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Poorly Drawn Lines #1
Poorly Drawn Lines: Good Ideas and Amazing Stories
Don’t Miss Poorly Drawn Lines on Cake , airing on FX and streaming on FX on Hulu!
This New York Times bestselling collection of absurd comics is the perfect funny gift for everyone in your life.
“Poorly Drawn Lines is the funniest comic I've read since The Far Side.”— Wil Wheaton, actor ( Star Trek: The Next Generation ; The Big Bang Theory )
Life is weird. Embrace it. A bear flies through space. A hamster suffers a breakdown. A child marvels at the wonder of nature as worms emerge from the ground to look for vodka (as they always have). Elsewhere, a garden snake is arrested by animal control and jailed for home invasion. These are common occurrences in the world of Reza Farazmand’s wildly popular webcomic, Poorly Drawn Lines . Traveling from deep space to alternate realities to the bottom of the ocean, this collection includes fan favorites alongside never-before-seen comics and original essays. For the first time, Farazmand shares his inimitable take on love, nature, social acceptance, and robots.
This New York Times bestselling collection of absurd comics is the perfect funny gift for everyone in your life.
“Poorly Drawn Lines is the funniest comic I've read since The Far Side.”— Wil Wheaton, actor ( Star Trek: The Next Generation ; The Big Bang Theory )
Life is weird. Embrace it. A bear flies through space. A hamster suffers a breakdown. A child marvels at the wonder of nature as worms emerge from the ground to look for vodka (as they always have). Elsewhere, a garden snake is arrested by animal control and jailed for home invasion. These are common occurrences in the world of Reza Farazmand’s wildly popular webcomic, Poorly Drawn Lines . Traveling from deep space to alternate realities to the bottom of the ocean, this collection includes fan favorites alongside never-before-seen comics and original essays. For the first time, Farazmand shares his inimitable take on love, nature, social acceptance, and robots.
200 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2015
55 people are currently reading
3141 people want to read
About the author
Reza Farazmand
12 books172 followersReza Farazmand is a New York Times-bestselling author, comedy writer, and creator of the popular internet comic series Poorly Drawn Lines. He has published four books, including the graphic novel City Monster and the comic and essay collection Poorly Drawn Lines: Good Ideas and Amazing Stories, along with two followup collections: Comics for a Strange World and Poorlier Drawn Lines. His work has been featured in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Adventure Time comics, Buzzfeed, NPR, and on Comedy Central. He lives and draws in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
March 18, 2020
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
When I heard rumors over the weekend of the library potentially shutting down due to COVID-19 I did what anycrazy normal bibliophile would do – instantly drove from the ‘burbs to downtown in order to check out allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the physical books I could hold – and I brought a kid with so we could double-down if necessary. (Speaking of double-down, I’m doing a twofer of Reza Farazmand comics here rather than separate reviews because even if the world is ending I will remain lazy.) I actually was seeking Nathan Pyle’s Strange Planet when I went to the “OneNorth Collections” location of the Central Branch. Alas, that popular little new release was not to be found – but both of these were. And how could I resist “Comics For A Strange World?” I mean hell, no better time than the present for that title, right?
Then yesterday I found myself in a situation I never would have imagined possible . . . .
Work from home? With my Funko girl squad? What?!?!?!?! Now don’t get it twisted that I don’t believe WFH to be a thing that should be encouraged/required at this moment in time. I just so happen to work in an industry that has historically been led by old white men who are allergic to technological development. The idea of staff not being in the office or that projects could be completed efficiently not in a cube-farm is something that was simply unfathomable. However, times have changed and project requests have evolved and whether the powers-that-be are on board or not, they were forced to comply so there I was clacking away in a “pants optional” environment. But what to do about a lunch hour? I mean, I was already at home so there was no need to escape. Instead I pulled these two little selections from the leaning tower o’library stack and had a chuckle or twelve.
Ernesto and Kev have, at minimum, a new fan and there’s about an 82% chance Kev and I were separated at birth (just waiting on that 23 and Me confirmation) . . . .
There’s nothing I enjoy more than a darkly humorous take on the world and these deliver in spades. As one of the blurbs states in the form of a grandfather explaining the internet to his grandchild . . . . .
“A vast network of millions of idiots. Together, the idiots created endless shitty ideas. It was a true renaissance of shit.”
