5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides) [Paperback]

The Oatmeal (Author), Matthew Inman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 2011

In Matthew Inman's 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides), samurai sword-wielding kittens and hamsters that love .50-caliber machine guns commingle with a cracked out Tyrannosaur that is extremely hard to potty train. Bacon is better than true love and you may awake in the middle of the night to find your nephew nibbling on your toes.

Inman creates these quirky scenes for theoatmeal.com, which launched in July 2009 and already has more than 82 million page views. In fact, every 15 to 30 seconds, someone Googles one of theoatmeal.com's creations. Now, 60 of Inman's comic illustrations and life-bending guides are presented in full-color inside 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides). Consider such handy advice as:

* 4 Reasons to Carry a Shovel at All Times
* 6 Types of Crappy Hugs
* 8 Ways to Tell if Your Loved One Plans to Eat You
* 17 Things Worth Knowing About Your Cat
* 20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Social etiquette, animals, rules of grammar, and more are critiqued in ways ranging from the educational to the bizarre in this collection of comic strips from TheOatmeal.com. While proceeding directly from the newspaper strip tradition, these Web comics present observational humor that's a little more vulgar, a little more clever, and a little more likely to end up with the reader actually learning something than would have been printed in a nationally syndicated comic strip. The humor, like many classic comics, is based on Andy Rooneyesque shared experiences, such as "10 Reasons to Avoid Talking on the Phone," "How to Use a Semicolon (The Most Feared Punctuation on Earth)," and "How to Track, Hunt, and Kill a Unicorn." These are presented in a text-heavy style supplemented with basic, XKCD-like drawings. While the collection is erratic, some of the best strips—many dealing with cats—hit the universal funny bone. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

About the Author

TheOatmeal.com is an entertainment Web site full of comics, quizzes, and stories. The site gets more than 7 million unique visitors and 30 million page views a month; 250,000 blogs and Web sites have linked to it. TheOatmeal.com is written, drawn, and coded by Matthew Inman, a king of all trades when it comes to the Web. Matthew lives in Seattle, Washington. He subsists on a steady diet of crickets and whiskey. He enjoys long walks on the beach, gravity, and breathing heavily through his mouth. His dislikes include scurvy, typhoons, and tapeworm medication.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Original edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449401163
• ISBN-13: 978-1449401160
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (246 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Cooking
  • #30 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Comic Strips
  • #59 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Love, Sex & Marriage

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 105 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted, original, educational, hysterically funny March 1, 2011

By A. M. Concepcion

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Until I read this book I didn't really have a reason to punch a dolphin in the mouth. It had always been more of a random and uncontrolled sort of response when I was within reach of one. But after reading Matthew's book, I can now justify my behavior to the dolphinarium authorities in five different ways.

Seriously, Matthew Inman's sense of humor is way off center while always ringing true. You may not like every single strip (or "guide") but even if the captions don't do it for you, the drawings themselves will crack you up.

Caution: As I write this, Amazon says that customers who bought this book also bought Garfield books. That *has* to be an inside joke. "Look inside" or go to the author's site at theoatmeal.com before you buy this solely because you like Garfield.

Thank you Mr. TheOatmeal!

84 of 93 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You should buy this book. March 24, 2011

By TheCaptain

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Apparently if you are reading this you are on the fence about buying this book.

You are a failure.
Your mother doesn't love you.
Your father is very disappointed in you.
You will never make the game-winning 3 point shot.
You suck.

If you are going to buy this book, forget the aforementioned statements.

You will become more attractive.
Parents will ask their children, "why aren't you more like them?"
You will be riding on a rainbow cloud of awesome.

Choose wisely.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for all us Oatmeal fans March 1, 2011

By Venompig890

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I remember seeing The Oatmeal's website last year and immediately fell in love with his artistic style, wit, and word-play. I have never read a comic book that has literally made me laugh out loud as effectively as Matthew Inman's creations. This book blends humour, education, vulgarity, violence, and comedy (with a little bit of oatmeal) and the end result is sheer comedic brilliance.

The artwork is fantastic and it never gets old looking back at these comics for a laugh. The book also includes a pull-out poster (that actually doesn't rip in half when you remove it) so you can decorate your wall with The Oatmeal's unique and hilarious display.

I cannot recommend this book enough to everybody. If you get offended by this, The Oatmeal wins. I hope Inman continues to express his creativity and sense of humour for a sophomoric title in another year. Keep it up Oatmeal, we are all reading and laughing along.