Sunday, January 04, 2004

Funny Books

One of the funniest works of literature from my college years is back in print. Check out this Slate article about National Lampoon 1964 High School Yearbook.

This story prompted me to check to see if one of my other favorite comic tomes from the '70s was still around. I was happy to learn that Don Novello's The Lazlo Letters: The Amazing, Real-Life, Actual Correspondence of Lazlo Toth, American is indeed still available. Plus, I learned there are even a couple of sequels.

The Lazlo Letters is a compilation of demented letters that Novello (you probably know him as "Father Guido Sarducci") sent to political leaders (including President Nixon at the height of Watergate) as well as captains of industry (Mr. Bubble?). But what really makes the book are the unintentionally hilarious responses from his victims. In some cases, form letters become found-object art.

Now I'm going to have to check out those sequels.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Come for the Shame, Stay for the Scandal

  Earlier this week I saw Mississippi bluesman Cedrick Burnside play at the Tumbleroot here in Santa Fe. As I suspected, Burnsi...