If you find yourself tired of wading through the shit, I highly recommend picking up something funny as a tiny break from reality. Now is a time where it is more important than ever to take care of yourself . . . .
Keep your heads up. We’ll get through this.
When I heard rumors over the weekend of the library potentially shutting down due to COVID-19 I did what any
Then yesterday I found myself in a situation I never would have imagined possible . . . .
Work from home? With my Funko girl squad? What?!?!?!?! Now don’t get it twisted that I don’t believe WFH to be a thing that should be encouraged/required at this moment in time. I just so happen to work in an industry that has historically been led by old white men who are allergic to technological development. The idea of staff not being in the office or that projects could be completed efficiently not in a cube-farm is something that was simply unfathomable. However, times have changed and project requests have evolved and whether the powers-that-be are on board or not, they were forced to comply so there I was clacking away in a “pants optional” environment. But what to do about a lunch hour? I mean, I was already at home so there was no need to escape. Instead I pulled these two little selections from the leaning tower o’library stack and had a chuckle or twelve.
Ernesto and Kev have, at minimum, a new fan and there’s about an 82% chance Kev and I were separated at birth (just waiting on that 23 and Me confirmation) . . . .
There’s nothing I enjoy more than a darkly humorous take on the world and these deliver in spades. As one of the blurbs states in the form of a grandfather explaining the internet to his grandchild . . . . .
“A vast network of millions of idiots. Together, the idiots created endless shitty ideas. It was a true renaissance of shit.”
If you find yourself tired of wading through the shit, I highly recommend picking up something funny as a tiny break from reality. Now is a time where it is more important than ever to take care of yourself . . . .
Keep your heads up. We’ll get through this.
October 2, 2019
because i am not someone who knows things, i had never come across the web comic that gave birth to this book. i just saw a kitty on the cover of this book and bought it. fortunately for me, and unlike some of my other impulsive decisions, this one worked out and i had many giggles as i turned the pages.
i enjoy this kind of simple-cute art
weirdo scenarios
and cheese-love
and i really appreciate all the truths this book is unafraid to reveal about birds and what dicks they are
it's true that there's some sameness to the jokes after a while, and they don't all hit the high hilarity mark, but the ones that do were good enough for me to be glad i'm such a bookgrabby person.
and i also liked the ones that weren't funny, but prescient and scary
there are even a couple of unillustrated story-stories and i'm unashamed to admit this one made me laugh a bunch
this book taught me a lot about the dangers of honesty
and in believing all the rumors
and why ghosts make bad friends
and… well, this one taught me nothing but it made me snicker anyway
there are laughs in the book, and there are free laughs on the web comic. consult your budget and make your decisions accordingly.
come to my blog!
June 17, 2015
This was a very short, moderately funny read. I liked the art style, but felt that many of the jokes became repetitive, and relied upon the punch line of calling someone, usually a talking animal, an asshole or other random insult. It was funny the first few times, but then got stale. Regardless, this was still a decent browse, but if you like this comic, I might recommend sticking to the web series.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2020
Reza Farazmand picked a great name for his webcomic. Poorly Drawn Lines is appropriate because the art is very simple. But it doesn't need to be anything more to get his little jokes across. Reza has a very deadpan, dry humor which I quite enjoyed.
July 6, 2016
Pretty Funny
This is a pretty funny title, yes? I mean the "poorly drawn" part. But it's also not full of good ideas or amazing stories, and this is intended to be part of the joke of the comic. So, no, the drawings are not poorly drawn, they are simple, clean, sort of fitting the jokes. Some of the jokes are anecdotes not accompanied by illustrations, but it's mostly comics. They are all of a similar tone. They are sort of simple deadpan hipster pretty funny. I was going to post some but I encourage you to look at some of the other reviews of this book or just click online to see the whole web comic on line:
http://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/
Usually? Often? the comic adds profanity in order to bring the joke home. To be clear, I love to swear. Or, I just do a lot. It's my thing. Some people play golf; I swear. As an ex-Calvinist who once had to go to church TWICE on Sundays, I feel like I am still making up for lost time with the swearing. And my kids started a "swear jar" to discourage me and make money for things they wanted. But I recall going to a comedy club and hearing a comic one time who said the key to comedy was just adding "F*#@$" to everything. He told us he had discovered he got more laughs when he swore like a sailor. Then he demonstrated this and we DID laugh more! Kind of pathetic, but he had a point, right?
