Synopses & Reviews
Fans and comedy cognoscenti alike, basking devotedly in the glow of , have made it the smash hit humor comic of the decade. And now the first four issues of Michael Kupperman's revered series are finally collected into one deluxe hardcover. Even better, Kupperman has taken the original two-color printing and made the entire book full color! These tales are more thrizzling than ever! What are tales designed to thrizzle? Tales designed to thrizzle are about evil girls and their owls. They are about Jesus' half-brother Pagus, the Mysterious Avenger, Dick Crazy, scary snakes, delicious bacon, Private Eye Johnny Silhouette, the Silver Knight, Murder She Didn't Write, the Mannister, the Space Patrol, portraits where the eyes move, Pablo Picasso, sex blimps (and their logical inverse, sex holes), the hot boy band Boybank, soccer joust, Underpants-On-His-Head Man, Hercules the Public Domain Superhero, Cousin Granpa, Mister Bossman, Mark Twain, the silent robot Citobor and, of course, the Thirties. The stories in made their debut in 2009 on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program as . The show, a mix of live-action, puppetry and animation, stars David Rakoff (), Bill Hader (), Kristen Schaal (), James Urbaniak (), and Dan Bakkedahl (), and is produced by Kupperman, Robert Smigel (, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), Scott Jacobson () and Rich Bloomquist ().
Review
"For years, Michael Kupperman's Fantagraphics series has obliterated the funnybones of comic readers with its surrealist humor and absurd characters...If you've missed any issues of Kupperman's sublime, logic-defying humor comics, this is your chance to catch up...now vividly colored for hands-down the funniest and arguably most re-readable hardcover collection of the summer." Kiel Phegley
Review
"The incongruity ultimately underscores how useless and silly a lot of the material we grew up on and continue to consume today really is. Though far from savage, at its heart, has some rather pointed things to say about the crap we consume on a daily basis. Plus, it's really, really, really funny." Wizard
Review
"A questions regarding the title of Michael Kupperman's : Does 'thrizzle' mean 'pee your pants from laughing so hard'? Because if so, it just about achieved its promise...his sense of humor is so absurdist, it's beyond absurd." Chris Mautner Robot 6
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"[Michael Kupperman's] work is sublime in the truest sense of the word....About the only other humorists who have affected me in the same way were the Marx Brothers." Rod Lott Bookgasm
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"... bring[s] a slick, hyperreal illustrative consistency that amplifies the already dreamlike mixture of familiarity and strangeness, which permeates [Kupperman's] deadpan surrealist slapstick." Rob Clough High-Low
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"Even on the scale of 2008, where we had great humor comics and great humor reprints, nobody brought the funny the way Kupperman did, and unlike most of the humor stuff available on the web, nobody did it with this kind of artistic skill." Doug Harvey LA Weekly
Review
"he first four issues of Michael Kupperman's awesome comedy comics zine have been collected into a single hardcover volume that is a superdense wad of funny, surreal, bent humor... This is weird, funny, Subgenius-esque toilet reading that will keep you very regular." Tucker Stone Comixology
Review
"Kupperman has been dazzling all who love a good story narrated by fast food, and all who love a good twist at the end of their story...Kupperman is brilliantly funny and maddeningly brilliant." Cory Doctorow Boing Boing
Review
", Kupperman's recent collection, is brimming with such a dense compilation of Dada-inspired plots, fake ads and comic book covers that it takes a repeated read-through to absorb the book's potent aura of absurdity... Reading is an expeditious experience, and like all treks you will feel exhausted and somehow improved by this entire gut-busting experience... is beyond recommendation." Jared Gardner Gutter Geek
Review
Literally jam-packed with strips that constantly vary in sizes, [Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1] shines with Kupperman's earth-shattering wit, his excellent vintage-comics-inspired draftsmanship and his genius comedic timing. Thanks Fantagraphics!Either you think Michael Kupperman's stuff is hilarious or you don't. And if you don't, well, that's sad, because you suck and you have no friends...This new omnibus of all four of his can't-miss gems from Fantagraphics not only makes it easy to get his out-of-print stuff, it's the only way to go—that's because the reprints are in color for the first time, and it just looks really nice. --Byron Kerman
Review
Michael Kupperman is the funniest cartoonist alive, and Tales Designed to Thrizzle is his funniest comic book... Thrizzle has the manic joy of a really good sketch-comedy series... Thrizzle was originally published as four comics, and Kupperman has recolored the series for its hardcover release... [It] should amuse just about anyone who can read. --Paul Constant
Review
Kupperman's work has always had that charge that the really good stuff has... I'm not certain anything under heaven or earth could make something greater than Kupperman's peerless ability to craft funny moments. --The Comics Reporter
Review
A kick to the funny bone that will leave you writhing on the floor.That Kupperman so masterfully plays to and upsets expectation makes Thrizzle that much funnier and finer. With stunts such as a Twain & Einstein crime-fighting partnership, Kupperman is all goofball, all the time. But Kupperman's line, even in shaping locomotive-sized garden snails, is weighty. And the weight of five years of Thrizzle, is, well, as formidable as a locomotive-sized garden snail. --John Reed
Review
One of the most impressive things about Tales Designed to Thrizzle is the versatility it shows. Kupperman’s art is instantly recognizable; his drawings are intentionally stiff, and his figures are posed oddly against his backgrounds so everything looks like collaged clip art…a constructivist looks that flirts perilously with high art. --Noah Berlatsky
Review
[A]bsurd scenarios proliferate…, as [Kupperman] follows each loony premise through to its (il)logical end result. He's a versatile stylist as well… --Ed Howard
Review
This stuff is comedy gold, so get it if you haven't read it already, and hell, spend the extra money to see the non-monochromatic version if you want. --"The Best Comics of the Decade"
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America's finest comic book! --Matthew J. Brady
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[T]his brilliant, anarchic collection of errant dips into the cultural gestalt is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Like stuff that's fearless, brilliant and non-linear? Thrizzle is for shizzle. --Mike Sterling
Review
It's no secret why Michael Kupperman is a favorite of Robert Smigel and Conan O'Brien—he's one of the most weirdly funny writers around...Tales Designed to Thrizzle is the dirtiest, funniest comic book to come out in a long time. --Richard Pachter
Review
Starred Review. The humor never lags in a book that is destined to be a comedy classic and is truly one of the funniest books in years.
