Customer Reviews

Groovitude: A Get Fuzzy Treasury

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Ah yes, the rare moment when I get to review a review. The problem with the reviews written prior to this one is that they address the comic itself, but make no mention of this particular product. So let's get that part out of the way:

If you already own The Dog is Not a Toy and Fuzzy Logic, then there is little reason to also purchase this book. Groovitude contains the strips from these two books, and the only bonus it offers is that, unlike the previous books, the Sunday strips are in color. However, should you own only one of the previous two books, then you will be better off shelling out the extra $$$ on Groovitude rather than getting the older, smaller book. (And you should spread the joy and give your older copy to someone else.)
Finally, if you own neither DINAT or Fuzzy Logic, don't bother with those books and get this one, as it contains all of the strips from the previous books; some in color- plus, the price for what you get can't be complained about.

What first drew me to Get Fuzzy was its art, particularly that of Bucky Katt. There was just something about the way he was drawn I found hilarious, not to mention made me feel nostaligic for Berkely Breathed (of Bloom County fame). The more I read it, the funnier I found the strip. Conley is not afraid to spend more than one strip for a single punchline, but the payoff os well worth it.

The premise is one of the finer points of the comic. Yes, artists have created strips about owners and their sentient speaking (or thinking-in-English) pets. However, Conley approaches Bucky and Satchel with the idea that though they can speak, given their short time on Earth, they are still rather dumb. Bucky, while an adult cat, is still only five-years-old; you can't expect him to be capable of higher philosophy without confusing it endlessly. What results is a strange brand of humor unlike anything that has appeared in the comics before. (In fact, the strip reads more like a Web cartoon than a print one).

So if you like what you see in the papers, you'll enjoy this collection of Get Fuzzy in its pre-Ferret Wars episodes. If you're flying blind, all the strip requires is an open mind and an off-beat sense of humor.

Groovitude *combines* the first two Get Fuzzy books, and adds some sunday color. If you already own the previous books, you will be unhappy. Seeing as I got all three at the same time, I was disapointed. Get it as a gift for someone who doesn't already own the others.

Groovitude combines the contents of "The Dog is Not a Toy" and "Fuzzy Logic" and adds color to the Sunday strips. If you have not already bought those two books, "Groovitude" is a great place to start your Get Fuzzy collection. If you already have them and you're looking for new material, you're probably going to be disappointed. My three star rating is a combination of five stars for those who don't already have Get Fuzzy books and one star for merely being a copy of what I already have.

Get Fuzzy is no more a Garfield clone than Dilbert (which also features a single guy, a dog and a cat) is. Garfield is fun but it's cartoonish, in both art and content, whereas Get Fuzzy is more of a caricature. The artwork and gags are far closer to reality - no one gets kicked into next week, or has a tongue that pulls out 30ft, and Satchel (the dog) in particular always looks so real you can feel the weight of him. The drawing of the faces is particularly expressive. The behaviour of the characters is far more lifelike - Rob, the human, has an actual job with an actual boss and actual overtime, a social life and friends, cats cough up furballs and space out on catnip, dogs raid dustbins and sniff each other - and while many of the things Bucky (the cat) and Satchel get up to are things which no real cat or dog could do (such as Bucky trying to start his own TV programme on how to distress furniture with your claws), their behaviour is the sort you might really see in a precocious child. The humour is cumulative and tells a story: with Garfield you generally get a series of single stand-alone gags, whereas with Get Fuzzy you need to read a whole sequence and get into the characters. It's the same difference as between watching a stand-up, slapstick comic or a good sit-com.. E.g., my favourite Garfield gag is where Garfield puts a peeled banana on top of the 'phone, in place of the handset, and then rings Jon so that when Jon answers he sticks a banana down his ear; my favourite Get Fuzzy strip goes: Rob - 'Jeez! Did you see the look that woman shot me?' Satchel - 'Are you sure "putt putt" golf is the place for you to meet women?' Rob - 'Why not?' Satchel - 'Well... I don't know how to, um, say... um... hmm...' Bucky - 'You got little "chicken legs," man.' (with drawing of Rob's scrawny, hairy legs sticky out of a pair of shorts) Rob - 'I do not! Satchel? Satchel?!' Satchel - 'Um... Oh look, a windmill...' 'Oh look, a windmill' has now become my family's stock response to any question we don't want to answer. [Having said which, I don't in fact recommend the Groovitude Treasury, as I gather it's just excerpts from the first two books. Get the books - The Dog is Not a Toy and Fuzzy Logic - instead.]

As I sit here typing this review, I find myself being stared at by Spooker, my mixed-breed cat (imagine the result if Charles Manson had been allowed conjugal visits with a Siamese) whose intense eyes engage me in a game of "Blink." I am reminded of nothing so much as Bucky, the featured player in "Get Fuzzy," Darby Conley's strip about the hapless Rob Wilco and his two pets. Satch, the resident canine, is an innocent, willing-to-please shar-pei/labrador mix who coexists with Bucky, also a mixed-breed (a Siamese crossed with "I dunno...a chainsaw, maybe") and everyman Rob. As you may have guessed by now, Satch and Rob have to tolerate the antics of Bucky, who dominates the Wilco household.

