Richard's Poor Almanac: 12 Months of Misinformation in Handy Cartoon Form [Paperback]

Richard Thompson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

Richard's Poor Almanac, inspired by seven years of weekly contributions to the "Washington Post," is Richard Thompson's omnium-gatherum of seasoned observations for all seasons — indoors and out. Like the almanac we've all come to know and ignore, Richard's Poor Almanac is an annual compendium of weathered wisdom rendered in the more palatable form of cartooning.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Richard Thompson’s irreverent and hilarious cartoons have been a mainstay in the pages of The Washington Post for over seven years. Now, they are collected in book form for the first time. RICHARD’S POOR ALMANAC is nothing less than a tonic for the daze ahead.

About the Author

Richard Thompson is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Virginia with his lovely wife and two daughters. His cartoon Richard ’s Poor Almanac appears weekly in The Washington Post, sometimes in color, but most often not. His work also illustrates Francis Heaney’s Holy Tango of Literature, published by Emmis Humor, and is featured regularly in US News & World Report, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic and many other publications. It has also found its way onto gallery walls, won coveted awards such as the Society of Illustrators Gold and Silver Funny Bones, and made enduring presents for his aforementioned lovely wife and two daughters. In 2004, Mr. Thompson took home the Milton F. "Sonny" Clogg Alumni of the Year Award from his alma mater, Montgomery College. (And did he even graduate? No!) Since breaking his toe in a dance-related accident nearly twelve years ago, Mr. Thompson has been forced to draw with his hands.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Clerisy Press, Emmis Books (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578601843
• ISBN-13: 978-1578601844
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Splendid "Poor Almanac", January 15, 2005

By 

Allan Janus (Washington Grove, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richard's Poor Almanac: 12 Months of Misinformation in Handy Cartoon Form (Paperback)

Richard Thompson's Richard's Poor Almanac appears weekly in the Washington Post, but you don't have to live inside the Beltway to larf out loud at this collection, which includes entries like the Smithsonian's Dillinger Wing (now featuring the Splendors of Ypsilanti) or the lists of local restaurant closings - "Eurodonut" being shut down for finding Marmite in the jelly donuts, and the frequent tragic travails of "P.J. Piehole's Family Place". One learns, at last, the Equine Statue Code for Civil War monuments; some obscure and faintly disturbing constellations in the monthly Skywatch - and don't miss the touching "Remembering Elvis". But that's not all! There's also a page of commemorative Richard Thompson stamps. If you need a laugh, you need this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, April 20, 2005

By 

Francis Heaney (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Richard's Poor Almanac: 12 Months of Misinformation in Handy Cartoon Form (Paperback)

It is true I copyedited this book (and Mr. Thompson illustrated mine), so perhaps I have a conflict of interest (oh, heck, let's admit it -- I do!), but I laughed the whole time I was wielding my red pen. And imagine how much funnier the book will be to someone who isn't forced to think about semicolons while they're reading it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's Black and White and Yellow All Over?, January 15, 2005

By 

2ManyCooks "avid reader, avid cook...just an ... (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richard's Poor Almanac: 12 Months of Misinformation in Handy Cartoon Form (Paperback)

Obvious answer: this amazingly beautiful book that's printed in two colors and manages to capture this entire noisy, giddy, wayward world in its lines. It's a hilarious and smart compendium of nearly every living, breathing, pontificating thing on the planet. If you're a birdwatcher, you'll want to add Thompson's rare birds to your life list: the Eastern Pottymouthed Snark; the Unmitigated Gull; the Commonplace Dullard; and, hardly least of all, the Flightless Grouse who "plods up and down the Eastern U.S. whining the whole damn time." There are guides to weeds, clouds, cookies, county fairs, catalogues, constellations, Halloween costumes, and "local bogeymen." Basically, Richard Thompson covers the waterfront, dipping his pen into everything from politics and other pollutants, to surburbia and other relicts. It's a blissful romp that should carry you through the seasons, year after year.