Anyway, Farazmund seems to swear for laugh sometimes. As above, many of us will probably laugh when she does this, but it seems there were plenty of Goodreads reviewers who didn't like that aspect. I did, at first, and then decreasingly so, seeing the repetition of the strategy.
Okay, enough with the swearing already. I think it's pretty funny, overall, really.
Here's an interview with the artist:
http://www.codemakit.com/2013/12/an-h...
The interview promises to be "hilarious". Well, I guess it's pretty funny, too.
The cover has a blurb from funnyman Matthew Inman, cartoonist and creator of The Oatmeal. This gives you an idea of the kind of humor going on here, Oatmeal humor. Which everyone likes! Not me as much as others, though. Give me Roz Chast for this sorta thing.
This is a pretty funny title, yes? I mean the "poorly drawn" part. But it's also not full of good ideas or amazing stories, and this is intended to be part of the joke of the comic. So, no, the drawings are not poorly drawn, they are simple, clean, sort of fitting the jokes. Some of the jokes are anecdotes not accompanied by illustrations, but it's mostly comics. They are all of a similar tone. They are sort of simple deadpan hipster pretty funny. I was going to post some but I encourage you to look at some of the other reviews of this book or just click online to see the whole web comic on line:
http://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/
Usually? Often? the comic adds profanity in order to bring the joke home. To be clear, I love to swear. Or, I just do a lot. It's my thing. Some people play golf; I swear. As an ex-Calvinist who once had to go to church TWICE on Sundays, I feel like I am still making up for lost time with the swearing. And my kids started a "swear jar" to discourage me and make money for things they wanted. But I recall going to a comedy club and hearing a comic one time who said the key to comedy was just adding "F*#@$" to everything. He told us he had discovered he got more laughs when he swore like a sailor. Then he demonstrated this and we DID laugh more! Kind of pathetic, but he had a point, right?
Anyway, Farazmund seems to swear for laugh sometimes. As above, many of us will probably laugh when she does this, but it seems there were plenty of Goodreads reviewers who didn't like that aspect. I did, at first, and then decreasingly so, seeing the repetition of the strategy.
Okay, enough with the swearing already. I think it's pretty funny, overall, really.
Here's an interview with the artist:
http://www.codemakit.com/2013/12/an-h...
The interview promises to be "hilarious". Well, I guess it's pretty funny, too.
The cover has a blurb from funnyman Matthew Inman, cartoonist and creator of The Oatmeal. This gives you an idea of the kind of humor going on here, Oatmeal humor. Which everyone likes! Not me as much as others, though. Give me Roz Chast for this sorta thing.
September 29, 2017
Well Drawn Lines: Decent Ideas and Okay Stories.
But I like the artist's confidence.
And some of the jokes, while seemingly lacking punchlines, made me laugh.
But I like the artist's confidence.
And some of the jokes, while seemingly lacking punchlines, made me laugh.
May 30, 2017
I really loved this creation. It was a great combination of comics and prose, all with absurd humour with an underlying dark edge. I feel as if those who can pull off absurd humour are intelligent and socially aware. It is definitely an art form. The dark comedy helped the comics from being too 'cutesy' but man, some of those characters are so damn adorable. Highly recommended if you appreciate the absurdity of life!
June 15, 2016
HILARIOUS.
Definitely not for everyone but for me it was really really good.
*ARC / review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thanks again*
Definitely not for everyone but for me it was really really good.
*ARC / review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thanks again*
April 26, 2016
These webcomics walk the tightrope between darkly absurd and silly. They involve surly anthropomorphic animals and sentient objects flicking one another off, and short stories in a similar deadpan vein. While some of the jokes are repeated in slight variations towards the end of the volume, most of them made me laugh. My favorite piece was "DON'T LOOK AT ME WHILE I FINISH THIS CANTALOUPE," which demonstrates why we can never have lasting harmony in an office setting.
September 8, 2015
arc provided by PENGUIN GROUP Blue Rider Press through Netgalley
I've been a fan of Poorly Drawn Lines for a while now, I like the art's simplicity and I like Farazmand's gift for the weird, the funny, and the endless void of morbid introspection.
