The perfect gift for every single person on the planet.
Well, This Is Me is the debut cartoon collection from Asher Perlman (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), who NPR’s Scott Simon calls “one of today’s great New Yorker cartoonists.” A blend of Asher’s classics and never-before-seen material, this collection gives the people what they want: universal health care. Okay, not that, but something almost as important: a delightful book, chock-full of over 150 cartoons about everything from a dog’s encounter with a genie to the Tin Man’s trip to Jiffy Lube.
Conveniently broken up into thematic chapters, Well, This Is Me: A Cartoon Collection from The New Yorker’s Asher Perlman explores traditional comedy playgrounds, like travel and work, as well as more lighthearted subjects, like death and dying. Point is: this book has a little something for everyone. Even you, Kristen.
A fascinating look into the mind of a deeply unwell person. As I read this, I thought, oh man, I hope this book does well because if it doesn't, I will be concerned for Asher. This man clearly has very little going on in his life. The cartoons made me laugh, largely out of obligation. It is shocking to me that he is married. I've met his wife and she is so beautiful and kind and sweet that I thought, man, Asher must be really rich. I walked away from this book feeling impressed by Asher's wealth.
In all sincerity, this is an excellent collection of delightful, hilarious, surprising cartoons that genuinely makes me laugh out loud. Please go and buy it!! (He needs this.)
My friends and family know that I like "droll"—which is defined as "curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement" or maybe as "having a whimsical or odd quality." Among my all-time favorite standup comics is Steven Wright (who is almost exactly my age and also is close to my sensibility when it comes to humor).
So, when Asher Perlman's new book, Well This Is Me, debuted in June, my son—who has a similar sense of humor—immediately ordered a copy to arrive on my doorstep from Amazon. And, my son was right: I'm now a big fan of Perlman's print comics (he works in other forms of media as well).
You might have seen Perlman on TV, perhaps with Stephen Colbert's crew, or you might have spotted his comics in The New Yorker, which of course is famous for its droll cartoons.
I won't spoil the gems in this book by trying to "describe" or "explain" them. The Amazon book page shows you five of them—if you count the cover itself. That's enough to get a feel for his work without spoiling the many other "enthusiastic nods" and "chuckles" and "big smiles" you'll experience while actually experiencing this book.
Sure, I wish this book was longer! But, for me, that's a sign of a good bound collection of comics—you want more.
This is simply a short and sweet review thanking my son Benjamin for this book (he's on Goodreads, too) and recommending it to other like-minded friends in this reading community.
I haven’t laughed this hard at a comic collection book since I first read Calvin and Hobbs. Perlman is spot on in his hilarious observations about everyday absurdity. I will read this book twice per year until forever.
I am addicted to Asher Perlman’s cartoons in “The New Yorker.” With this new collection, readers will laugh as they see themselves reflected at play or at work, or even in the afterlife. He captures so many of life’s moments and turns them on their heads, but what I love best is how often I laugh out loud, which is a very good thing in these times.
So funny! Like genuinely laughed out loud several times throughout the book. I follow him on Instagram and I’m always enjoying what he creates. I’m so glad I bought this book.
I pick this up whenever I need a laugh. Regardless of how many times I’ve read a cartoon of Asher’s, they hold up to the repetition.
My ten year old found it in my car. While driving, I heard giggles and chuckles from the back seat the whole way home. Periodically, they felt moved enough to read one aloud and describe the picture while trying not to laugh.
There is bizarre. Bizarre such as strange, unusual things. Then there is bizarre as in everyday things, people, places and occurrences as depicted in Asher Perlman’s new Andrews McMeel Publishing book: Well, This Is Me, that collects his cartoons from the New Yorker. I like it. Perlman’s humor echoes my own. We both see the absurd in the most common things, misconceptions, hidden truths, false fronts, observations and real life absurdities.
He’s going bald, I’m going bald. He’s middle aged-well, I was, I'm past that stage.
Anyway, you get the idea.
This small, soft paperback book packs in a lot of chuckles, laughs and guffaws. What makes it so funny is that it’s true-most of of us just don’t want to admit it.
It’s brilliant, absurd, hilarious, strange, witty and more. It’s a compilation of inner wants and murmurings with clever text complemented by a unique art style.
1 John 4:8 - He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
As soon as I knew Asher Perlman wrote a book I pre-ordered it. I've been following his comics from the beginning and he always makes me laugh. I really enjoyed the intro, the interlude, and the epilogue, they make me curious what a more long-form comic would look like from Asher. His single panel comics are great. Some dark, some dry, some completely silly. I did feel the "love" section veered mostly into unhappy and some of the "life" ones could have been categorized with love for a more mixed picture. The chapter "Well, This is Life" definitely had me laughing aloud more than the others. I slowed myself down and read it in a day and a half. Buy it for yourself, or someone with whom you want to share a laugh. It's worth it.
This could be great. Or maybe it’s only really good. Maybe it should be banned. Or maybe it should be preemptively banned from being banned because it’s just that important! All I know is that it would sure look great next to my collections of Arno, Steinberg, Booth, Addams, Gross, Steig, Hoff, etc. Do they do ARC’s for cartoon books? Andrew, McMeel, either one of you, reach out and I’ll send you my address. Who knows, there could be a six ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in it for you. No promises. Just putting that out there.
Asher Perlman is incredible. The world is supremely weird and confusing and he is able to distill all that down to a single panel and a few words that make me chortle. And I never chortle. I swore it off when I joined the Abbey. Now I’ve been excommunicated, but at least I have this good book to rest my head on at night.
If you’re not a fan of smiling and/or laughter this isn’t the book for you.
Not since Gary Larsen’s The Far Side have I enjoyed a single panel cartoon this much. My only complaint is that this collection of brilliant cartoons doesn’t go on indefinitely. I look forward to future volumes.
It didn't change my life (hence 4 not 5 stars), but was even funnier than I thought it would be, which is saying something. One of the best collections I've read in a while. Can't wait to share with my friends.
Evidently the author also writes for Stephen Colbert who mentioned it on his show. The ones I got were very funny, but, as in much humor, I didn't get everything.