Sound like "Garfield?" Only the single guy owner/dominating cat/simple-minded dog format is the same. Believe me, "Get Fuzzy" has a cast of characters that is nothing like "Garfield," or any other strip you've ever seen. Bucky's sharp, biting cynicism (not to mention his habit of biting, period) are balanced by Satch's naive innocence, with Rob in the middle to play guardian/referee to his two charges.

In addition to the witty dialogue, Conley manages to convey "Get Fuzzy's" humor through his artwork, which I find to be of much higher quality than the average comic strip. Most comic strip artists would give their dominant hand to be able to draw as well as Conley.

As a long-time comic strip reader, I've seen the evolution of such popular and influential strips as "Doonesbury," "Dilbert" and the late great "Bloom County," among others. It's hard to believe that "Get Fuzzy" has only been in publication since 1999. I can't wait to see what Darby Conley's talents will yield in the future.

Please be advised that most of "Groovitude" has already been published in Conley's previous collections, "The Dog Is Not A Toy" and "Fuzzy Logic." If you have those two, you may want to take a pass on "Groovitude." Otherwise, this is a great place to start.

Spooker has lost interest in the game of "Blink" with his human and has settled in for the evening. And so shall I. Get this hilarious collection, and get fuzzy. Good night.

Darby Conley has created three lovable characters with diverse, yet unique characteristics: Stachel the pooch with his naive innocence; Bucky Katt with his brilliantly evil little schemes; and Rob Wilco, their long suffering owner, the stabilizing force in the household. Conley gives each a personality, as well as a few of his side characters (Joe, Rob's Dad, and the neighborhood pets).

This is the book that shows you how it all began. The first few pages show you Conley's rough character drafts (the creation of Bucky and Satchel), along with a little background on how the strip originated. You'll then get into the first few years of the strip. I loved every page!

This is one of the funniest strips to come along in a long time. Since we no longer have Calvin & Hobbs or The Far Side, where is one to go for witty, intelligent humor in the daily paper? "Get Fuzzy" is the answer. I hope Rob, Satchel, and Bucky are here to stay with us for a long, long time.

I love Get Fuzzy. Ever since the first time i read it in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, I have laughed so hard. I recommend this book to any Get Fuzzy maniac out there...or someone looking for a good laugh.

Wow. I'm quite amused at how angry some people are with the popularity of this cartoon...The irate comments about 'the dumbing down of this country' and 'Garfield with better art' in particular.
Throughout my life I've been a fan of the usual suspects...'Bloom County' and 'Doonesbury' and 'Calvin and Hobbes'...But I've been quite happy with two new comics in particular that have come out...'The Boondocks' and 'Get Fuzzy'...I'm not so sure I trust someone who demands political and social commentary from their daily cartoons...while its a wonderful forum for exacting change ( think Bloom County vs Mary Kay .. ) ... That's not what the comics are all about...If this is what you are looking for, read the op-eds...
'Get Fuzzy' is composed of a funny little world where the ego, super-ego and id all interact thru the characters of Rob, Satchel and Bucky...From growing up in New England, I especially enjoy the baseball team loyalties amongst the characters (of course the cat is a Yankees fan...) I'd recommend the strip to children and to any adults who know the difference between the op-eds and the comics.
One final note...The successes of such strips as 'Bloom County' and 'Doonesbury' and 'Calvin and Hobbes' were not overnight. These were developed and fine tuned over many years...And while you might dismiss Mr. Conley's work as tired (like some of our very discerning reviewers have already done) I urge you to be patient...Remember, Berkeley Breathed was tormented much the same way for the first few years of his career yet his work eventually evolved into something quite charming and original on its own terms...
Enjoy!

"Must... fear... change!" Scream the masses who compare Garfield to Get Fuzzy, and derive that Get Fuzzy is just a horrible imposter. This book proves that while yes, it is possible for an artist to pay homage to other artists, at the same time a unique product can be derived. Conley's pen draws more than just witty banter between pets and their master, he also draws a rather modern illustration of the typical bachelor male. I imagine those most opposed to the cartoon are those which realize the only difference between their lives and this great comic, is that their pets can't talk. Jealousy is unbecoming! Instead, purchase this book, and realize that it is funny enough to stand on its own.

First off, I will not compare Get Fuzzy to Garfield or Peanuts or whatever everyone else says about it because there are already lots of reviews like that.

Personally, I think Get Fuzzy is one of the funniest comic strips I have ever read. But from seeing all the reviews, it is obvious it is one of the cartoons that people either like alot or hate. I will not say you have to be "smart" or anything to understand the sometimes subtle humor in these strips, it is just that you have to be the type of person that thinks its style of jokes are funny. I would strongly recommend you read a few Get Fuzzy strips on the internet before you buy the book, just to see if you like it or not, since it is free and you would have nothing to lose.

Get Fuzzy is really clever and funny, just be sure you don't hate it before you buy it.