Milk and other liquids may come out your nose as you read one of the funniest comics ever put to paper. Kupperman's droll absurdism is matched by a stiff, woodcut-like art style that underplays the sometimes outré concepts. A comedy diamond. --Heidi MacDonald
Review
The first collection from Kupperman’s surprising hit really helped spread the word about his unique and delightfully warped genius as a gagsmith and artist. --"The Beat"
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[T]here seemed to be something dangerous, something man was not meant to trifle with, something unnatural, in concentrating all that uncut hilarity in one place. --Rob Clough - "Top 50 Comics of 2009"
Review
Kupperman weeds out all the narcs at the party — meaning that if his work does not make you laugh, go back to Omega House and spank some pledges, you joyless freak. Seriously, this man is one of the all-time great comic book satirists. --Rich Kreiner - "Best of the Year"
Review
As insanely funny (and sometimes just plain insane) as usual. --Chris Reilly
Review
Michael Kupperman's Tales Designed to Thrizzle comics are some of the most insane, laugh-out-loud hilarious things I have ever read....Kupperman is not only a comedic genius, he's an incredible artist, and his talents are perfectly merged on the pages of his comics. --Brian Cronin
Review
I might say Kupperman is one of the greatest satirists of our time, if I could figure out what he's satirizing. The basic facts: this collect[ion]... featur[es] dozens of short pieces done on a chaotic array of subjects in so many styles much of it comes across as found art, and almost all of it's hilarious. Any attempt to summarize things like 'Mentally Ill Gangster Comics' or 'Crime Is Pushing the Limits' would miss the point completely. Except to say this is media culture put through the grinder. Top-notch. --Rachelle Goguen
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Michael Kupperman does funny very well…combining fine art skills with hilarious yet deadpan prose. --Steven Grant
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Gaspingly funny. --Gary Chun
Review
Hallelujah... for Michael Kupperman! He returns with his second collection, Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1, which brings under one cover the first four issues of the same-named comic. And comic it sure as hell is. I'm not entirely certain when I've read anything that made me laugh out loud as often as this volume, with the possible exception of Kupperman's debut Snake 'n' Bacon's Cartoon Cabaret. Women who've given birth to multiple children and older readers are advised to secure some kind of adult diaper. --Douglas Wolk
Review
Buy [Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1]! It's amazingly good. --Jackson Publick, co-creator of The Venture Bros.
Synopsis
What are tales designed to thrizzle? Tales designed to thrizzle are about evil girls and their owls. They are about Jesus half-brother Pagus, the Mysterious Avenger, Dick Crazy, scary snakes, delicious bacon, Private Eye Johnny Silhouette, the Silver Knight, Murder She Didn t Write, the Mannister, the Space Patrol, portraits where the eyes move, Pablo Picasso, sex blimps (and their logical inverse, sex holes), the hot boy band Boybank, soccer joust, Underpants-On-His-Head Man, Hercules the Public Domain Superhero, Cousin Granpa, Mister Bossman, Mark Twain, the silent robot Citobor and, of course, the Thirties The stories inTales Designed to Thrizzle made their debut in 2009 on the Cartoon Network s Adult Swim program as Snake N Bacon. The show, a mix of live-action, puppetry and animation, stars David Rakoff (This American Life), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords), James Urbaniak (The Venture Brothers), and Dan Bakkedahl (The Daily Show), and is produced by Kupperman, Robert Smigel (SNL, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), Scott Jacobson (The Daily Show) and Rich Bloomquist (The Daily Show). "
Synopsis
Michael Kupperman's
Tales Designed To Thrizzle, the smash hit humor comic book of the decade, is now collected into one full-color deluxe hardcover. Tales designed to thrizzle are about Jesus' half-brother Pagus, Private Eye Johnny Silhouette,
Murder She Didn't Write,
Hercules the Public Domain Superhero, Mark Twain, the Thirties, and more. The
Thrizzle tales will make their debut in 2009 on the Cartoon Network's
Adult Swim as
Snake 'N' Bacon, which is certain to catapult
Thrizzle to new heights of popularity. The show, a mix of live-action, puppetry and animation, stars David Rakoff (
This American Life), Bill Hader (
Saturday Night Live), Kristen Schaal (
Flight of the Conchords), James Urbaniak (
The Venture Brothers), and Dan Bakkedahl (
The Daily Show), and is produced by Kupperman, Robert Smigel (
Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog), Scott Jacobson (
The Daily Show) and Rich Bloomquist (
The Daily Show).
Synopsis
Michael Kupperman's , the smash hit humor comic book of the decade, is now collected into one full-color deluxe hardcover.
About the Author
Michael Kupperman lives in New York City, where he continues to work on the ongoing Tales Designed to Thrizzle comic book series.