However, while this book did have a few of my favourite (and most popular) comics:
The way it was put together wasn't balanced. You'd get pages of sadness and self-doubt, then you'd get pages of funny comics - it didn't follow a theme or narrative line, there was no progression, it seemed aleatory, which made reading it an uneven experience.
So, good comics but a disorganised book.
Also, this comic wasn't in it, but I have to share it, since it's one of my favourites!
March 10, 2018
So many of these strips make me laugh out loud. Love it!
May 4, 2019
Wednesday evening my beloved spouse was otherwise engaged, so the high school junior and I had a classic Library Night: ramble around the local collecting a stack of things, a brief show and tell of everyone's selections, followed by dinner at my favorite cheap restaurant, The Armadillo, for tacos and seemingly endless chips and salsa and queso.
One of us has an enormous encampment of books from multiple libraries all over then den, and so felt no need to go up to the main floor and root around for more. But it happened to be Read Down Your Fines time, so I grabbed a couple of cute picture books to peruse while I waited. Well, that was the plan. Every other picture book on display looked good for one reason or another. I read a small stack there to donate the reading time to others, and brought the rest home.
Meanwhile, someone happened to a spot a book that might appeal to me, from amidst the graphic novels. Turns out everyone in the house has been reading and loving Poorly Drawn Lines online. Understandably so.
Dinner was splendid, by the way, because game three of the Hurricanes/Islanders series was on, and there was much scoring excitement. We lingered much longer than usual, gorging ourselves on chips and hockey superiority. One of the really lovely things about the Offspring growing up is how our routines expand and grow: what began as the alternative dinner plan of the bookish parent who lacked cooking skills became over time an irregular routine which morphed into this group sports-fan experience I never would have expected to find myself in.
With one thing and another I hadn't yet picked up this until I was mildly goaded into it last night, between updates on that winning game. So yes, hockey and Poorly Drawn Lines have been forced upon me and I am happier for it.
The comics are sufficiently amusing, but the intersticial text pieces were a totally unexpected delight. Weird and funny and surprising. I'll have to read the next book soon.
Library copy, in case that wasn't clear.
One of us has an enormous encampment of books from multiple libraries all over then den, and so felt no need to go up to the main floor and root around for more. But it happened to be Read Down Your Fines time, so I grabbed a couple of cute picture books to peruse while I waited. Well, that was the plan. Every other picture book on display looked good for one reason or another. I read a small stack there to donate the reading time to others, and brought the rest home.
Meanwhile, someone happened to a spot a book that might appeal to me, from amidst the graphic novels. Turns out everyone in the house has been reading and loving Poorly Drawn Lines online. Understandably so.
Dinner was splendid, by the way, because game three of the Hurricanes/Islanders series was on, and there was much scoring excitement. We lingered much longer than usual, gorging ourselves on chips and hockey superiority. One of the really lovely things about the Offspring growing up is how our routines expand and grow: what began as the alternative dinner plan of the bookish parent who lacked cooking skills became over time an irregular routine which morphed into this group sports-fan experience I never would have expected to find myself in.
With one thing and another I hadn't yet picked up this until I was mildly goaded into it last night, between updates on that winning game. So yes, hockey and Poorly Drawn Lines have been forced upon me and I am happier for it.
The comics are sufficiently amusing, but the intersticial text pieces were a totally unexpected delight. Weird and funny and surprising. I'll have to read the next book soon.
Library copy, in case that wasn't clear.
October 9, 2015
So, years of being on social media has gotten me super familiar with the web comic Poorly Drawn Lines. When I saw that there was a book, I knew I had to read it. I wasn't at all disappointed.
If you're a long time reader of the web comic like I am, don't fret. This publication includes a mixture of the old, classic panels as well as ones that have never been seen before. I really liked that the blend of the two. The old ones always make me laugh, but it's nice to have new material as well. The comics are divided into sections by themes, like Nature.
If you're not familiar with this book, then just be warned it's not a kid's book.
All in all, I'm happy with this book. It's a really fast read, but I got more than a few laughs out of it. I like the simple artwork, and the weird, sarcastic, pun-derful humor happens to perfectly align with my own. More than once, I've posted these comics to my girlfriend's wall because it relates to us in some form.
It's really hard to rate and review this book, because you really just have to check the book out for yourslf.
