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

by Richard Thompson and Annabeth Albert

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578601843
• ISBN13: 9781578601844
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Clerisy Press, Emmis Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Absolutely brilliant.

Thompson's art style has such a fun and spontaneous look, you just can't help but be tickled by it. Combined with his smart and whimsical sense of humor, this book packed full of his cartoons is a real gem. I'd be hard pressed to categorize "Richard's Poor Almanac", but that's what's so great about it. It's such a marvelously idiosyncratic creation, that it's in a class all by itself. I highly recommend this book.

Masterful!

At last! A great collection of masterpieces! Richard is a true genius and the artwork shines. A treasured book!

Highly recommended

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!

What's Black and White and Yellow All Over?

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.

A Splendid "Poor Almanac"

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.