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False Knees: An Illustrated Guide to Animal Behavior
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In Barkman’s debut print collection, False Knees fans will find old favorites along with an abundance of all-new material. Featuring creatures found in the author’s native Ontario, this always sharp, sometimes head-scratchingly bizarre collection of comics offers a view into the secret, surprisingly insightful world of blue jays, squirrels, geese, wolves, and rabbits.
Kindle Edition, 144 pages
Published
October 15th 2019
by Andrews McMeel Publishing
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Start your review of False Knees: An Illustrated Guide to Animal Behavior
The False Knees comics are some of the best things to ever come out of the internet. Adorable, beautifully drawn, funny, and so wholesome. I love these dumb birds and their antics. 💖💖💖💖
On reading this printed version of Barkman's work as opposed to seeing it online, I was struck by how much detail and texture is in his illustrations. Also I don't know how he does it, but the animals he draws are so expressive. Part of me thinks birds are birds, how could they possible emote, but then I look at a ...more
On reading this printed version of Barkman's work as opposed to seeing it online, I was struck by how much detail and texture is in his illustrations. Also I don't know how he does it, but the animals he draws are so expressive. Part of me thinks birds are birds, how could they possible emote, but then I look at a ...more
I laughed a lot though I read most of the part of this book previously as webcomic. Highly enjoyable nonsense with funny, but still truthful and educational illustrations of behavior of birds.
Just the right balance of existential dread and laugh out loud that I needed today.
Funny short gags involving animals! I won't try to explain further. Just go to the website https://falseknees.com/
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This is another graphic novel that is SO smart and SO funny that it (metaphorically) makes me snort milk. The art is beautiful and every page leaves me frantically looking around for someone to show it to.
Beautiful graphics, 4*.
The text didn't make sense (what a pity), not for me, not at all, 0*. ...more
The text didn't make sense (what a pity), not for me, not at all, 0*. ...more
I haven't read anything since the beginning of July (I've been, and will be, working 12 hours per day, I have no brainpower for anything afterwards) but I did read this when my copy of it arrived today.
It's incredibly clever, it's funny (this is my EXACT sense of humor), it's wholesome, the art is stunning, and there's only animals in it, not a single human being; I legit couldn't ask for anything more. 10/10, will read again. ...more
It's incredibly clever, it's funny (this is my EXACT sense of humor), it's wholesome, the art is stunning, and there's only animals in it, not a single human being; I legit couldn't ask for anything more. 10/10, will read again. ...more
I've followed this webcomic for a while, and when I saw it at the store I was surprised to find comics I hadn't read. Love the art, love the humour, and learned the artist was Canadian!
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one of my favourite things in the universe
Seducingly sanguine! Vividly vermillion! Seriously cerise! Remarkably rufous! Partially puce! Categorically cochineal!
Note to myself: Whenever I am going to read something like this (especially when I already know the webcomic) I should think beforehand, if I really want to mark funny comics. I ended up with at least a fourth of the book tagged.
Still so funny. Who knew you could still mine animal based humor (but with very detailed drawings) with existentialism and a dash of absurdity. And I’ll forever laugh at the idea of a crow doing stand-up.
Still so funny. Who knew you could still mine animal based humor (but with very detailed drawings) with existentialism and a dash of absurdity. And I’ll forever laugh at the idea of a crow doing stand-up.
I asked for this for Christmas and my mother bought it, mostly because the subtitle had "animal behavior" in it and she loves that kind of thing. She ended up starting it before she gave it to me and was surprised to discover that it was a comic book...but not as quite as surprised as she was when one of the rabbits on page 64 is snatched up by an owl mid-sentence.
...I had to endure a few "do you really find this kind of thing funny (do you maybe need therapy)?" comments, but yes, I did find thi ...more
...I had to endure a few "do you really find this kind of thing funny (do you maybe need therapy)?" comments, but yes, I did find thi ...more
Animal observation gives witty insight to human nature. Great illustrations. Made me laugh out loud.
My favorite comic strips. 💜
Gorgeous watercolour art and some brilliant observations of (human) nature. A couple of the pieces didn't quite 'land' for me, but I won't take a star off for that. Highly recommended, but note it is dark and quirky - no bluebirds of happiness fluttering about here!