If you're looking for a good chuckle, check this book out. I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
If you're a long time reader of the web comic like I am, don't fret. This publication includes a mixture of the old, classic panels as well as ones that have never been seen before. I really liked that the blend of the two. The old ones always make me laugh, but it's nice to have new material as well. The comics are divided into sections by themes, like Nature.
If you're not familiar with this book, then just be warned it's not a kid's book.
All in all, I'm happy with this book. It's a really fast read, but I got more than a few laughs out of it. I like the simple artwork, and the weird, sarcastic, pun-derful humor happens to perfectly align with my own. More than once, I've posted these comics to my girlfriend's wall because it relates to us in some form.
It's really hard to rate and review this book, because you really just have to check the book out for yourslf.
If you're looking for a good chuckle, check this book out. I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
October 10, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I must have been living under a stone or on some obscure part of the internet, for I had not heard of the webcomic Poorly Drawn Lines (http://poorlydrawnlines.com/). However after reading 'Life is weird. Embrace it.' I thought I should give it a try.
It's a nice collection of (very) short comics and some short stories/essays. I figure it must be like reading the blog. However, and I can't judge this, but I was wondering it all the same, I'm not sure how extra this book gives you if you already follow the blog.
This being said, I quite enjoyed myself with it. Most of it was not LOL-material, but I did smile from time to time and let some of my friends read comics since we were all sitting in the same train when I was reading it. Some parts were just weird, but then I can't say that's not what was promised.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I must have been living under a stone or on some obscure part of the internet, for I had not heard of the webcomic Poorly Drawn Lines (http://poorlydrawnlines.com/). However after reading 'Life is weird. Embrace it.' I thought I should give it a try.
It's a nice collection of (very) short comics and some short stories/essays. I figure it must be like reading the blog. However, and I can't judge this, but I was wondering it all the same, I'm not sure how extra this book gives you if you already follow the blog.
This being said, I quite enjoyed myself with it. Most of it was not LOL-material, but I did smile from time to time and let some of my friends read comics since we were all sitting in the same train when I was reading it. Some parts were just weird, but then I can't say that's not what was promised.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
June 14, 2015
*Received this from Netgalley for an honest review*
Okay, so first of all, I need to dry my eyes and my cheeks. Secondly, I need to hold my stomach, because it aches. Thirdly, I need to buy this book to keep on my bedside table to read whenever I feel down. This was my kind of humour, the illustrations were fantastically simple and cute, and the writing, the little observations and jokes, from themes such as life, death, love, hate, space, and...erm... a really tall frog, this is just so funny. I loved it. It is one of the best books of this type that I've read, and I've read a few of them recently. A perfect funny gift, and something that should cheer anyone up.
Okay, so first of all, I need to dry my eyes and my cheeks. Secondly, I need to hold my stomach, because it aches. Thirdly, I need to buy this book to keep on my bedside table to read whenever I feel down. This was my kind of humour, the illustrations were fantastically simple and cute, and the writing, the little observations and jokes, from themes such as life, death, love, hate, space, and...erm... a really tall frog, this is just so funny. I loved it. It is one of the best books of this type that I've read, and I've read a few of them recently. A perfect funny gift, and something that should cheer anyone up.
February 2, 2018
"My neighbour Tanya told me Pilar was a "bad bitch." A lot of songs say this is essentially the best type of bitch."
i really loved this, but i knew i'd like it because i've seen the author online, but he's so intelligent and Smart and idk how people come up with this they're so goodandwitty, i Loved ernesto and the band-aid pigeons and Every single comic basically aLSO this bOOK is just full of Book Vines basically thats how u describe it and all my buddies need to read this so we can quote togetha Tnx also by the end of it i wish i Owned this but it's just from the library, i'm poor, and books are expensive 😭😭😭
"You too shall be food for the worms."
i really loved this, but i knew i'd like it because i've seen the author online, but he's so intelligent and Smart and idk how people come up with this they're so goodandwitty, i Loved ernesto and the band-aid pigeons and Every single comic basically aLSO this bOOK is just full of Book Vines basically thats how u describe it and all my buddies need to read this so we can quote togetha Tnx also by the end of it i wish i Owned this but it's just from the library, i'm poor, and books are expensive 😭😭😭
"You too shall be food for the worms."
