Baby Blues 10: Threats, Bribes & Videotape

Baby Blues Scrapbooks #10

by Rick Kirkman, Jerry Scott

""Artist Kirkman and writer Scott obviously know about parenting. You can see it in every installment of the true-to-life strip they create."" -Cartoon Opportunities Life's not getting any simpler around the MacPherson household with Zoe starting preschool, Hammie approaching toddlerhood and parents Darryl and Wanda just trying to keep up. Since 1990, the daily comic strip Baby Blues has delighted readers with its fresh prospective on the nature of parenting, earning it 1995's Best Comic Strip Award from the National Cartoonists Society. Scenes such as Zoe's disarmingly honest response to a complimentary stranger in the grocery store-""I think you have a really fat bottom""-strike an all-too-familiar chord with anyone who knows a child. And what parent wouldn't recognize the truth in the fact that it took only five seconds for Darryl and Wanda to move all of their valuable possessions (one framed photo) out of Hammie's growing reach? Baby Blues creators Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott receive countless letters and e-mails from fans who describe their heartfelt connection to the MacPhersons. Like no other family-oriented comic strip, Baby Blues speaks to millions of people who, like the MacPhersons, experience both the tremendous joy and nagging frustration of being parents.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels Comics, Parenting, Cartoon, Graphic Novels

130 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

About the author

Rick Kirkman is a cartoonist and co-creator of the comic strip Baby Blues. He received the National Cartoonist Society Newspaper Comic Strip Award in 1995, and the Reuben Award in 2012 for his work on the strip. He also served as co-executive producer of The WB animated television series of Baby Blues.

Reviews

[Maed Between the Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Ironically I own the first Baby Blues comic book, and then #10, 11, & 12.
Skipping from Zoe in her infancy to her as a toddler with Hammie as a new baby brother yet again demonstrated just how universal some aspects of parenting are. It was healing to see another toddler scream "no!" and have her parents have to take it in stride (as this is now a daily occurance in my life).
These comics are a breath of fresh air when you feel like you're going to lose it as a parent, and a reminder of why we do all this in the first place.

[David Allen Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading Baby Blues for many years and recently decided to collect and read all the books in the series, and so glad I have! Such a joy to read. This is one of the earlier volumes that collects strips from the late 1990s. Zoe is still a toddler, Hammie a baby and Wren hasn't come around yet. The characters though are developing more than in earlier collections. This collection has aged well for being over 20 years old (with the cute exception that Daryl is still using a VHS camcorder!) and there's a laugh and smile on almost every page. Wanda and Darryl see the kids thru exposure to chicken pox, birthdays and Christmas, Hammie refusing to take a nap, and my favorite is when Zoe brings Dad a tee shirt for Hammie and its actually from her doll. This volume not only brings smiles but more current readers might appreciate a look back at the kids when they were very young. A great collection.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic. Zoe is 3, Hammie a baby. Chaos ensues.