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Treasures upon treasures upon treasures.
My favourite is the bird who cheers up their friend by reminding them that a seed can turn into a tree. You’ll know when you know.
My favourite is the bird who cheers up their friend by reminding them that a seed can turn into a tree. You’ll know when you know.
I love a good disaffected bird comic
This book is right in my humor strike zone. Some of the strips are only okay, but some of them hilarious, and even the okay ones are fun to read and admire the art. No cartoonists hit a homerun with every strip. Highly recommended for people who like odd humor and birds.
(I actually read the paperback - someone needs to combine this edition with the paperback edition.)
link: This is my favorite ...more
(I actually read the paperback - someone needs to combine this edition with the paperback edition.)
link: This is my favorite ...more
A thing of (funny) beauty!
False Knees is a webcomic, usually an appealing 4-paneled square featuring birds, squirrels, and raccoons going about their daily business, dealing with anxiety, and asking important questions about what it means to be an individual. The art is cartoony, but detailed, almost like a crass Audubon print. The birds are especially wonderful, and it's remarkable how much emotion Barkman can convey through their nearly expressionless faces. Often a comic will end with a reaction shot, just a single pa
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My husband and I have a feeder on our deck, and we have flocks of regular visitors (both furry and feathered). They have names (the cardinals are Sylvester and Nymphadora, whose children Bacchus and Diana are learning the ways of the perch), personalities (squirrels are quite adept at climbing the screen door, leaping to the feeder, and swinging wildly while unsuccessfully attempting maximum seed consumption), and habits (are the juncos ground birds or just too nearsighted to use the feeder?).
Fa ...more
Fa ...more
This is the quirkiest animal strip comic I’ve ever seen. While mostly comprised of birds, there’s also raccoons, bears, fish and frogs among others. False Knees presented some existential questions and distress, mixed with juvenile humor. LOVE. I couldn’t stop laughing!
"Avenge meee!!!"
"I probably won't" ...more
"I probably won't" ...more
Why does this have so many five star reviews? It's not weird enough to be cool or interesting and most of the comics barely register as funny.
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I'd never heard of False Knees or seen any of the comics before this book, but let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised by it.
It's an odd kind of humour presented in these comics, but there's something about the juxtaposition of the weird and sassy jokes against the beautiful and detailed art that just works. I find myself both admiring the pictures and snorting at the words, so I'd say that this was a successful book as I enjoyed myself immensely.
I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for mo ...more
It's an odd kind of humour presented in these comics, but there's something about the juxtaposition of the weird and sassy jokes against the beautiful and detailed art that just works. I find myself both admiring the pictures and snorting at the words, so I'd say that this was a successful book as I enjoyed myself immensely.
I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for mo ...more
I swear this will be the last comic review for a while! The compilation of surreal and humorous comics is not perfect but it certainly is great. Most of them are drawn in gorgeous colors apart from some earlier ones that stick out a bit. Some are dumb. Some are very witty. Some are plain silly while others are very deep. I don't know which comics in there are exclusives but if you don't want to get this book you can always follow the artist online and get to see a lot of these highly unusual sho
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This is such a great concept, imagining what animals think. Sometimes profound, most of the time silly, but always with a great eye and ear toward the natural world and how the way we think about it reflects our own very human perceptions. Some of the comics I didn't get, but I'm okay with that. I expect the truly animal brain to be too foreign for me to understand once in a while.
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I thought this was a non-fiction graphic novel type of book for young readers.
It is not.
It is VERY quirky and funny most of the time.
Other times the joke flew over my head (bad pun with so much emphasis on birds)
But I enjoyed it.
It is definitely not what I thought it was and thank god I preview books from the public library before making any school library purchases...phew.
It is not.
It is VERY quirky and funny most of the time.
Other times the joke flew over my head (bad pun with so much emphasis on birds)
But I enjoyed it.
It is definitely not what I thought it was and thank god I preview books from the public library before making any school library purchases...phew.
hilarious birb comics, what else to wish for
A cute, quick read. Flew through it at Barnes and Noble. Decided not to buy it.
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