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Send Help!: A Collection of Marooned Cartoons
A hilarious collection of desert island cartoons from New Yorker cartoonists Jon Adams and Ellis Rosen to help us feel isolated. . . together.
This timely reflection on isolation brings together the best of a beloved genre, featuring an array of desert cartoons done in the signature single-panel style of a New Yorker cartoon. Whether you’re feeling marooned in too-close quarters with a loved one, are frantically dreaming up ways to escape from your own quarantine island, or are simply feeling nostalgic for palm trees and sand, these cartoons are sure to make you smile–and we could all use a laugh right now.
Drawn from a diverse collection of contributors, these humorous drawings are an essential addition to any coffee table collection, and bring a much-needed dose of levity to the circumstances we all find ourselves in.
This timely reflection on isolation brings together the best of a beloved genre, featuring an array of desert cartoons done in the signature single-panel style of a New Yorker cartoon. Whether you’re feeling marooned in too-close quarters with a loved one, are frantically dreaming up ways to escape from your own quarantine island, or are simply feeling nostalgic for palm trees and sand, these cartoons are sure to make you smile–and we could all use a laugh right now.
Drawn from a diverse collection of contributors, these humorous drawings are an essential addition to any coffee table collection, and bring a much-needed dose of levity to the circumstances we all find ourselves in.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2021
4 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Jon Adams
117 books6 followersI grew up in Santa Clara Valley, a place that no longer exists under that name. I attended school in Cupertino when there were still some prunes, cherries, and apricots, but no apples then. In my junior year of high school, I dropped out. For my parents took us (me, my two brothers and my sister) on a world cruise. We left San Francisco on the 58-foot schooner Fairweather. We sailed west across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, then up the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. From there we sailed across the Atlantic and Caribbean, passed through the Panama Canal, and then, after four years, returned to San Francisco. This cruise is the basis for the novel, "The Cruise of the Jest."
The basic story in "The Cruise of the Jest" had been on my mind for a long time, but the novel itself is not entirely based on my own experience. My mother kept a journal during the cruise on Fairweather, a journal that I later inherited. Actually, I started writing The Cruise of the Jest after I began transcribing and editing my mother's journal, because I realized that the journal didn't tell a story--journals rarely do. And I knew that if I wanted to describe what it was like to sail around the world, I needed a story. I think this need for a story is an example of fiction being more believable, and certainly more compelling, than simply telling the facts of what happened. The facts of what happened have their own place in my memory, but it takes a story to convey to others a sense of your own experience.
The basic story in "The Cruise of the Jest" had been on my mind for a long time, but the novel itself is not entirely based on my own experience. My mother kept a journal during the cruise on Fairweather, a journal that I later inherited. Actually, I started writing The Cruise of the Jest after I began transcribing and editing my mother's journal, because I realized that the journal didn't tell a story--journals rarely do. And I knew that if I wanted to describe what it was like to sail around the world, I needed a story. I think this need for a story is an example of fiction being more believable, and certainly more compelling, than simply telling the facts of what happened. The facts of what happened have their own place in my memory, but it takes a story to convey to others a sense of your own experience.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 18, 2022
A great book! Right away, I was amazed at how many different ways cartoonists can draw a desert island coconut/palm tree. I don’t think there were any two that looked alike, except if they were by the same cartoonist. I used to love watching cartoons when I was a kid. This book is a welcome change especially during pandemic when we are all worried if we will be sick from the virus. I honestly didn’t notice the cartoon themes until I got to the end of the book. I enjoyed reading the explanation of each theme. Those true stories were fantastic reads and the humor was excellent. Those advices were hilarious, especially the need for food and water!
This book opened up to a foreword page talking about how during pandemic cartoonists drew heaps of desert island cartoons. It was understood that people were tired of being cooped up at home and instead dreamed of the open air where there’s no chance of contracting the virus because it would be easier to do the social distancing requirement. Then there will be pages upon pages of different island cartoons from many different cartoonists. Near the end of the book, there will be a history of the desert island cartoon write up. Next page pointed out that these desert island cartoons were following different themes: meta, isolation, priorities, relationships, time, survival, business as usual, and death. At the end, readers will be informed that the cartoons in this book were mostly fictional, but some “true stories of real-life castaways” are included if readers read on. There will be pages of advices on how to survive if ever readers ended up stranded on an island. Also among advices, readers will find jokes and games to pass the time if readers happen to grab this book as a priority when stranded on an island.
Send Help!: A Collection of Marooned Cartoons was awesome. The advices on hygiene was funny too. That word search, I can’t help but draw on it. When I realized it’s a paragraph, I had to write it down to know what was being said. Now I regret writing in the book. I don’t write in books ever! Find the difference between two pictures of a guy stranded on an island made me laughed. The answer hint was a plus. I’ll be sure to grab this book when I next fly on an airplane, though I’m hoping I will never experience being stranded on an island. Definitely a fantastic cartoon book and I highly recommend everyone to read it!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.Howusefulitis.com for more details
Many thanks to Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
This book opened up to a foreword page talking about how during pandemic cartoonists drew heaps of desert island cartoons. It was understood that people were tired of being cooped up at home and instead dreamed of the open air where there’s no chance of contracting the virus because it would be easier to do the social distancing requirement. Then there will be pages upon pages of different island cartoons from many different cartoonists. Near the end of the book, there will be a history of the desert island cartoon write up. Next page pointed out that these desert island cartoons were following different themes: meta, isolation, priorities, relationships, time, survival, business as usual, and death. At the end, readers will be informed that the cartoons in this book were mostly fictional, but some “true stories of real-life castaways” are included if readers read on. There will be pages of advices on how to survive if ever readers ended up stranded on an island. Also among advices, readers will find jokes and games to pass the time if readers happen to grab this book as a priority when stranded on an island.
Send Help!: A Collection of Marooned Cartoons was awesome. The advices on hygiene was funny too. That word search, I can’t help but draw on it. When I realized it’s a paragraph, I had to write it down to know what was being said. Now I regret writing in the book. I don’t write in books ever! Find the difference between two pictures of a guy stranded on an island made me laughed. The answer hint was a plus. I’ll be sure to grab this book when I next fly on an airplane, though I’m hoping I will never experience being stranded on an island. Definitely a fantastic cartoon book and I highly recommend everyone to read it!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.Howusefulitis.com for more details
Many thanks to Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
December 17, 2022
I really appreciate this take on something I haven't thought about before - the prevalence of the deserted island cartoon strip. I could honestly read a whole book about the analysis, but it was fun to see the different directions each artist takes. There's also some bonus content towards the end that definitely seems like it was included to pad the book, but I still enjoyed it.
February 8, 2022
Book of cartoons about folks on desert islands. Last part of the book has some info on the history of such cartoons, as well as some history on folks who ended up living alone on islands, and finally some assorted activity book stuff with a pretty dark sense of humor.
July 23, 2022
The cartoons by a variety of cartoonists were the best part of this book - the rest of it, by the editors, was pretty meh
February 26, 2024
While I wouldn't exactly label it as hilarious, it certainly wasn't bad either. What truly caught my attention was the unique approach each artist took in exploring the topic.
July 31, 2024
Every other I either smiled or smirked - a nice surprise.
January 1, 2025
A fun collection. Didn't bother with the activities in the back.
October 7, 2025
Some of the cartoons humored me but most I had to wonder what the point was…
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews