Book Review: SURVIVAL OF THE FILTHIEST

SURVIVAL OF THE FILTHIEST is a collection of “Get Fuzzy” strips that originally ran in newspapers from August 10, 2008-July 5, 2009. I seem to enjoy “Get Fuzzy” best when it’s involved in a long story-arc. The two story arcs in this collection that stick out to me most are when Bucky secedes from the United States and declares his closet to be the state of Buckyvania (that sets into motion an entire series of strips including a planned U.S. government takeover)  and when Satchel hires some ghosthunters to bust some ghosts in the apartment. In addition to the usual hijinks, there are several strips dealing with the 2008 U.S. Presidential election and several soccer jokes. Overall, SURVIVAL OF THE FITHIEST is a solid collection of “Get Fuzzy” strips.

Book Review: YOU CAN'T FIGHT CRAZY

YOU CAN'T FIGHT CRAZY is a collection of "Get Fuzzy" comic strips that ran in newspapers from Apr. 24, 2011 – July 14, 2012. "Get Fuzzy" usually includes a couple of longer running storylines and several week-long storylines. THE FUZZY BUNCH isn't any different in that regard to any other "Get Fuzzy" collection. A few of the storylines in this collection include Bucky writing his autobiography, Bucky invented a variety of fish-flavored junk and snack foods, and Bucky trying to harness the powers of a dead bat to become Batcat. Unlike many of the previous collections, this book focuses on just Rob, Bucky, and Satchel although a few other characters do make appearances. There's also the introduction of a completely new character, Astral Bob. Astral Bob is a cat who reads horoscopes. "Get Fuzzy" is usually at its best when it focuses on just Rob, Bucky, and Satchel. While still funny, YOU CAN'T FIGHT CRAZY isn't as hilarious as other "Get Fuzzy" collections are. For instance, the previous "Get Fuzzy" collection, THE FUZZY BUNCH, was a collection on par with the collections from the earlier years of the comic strip. YOU CAN'T FIGHT CRAZY doesn't quite live up to that level. Overall, YOU CAN'T FIGHT CRAZY is a decent collection of "Get Fuzzy" strips, but it's not quite on the same level as many of the other collections.

Book Review: THE FUZZY BUNCH

THE FUZZY BUNCH is a collection of "Get Fuzzy" comic strips that ran in newspapers from May 24, 2010 - April 23, 2011. Before opening the book I was already amused by the title and cover of the book which parodies THE BRADY BUNCH. "Get Fuzzy" usually includes a couple of longer running storylines and several week-long storylines. THE FUZZY BUNCH isn't any different in that regard to any other "Get Fuzzy" collection. However, THE FUZZY BUNCH has one of my favorite "Get Fuzzy" storylines of all time: Bucky's hypothesis that Muppets are genetically-engineered Cold War Communist creatures. This storyline goes on for over six weeks total and it's hilarious. Shortly after the end of that story, Bucky upsets Fungo the Ferret by covering the hallway walls with post-it notes filled with falsehoods about ferrets (or weasels in Bucky's language). In retaliation, Fungo steals Bucky's closet door and seals the entryway in. It's a very funny story. I haven't always enjoyed "Get Fuzzy." However, after I started reading it for a while I got hooked. I became disappointed with the strip when the focus between Bucky, Satchel, and Rob was lost. With THE FUZZY BUNCH and the previous collection in the series, THE BIRTH OF CANIS, it appears "Get Fuzzy" has gotten its groove back and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.