October 7, 2015
Reza Farazmand apparently has no filter. He writes and draws the strangest things and is totally ok with that. Some of his jokes are not even funny, but I laugh anyway because they are simply surreal. And surreal things are the best.
*ARC provided by Blue Rider Press via NetGalley.*
*ARC provided by Blue Rider Press via NetGalley.*
December 14, 2015
So good that I cried laughing! I had to bookmark pages to show people. I'm so excited I got this for a work gift exchange!
December 29, 2019
Much like Strange Planet, the draw here is the artist's unique world view, which ranges from nihilistic existential crises to memorable absurdities. Another fine diversion.
January 21, 2016
I made a point of picking up Poorly Drawn Line collection because I'm a fan of Reza's online work and I was not disappointed! For anyone who have never heard of Reza I highly recommend checking out the Poorly Drawn Lines webcomics.
As far as I'm concerned Reza Farazmand is a master of the short comic form. He knows how to make a punch line work with his own fun sense of humour. It's a quick punch, with fun twists, and some standalone visual jokes that make me smile like a loon. This is the sort of work that you share online whenever you see it. While reading my brain kept thinking, "I would reblog that!"
Some of the punchlines were a bit repetitive, but that was primarily because of how the book is organized, grouping like concepts together. I don't really get why the book was organized that way, but I don't think that was necessarily a mark against the collection. It's a small gripe.
The physical book is probably where I was the most impressed. The physical size was perfect, if not slightly unusual. I expected it to be a lot bigger, but its paper and gloss were very good quality. It is a great format for Reza's artwork. His art is remarkably consistent and just fun to look at. That colour pallet too! Colouring is probably my favourite thing to harp on when it comes to comics, but damn, Reza does it right! It's understated, yet visually wonderful. The only problem I had with the book and art was in my specific library copy. There was a printing issue on two pages of the book where the black line work had a pink shadow slightly off centre. Sort of like the pinkish colour you get when your black printer cartridge is running out of ink and isn't mixing right. It was disappointing, but very easy to overlook.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed were the short stories/essays that are sprinkled in between comics. His writing is just as good without pictures and it was nice to break up the collection. Give me some room to settle in rather than speed through.
Overall, this is the sort of collection should be on everyone's radar. The small issues I had did not in any way damper my love of this book. It was a great read! I can't wait to see what else Reza is going to do next, both in print and online. As a fan on his brand of funny I will be waiting with anticipation and refreshing the page.
As far as I'm concerned Reza Farazmand is a master of the short comic form. He knows how to make a punch line work with his own fun sense of humour. It's a quick punch, with fun twists, and some standalone visual jokes that make me smile like a loon. This is the sort of work that you share online whenever you see it. While reading my brain kept thinking, "I would reblog that!"
Some of the punchlines were a bit repetitive, but that was primarily because of how the book is organized, grouping like concepts together. I don't really get why the book was organized that way, but I don't think that was necessarily a mark against the collection. It's a small gripe.
The physical book is probably where I was the most impressed. The physical size was perfect, if not slightly unusual. I expected it to be a lot bigger, but its paper and gloss were very good quality. It is a great format for Reza's artwork. His art is remarkably consistent and just fun to look at. That colour pallet too! Colouring is probably my favourite thing to harp on when it comes to comics, but damn, Reza does it right! It's understated, yet visually wonderful. The only problem I had with the book and art was in my specific library copy. There was a printing issue on two pages of the book where the black line work had a pink shadow slightly off centre. Sort of like the pinkish colour you get when your black printer cartridge is running out of ink and isn't mixing right. It was disappointing, but very easy to overlook.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed were the short stories/essays that are sprinkled in between comics. His writing is just as good without pictures and it was nice to break up the collection. Give me some room to settle in rather than speed through.
Overall, this is the sort of collection should be on everyone's radar. The small issues I had did not in any way damper my love of this book. It was a great read! I can't wait to see what else Reza is going to do next, both in print and online. As a fan on his brand of funny I will be waiting with anticipation and refreshing the page.
January 10, 2016
'Poorly Drawn Lines' by Reza Farazmand is a collection of comic strips, many of which have been onine. The collection looks kid friendly but the punchlines can take dark and sometimes vulgar twists, so a caution to parents looking at this one.
