We continue our series on cheap, obsolete media formats by showcasing a technology little improved in two thousand years.  In an age when technology gets tossed aside in favor of the Latest Thing Next Year, is it any wonder that books are finally becoming quaint antiques, reminiscent of an earlier, less complicated age?

But don’t worry, bibliophiles!  Just as there are still markets for mangles and typewriters, so too will a market for books exist in less developed cultures!  As the book market in the U. S. slowly shrinks and shrivels, numerous bargains will appear, like the ones below!

Click on the titles for Barnes & Noble links.

(Caveat: Prices subject to change.  Limited inventory.  We make no money from these links.)

MAD’s Greatest Artists: The Completely MAD Don Martin

9781615573332    $150, now $24.98 (cheap!)

(No link.  After three years, the stock has sold out at the website.)

Call your local Barnes & Noble store.  Have them check this EXACT ISBN.  (It’s a special bargain ISBN.)

Have them click “nearby stores” if they do not have a copy.

If none of those nearby stores have copies, then have them click “search more stores” from that list.

Have that store give you phone numbers of at least five other stores which may have copies.  Call each until you find a store with a copy in decent condition.

Tell the bookseller that you wish to have the book shipped.  They will take your shipping and payment information, and process the order later that day.  Shipping will cost $3.99.

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

$150.00 List Price     $75.00 Online Price

Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress by Harry Katz

$50.00 List Price  $8.99 Online Price

“Like jazz and baseball, cartoons are an indelible, indigenous part of American culture. Cartoon America c elebrates 250 years of American cartooning with an unprecedented selection of original art by the best, most accomplished creators in the history of comics illustration, including Thomas Nast, Charles Schulz, Winsor McCay, Jules Feiffer, and many, many others. With accompanying essays written exclusively for this volume by such luminaries as John Updike, Art Spiegelman, and Chris Ware, the book includes many firsts, earliests, and one-of-a-kinds, including cells from classic animated films, vintage editorial cartoons, newspaper strips, comic books, and much more. Published in conjunction with the Library of Congress’s landmark exhibition of original art from the collection of cartoonist J. Arthur Wood, Jr., this is a treasure trove for the comics and cartoon enthusiast and an authoritative survey of this distinctly American art form.”

Yes, all of this is located in the Library of Congress.  Want to waste some time?  Click here. Old newspapers can be found here.

Get a load of this!

The MAD Bathroom Companion: The Mother Load by John Ficarra (Editor), Nick Meglin (Editor), Gene Shalit (Introduction), Trey Parker (Introduction), Gilbert Gottfried (Introduction)

$9.98 List Price  $5.99 Online Price

Three previous collections have been collected into one big volume!  A great house warming gift for any outhouse!  (And if you start to feel nauseous while reading, you’ll be conveniently located!)

$12.99 List Price  $2.99 Online Price

“Anyone who works in a fabric-covered box can relate to Dilbert. Since 1989, Dilbert has been the touchstone of office humor for people all over the world. As long as there are corrupt businesses, inept bosses and downright loathsome co-workers, there is plenty to chuckle at. Convinced your co-worker is a demon? That your boss is incompetent? That your dog is out to get you? Dilbert believes you, and this book proves it.”

$4.98 List Price   (Original price: $14.95)  $2.99 Online Price

The CBA All-Star Tribute Honoring the Great Sequential Art Master, Will Eisner. This double-sized memorial issue features remembrances, art and essays by over 200 artists, writers, editors, friends and fans celebrating the man, his superlative 70-year career and unprecedented impact on the art form. Behind a Dave Gibbons cover, this mammoth special contains tribute art by an incredibly diverse group of creators, including Mike Allred, Murphy Anderson, Donna Barr, Frank Cho, Darwyn Cooke, Geof Darrow, Jack Davis, Mike Diana, Irwin Hasen, Gilbert Hernandez, Alex Horley, Everett Raymond Kinstler, David Levine, Joe Linsner, Mark Martin, Mike Mignola, Eric Powell, Mike Ploog, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, Alex Ross, Craig Thompson, Tim Vigil, among many others. Included are interviews with Art Spiegelman, Jules Feiffer and Scott McCloud, on their friendships with Eisner and his influence on the future of comics. Plus testimonials and anecdotes shared by a wide array of comic book pros, including Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Stan Lee, Richard Corben, Joe Kubert, David Mazzucchelli, Joe Simon, and many others. Join us to experience a spirit of good will as the creator’s legion of admirers celebrate the life and mourn the passing of a true giant: Will Eisner.”

I Am Blind and My Dog is Dead by Sam Gross

$13.95 List Price  $4.99 Online Price
“Finally back in print in its original form after 30 years, Sam Gross’s I Am Blind and My Dog Is Dead perhaps his best known and most loved book is being released in a lavish hardcover introducing a new generation of readers to his unforgettable and original brand of dark humor, little match girls, confused pets, bewildered children and blind men.A long-time contributor to The New Yorker, Sam, a legendary pioneer of bad taste, has become one of America s best-loved cartoonists and inspired many to take up the art, including John Callahan.

His drawing style is relaxed and free, his use of gray washes is remarkable, his sense of composition, without a single extra element, is unmatched. Sam Gross is a master, and I Am Blind and My Dog Is Dead is him at his best. Whether it is already an old favorite or a new discovery, this book will delight readers and have them laughing for a long time to come.”


And…  two other sites which offer graphic novels at a discount:

and

Found some bargains online?  Feel free to share!

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