don't currently have a cartoon book budget, then shame on you.


Rating:
Summary: Witty fun
Review: You know who you are -- those of you out there who pick up "The New Yorker" only to read the cartoons. There have been priceless collections through the years, from James Thurber to volumes such as "The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons", and so on.

Leo Cullum fits into that group of cartoonists for the thinking person, inspiring everything from a wry grin to a burst of laughter. Typical is the mouse on the psychiatrist's couch who says, "Do people go 'eek!' when you enter a room?" or the cow in the lone ranger mask who proclaims that he is mystery meat.

A fine group of cartoons, as is his other collection, "Scotch and Toilet Water" (picture a dog at a bar...).