The collection is broken up into sections titled 'The Natural World,' 'A Better Tomorrow,' and 'Unexplained Events' among others. There are multi-panel strips where sometimes the punchline spans a page, and there are short written vignettes that talk about things like organic cucumbers and birds wearing pants, etc. There are ducks that think about murder, bears in space, robots who are jerks, and many other things.
The humor is ironic and has things like children being sent out to kill or cats flipping people off. I liked some of it more than others. I liked the comic strips more than the short stories. Those just got old after a while. I liked the art style too. The book is a super quick read, so I don't know if it's worth a purchase at full price. That will depend on if you find this to be funnier than I did.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Penguin Group Blue Rider Press, Plume, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The collection is broken up into sections titled 'The Natural World,' 'A Better Tomorrow,' and 'Unexplained Events' among others. There are multi-panel strips where sometimes the punchline spans a page, and there are short written vignettes that talk about things like organic cucumbers and birds wearing pants, etc. There are ducks that think about murder, bears in space, robots who are jerks, and many other things.
The humor is ironic and has things like children being sent out to kill or cats flipping people off. I liked some of it more than others. I liked the comic strips more than the short stories. Those just got old after a while. I liked the art style too. The book is a super quick read, so I don't know if it's worth a purchase at full price. That will depend on if you find this to be funnier than I did.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Penguin Group Blue Rider Press, Plume, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
May 21, 2016
If you’ve been on the Internet for any length of time, you’ve probably seen a Poorly Drawn Lines comic and didn’t even know what it was. Poorly Drawn Lines is definitely weird.
It’s a very short, and moderately funny read. I really liked the art style, but some of the jokes felt repetitive. It was funny the first few times, but then got stale real quick. There’s not really a plot to summarize. It’s a collection of comics, some already available online, some for the book alone, as well as strange short stories from unnamed narrators that often veer off into a strange direction.
Poorly Drawn Lines is not all laugh-out-loud funny. Overall, I still enjoyed a few of the comics. Here are some of my favourites:
It’s a very short, and moderately funny read. I really liked the art style, but some of the jokes felt repetitive. It was funny the first few times, but then got stale real quick. There’s not really a plot to summarize. It’s a collection of comics, some already available online, some for the book alone, as well as strange short stories from unnamed narrators that often veer off into a strange direction.
Poorly Drawn Lines is not all laugh-out-loud funny. Overall, I still enjoyed a few of the comics. Here are some of my favourites:
January 24, 2016
I'm pretty sure anyone who uses the internet has seen some of these.
When I saw the book in store, I picked it up immediately without even thinking about it, knowing from the examples I've seen that it would be filled with sarcasm and dry humour - exactly what I like. I wasn't disappointed in that respect. There were parts that had me laughing out loud, taking pictures to send to my friends.
Unfortunately, about half way through, a pattern emerges. A lot of the jokes are quite repetitive, following the same themes and often sharing punchlines. Most of the jokes came from insults or swearing, which has it's place, but gets quite old when you're reading them one after the other. My favourite comics were the more innocent ones - the snake in handcuffs, the bird and the hippo, and the murderous mouse.
Some of the short stories were hilarious. 'Checkout' had my brother and I all but cackling.
All in all, it was a fun read, but I think it's probably best enjoyed as individual comics on the internet, rather than all wrapped up together in one book.
When I saw the book in store, I picked it up immediately without even thinking about it, knowing from the examples I've seen that it would be filled with sarcasm and dry humour - exactly what I like. I wasn't disappointed in that respect. There were parts that had me laughing out loud, taking pictures to send to my friends.
Unfortunately, about half way through, a pattern emerges. A lot of the jokes are quite repetitive, following the same themes and often sharing punchlines. Most of the jokes came from insults or swearing, which has it's place, but gets quite old when you're reading them one after the other. My favourite comics were the more innocent ones - the snake in handcuffs, the bird and the hippo, and the murderous mouse.
Some of the short stories were hilarious. 'Checkout' had my brother and I all but cackling.
All in all, it was a fun read, but I think it's probably best enjoyed as individual comics on the internet, rather than all wrapped up together in one book.
February 15, 2019
I picked this up on a whim (I can be pretty impulsive at times) and was charmed by the cover and the few skits I had read before purchasing.
