Sebastopol, CA--"As an old great one," says Cthulhu (who is, of course, the monstrous entity who lies "dead but dreaming" in the city of R'lyeh until one day when he will return and lay waste to the world), "I have the advantage of perceiving the structure of the universe. I can see what is focal, and what is peripheral. And I am here to tell you what it is that really matters. In one word: cartoonists."
Readers of the fourth collection of User Friendly comics, Even Grues Get Full (O'Reilly, US $12.95) by J.D. "Illiad" Frazer may be inclined to agree. Often overwhelmed by coding how-to-books, user manuals, and hardware reviews--not to mention job security concerns--thousands of tech types find daily refuge in the User Friendly strip. User Friendly is packed with references to geek interests, from obscure movies to old computer games, yet even non-geeks are able to enjoy the story lines and character quirks, from Erwin's acerbic humor to Miranda's constant angst; from the Smiling Man's Machiavellian machinations to A.J.'s dysfunctional naivete. Frolicking at the center of it all is the Dust Puppy, the strip's gentle-hearted mascot who has endeared himself to readers everywhere.
Readers of all sorts will enjoy the hilarious antics of Columbia Internet characters in this latest compilation, as Stef contends with a giant tequila worm, Mike is tormented by Mr. Cola, Cthulhu returns feeling antsy after eons of deep sleep, and the techs move their shop into a maze of twisty passages all alike deep inside a missile silo. But even this friendly haven from real-world geek concerns brings caveats of its own. As Wil Wheaton cautions in his foreword to the book, "When your beloved wife just wants to go to sleep, it is the absolute worst time to explain Cthulhu saying, 'You like that? So? What's my name? Say my name, Mortal!' is so damn funny." His advice? Enjoy the book. Just don't read it in bed while your wife is trying to fall asleep.
Called "Dilbert for Geeks" by Wired magazine and considered to be one of the few consistently intelligent and socially aware cartoons on the Net, User Friendly remains one of the most popular destinations for geeks and non-geeks alike. "Even Grues Get Full" will be a sure hit with anyone who works with computers or for anyone who lives with someone who works with computers.
Praise for the previous edition:
"The tech world is a strange place. Who says it can't be funny too? Scott Adams' popular Dilbert comic strip has proven that there is a wealth of humor to be mined from technology and techies alike. But for many techies, Dilbert and its kin only scratch the surface, dealing as much with office politics as with the life of techies. The User Friendly comic strip goes deeper...the Doonesbury for techies. The drawing style is crude--Illiad is no Michelangelo--but the jokes are good and often clever, and besides, I'd much rather read a cartoon that is genuinely inventive and amusing than well-drawn. Give me User Friendly over Family Circus or Cathy any day. 'Root of All Evil' is pretty much guaranteed to bring a smile to any techie-types you might know."
--Keith Schengili-Roberts, Computer Paper, April 2002"...side-splittingly funny,...a breath of originality, guaranteed hilarious, and absolutely, positively, not to be missed. Highly, wholeheartedly, enthusiastically recommended."
--James Cox, Midwest Book Review, November 2001
Additional reviews of the previous edition
Even Grues Get Full
By Iliad
ISBN 0-596-00566-0, 123 pages, $12.95 US, $20.95 CA, 8.95 UK
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