B.C. Loneliness is Rotting on a Bookrack

Rating:
Summary: Caveman cartoons full of humour, observation and wit.
Review: The B.C. books are basically cartoons, in this case of cavemen, that used to appear regularly in newspapers, put into book form. The style is similar to Peanuts, i.e., 3 or 4 panels per page, short snappy line drawing cartoons with witty or insightful observations on life, politics, relationships, etc. If you like those kind of cartoons, then B.C. are essential to have, along with cartoons such as Peanuts, Wizard of Id, and so on.

The B.C books have a fairly wide range of characters that appear regularly, along with others who just turn up now and then. You get to know them all quite well, and you get to know what to expect of them, and how they behave with each other. Hart uses this then to create situations and to examine life's little idiosyncrasies in a quick and amusing way, and all in a few deceptively simple looking drawings! They are set in prehistory, and play on this, sometimes using very simple caveman technology (wheels, fire, etc.) as metaphors for complex issues of today - but that all sounds a bit complicated, so don't worry about that, just read and laugh.

The main character is B.C., a simple and fairly gormless caveman, who interacts with all the others. While the others all have some special talent or ability, B.C. has none - I suppose he is everyman. Peter is clever (he sets up businesses, as a psychiatrist, as a salesman...), but a bit sneaky. Curls is a sardonic wit. Thor is a ladies man and inventor, coming up with the wheel, the raft, the comb... Clumsy Carp is a maladroit ichthyophile, he goes for walks in rivers, and is able to make water balls (like snowballs, but made of water...), but other than that, is as clumsy as can be, once tripping on a footprint! Wiley is a sports fanatic, poet, and hydrophobe - water in any shape or form repels him (in one good sketch, he simply runs around screaming. Peter explains that he's just found out that he's 98% water). Grog is a giant, old style caveman, a bit of a throwback, who can only grunt, but is tremendously strong. The girls (sigh!) are never named, but one is young, slim, blonde and sexy, while the other one is big, strapping, chubby, and ...not too good looking. Other characters include a dinosaur (Gronk!), an ant eater, ants (who have their own characters and relationships), a turtle and his companion bird, aliens visiting from space, a wingless bird with hairy feathers, an armadillo, etc. etc.

All of these characters interact in various ways, doing all sorts of crazy stuff, while all the time commenting on modern life (or at least life in the early 70's, when these were written!). These are all really great books, well worth the few quid to get them, if you can.

Quote from this book: B.C. goes up to Peter, who is standing behind a boulder with "Peter's Patent Office" on it. B.C.: "I'd like to patent a cliché"; Peter: "You can't. Clichés are considered public domain."; B.C.; "OK, well thanks for telling me."; Peter: "That's all right, pal. Y'know, nothing ventured, nothing gained"; B.C., walking away, looking relieved: "Whew, that could have been embarrassing!"

My advice is, get your hands on these books, and hang on to them for dear life!

Rating:
Summary: Caveman cartoons full of humour, observation and wit.
Review: The B.C. books are basically cartoons, in this case of cavemen, that used to appear regularly in newspapers, put into book form. The style is similar to Peanuts, i.e., 3 or 4 panels per page, short snappy line drawing cartoons with witty or insightful observations on life, politics, relationships, etc. If you like those kind of cartoons, then B.C. are essential to have, along with cartoons such as Peanuts, Wizard of Id, and so on.

The B.C books have a fairly wide range of characters that appear regularly, along with others who just turn up now and then. You get to know them all quite well, and you get to know what to expect of them, and how they behave with each other. Hart uses this then to create situations and to examine life's little idiosyncrasies in a quick and amusing way, and all in a few deceptively simple looking drawings! They are set in prehistory, and play on this, sometimes using very simple caveman technology (wheels, fire, etc.) as metaphors for complex issues of today - but that all sounds a bit complicated, so don't worry about that, just read and laugh.

The main character is B.C., a simple and fairly gormless caveman, who interacts with all the others. While the others all have some special talent or ability, B.C. has none - I suppose he is everyman. Peter is clever (he sets up businesses, as a psychiatrist, as a salesman...), but a bit sneaky. Curls is a sardonic wit. Thor is a ladies man and inventor, coming up with the wheel, the raft, the comb... Clumsy Carp is a maladroit ichthyophile, he goes for walks in rivers, and is able to make water balls (like snowballs, but made of water...), but other than that, is as clumsy as can be, once tripping on a footprint! Wiley is a sports fanatic, poet, and hydrophobe - water in any shape or form repels him (in one good sketch, he simply runs around screaming. Peter explains that he's just found out that he's 98% water). Grog is a giant, old style caveman, a bit of a throwback, who can only grunt, but is tremendously strong. The girls (sigh!) are never named, but one is young, slim, blonde and sexy, while the other one is big, strapping, chubby, and ...not too good looking. Other characters include a dinosaur (Gronk!), an ant eater, ants (who have their own characters and relationships), a turtle and his companion bird, aliens visiting from space, a wingless bird with hairy feathers, an armadillo, etc. etc.

All of these characters interact in various ways, doing all sorts of crazy stuff, while all the time commenting on modern life (or at least life in the early 70's, when these were written!). These are all really great books, well worth the few quid to get them, if you can.

Quote from this book: B.C. goes up to Peter, who is standing behind a boulder with "Peter's Patent Office" on it. B.C.: "I'd like to patent a cliché"; Peter: "You can't. Clichés are considered public domain."; B.C.; "OK, well thanks for telling me."; Peter: "That's all right, pal. Y'know, nothing ventured, nothing gained"; B.C., walking away, looking relieved: "Whew, that could have been embarrassing!"

My advice is, get your hands on these books, and hang on to them for dear life!