However, on reading Poorly Drawn Lines, I found myself wanting funnier punchlines rather than curse words which feature heavily throughout. Animals repeatedly call each other dicks and assholes, and yes, the odd one is funny, but not when every other scenario ends with it.
The drawings are great - bright, clear and often very cute (see Ernesto the bear) but the scenes and stories are often lacking any real humour for me which is a shame as I wanted to love this book.
I suppose it serves me right though for purchasing it on a whim.
However, on reading Poorly Drawn Lines, I found myself wanting funnier punchlines rather than curse words which feature heavily throughout. Animals repeatedly call each other dicks and assholes, and yes, the odd one is funny, but not when every other scenario ends with it.
The drawings are great - bright, clear and often very cute (see Ernesto the bear) but the scenes and stories are often lacking any real humour for me which is a shame as I wanted to love this book.
I suppose it serves me right though for purchasing it on a whim.
June 13, 2015
I don’t know what kind of internet rock you’ve been living under but I find the idea of anyone not having come across a poorly drawn lines comic strip in the past few years quite impossible to believe. Even if you didn’t exactly know it was one.
I was excited to check this out because the ones that I’ve come across made me laugh and I hoped this would be more or less the same, Unfortunately it wasn’t and while reading this I realised maybe these comics, enjoyable and humorous as they can get, are better enjoyed on their own every once in a while then collected in a book.
I was excited to check this out because the ones that I’ve come across made me laugh and I hoped this would be more or less the same, Unfortunately it wasn’t and while reading this I realised maybe these comics, enjoyable and humorous as they can get, are better enjoyed on their own every once in a while then collected in a book.
June 7, 2018
I love the web comic Poorly Drawn Lines. I think Reza Farazmand is my soul mate because he (? I think male) has exactly my sense of humor. His comics are about life, the afterlife, human interactions, nature, and space.
Since this is mostly just a book of humor, I recommend checking out the comics online to see if they are to your taste. Many of the comics in this book are reprints from online, while some are new, plus there are flash stories with the same wit as the comics. The print quality is nice, and the book is square and floppy.
Since this is mostly just a book of humor, I recommend checking out the comics online to see if they are to your taste. Many of the comics in this book are reprints from online, while some are new, plus there are flash stories with the same wit as the comics. The print quality is nice, and the book is square and floppy.
December 25, 2019
My sister jokes that Reza Farazmand is in her head, as these cartoons resonate so strongly to her. That’s because, despite featuring simply drawn cartoon humans and animals, the comics get at basic human feelings—guilt, anger, envy, loneliness, rejection, and perhaps more than all of these, everyday irritation. They are straightforward but full of character, dark yet with glimmers of hope. If you are a fan of Farazmand’s (and likely if you’re not), you will enjoy these comics.
July 28, 2015
5 drawn lines stars
If any of you have ever spnt a moment on the internet you have run into poorly drawn lines art work I promise! The author also has aa website under the same name that get updated 3 times a week! I love the little personal stories which as just enough background to have the comic just making you lose your mind! This comic strip is going to explode its everywhere and its amazing!
I love everything about this … seriously stop and buy this one immediately !
If any of you have ever spnt a moment on the internet you have run into poorly drawn lines art work I promise! The author also has aa website under the same name that get updated 3 times a week! I love the little personal stories which as just enough background to have the comic just making you lose your mind! This comic strip is going to explode its everywhere and its amazing!
I love everything about this … seriously stop and buy this one immediately !
February 24, 2016
Book 5 in 2016: 5/5 stars!
This book was so consistently hilarious and surprising and I didn't think it was possible for me to think every single short comic was funny, insightful, genius?! This man's a genius. Would read again. Over and over. I peed myself reading this. Not literally. Metaphorically. I'm just trying to use exaggeration to explain to you how freaking awesome this book is.
This book was so consistently hilarious and surprising and I didn't think it was possible for me to think every single short comic was funny, insightful, genius?! This man's a genius. Would read again. Over and over. I peed myself reading this. Not literally. Metaphorically. I'm just trying to use exaggeration to explain to you how freaking awesome this book is.
July 6, 2016
Hilarious stuff right here, simple and clean drawing with short and concise jokes. The consistency is really good, almost every strip is really smart and funny. It has a modern feel with the language and art but it's not graphic at all, it's cute and super funny. It's a must read and really you should just buy it.
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