Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack: twisted comedy that makes you laugh and look away

I've you've never read The Perry Bible Fellowship webcomic, now's the time to start. Dark Horse recently published a giant omnibus of material from Nicholas Gurewitch's PBF, The Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack, and it's a concentrated dose of the kind of dark, twisted humor that makes you bark with laughter and look away at the same time.

Gurewitch's comedy is solidly in the "unexpected turn of events" school, the surprise in the final panel that contains as much surrealism, malignancy and social commentary as it does humor. This is complemented by Gurewitch's visual style, which veers from the simplistic and cartoonish to incredibly detailed line art that's like something out of Tony Millionaire.

Last year, Gurewitch had a huge success with the first collection of his strip, The Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories, which pre-sold three print runs before its ship date (!), so it's no surprise that Dark Horse would reprise the collection this year.

Be warned, though: the Almanack duplicates all the material in the Colonel Sweeto collection, though it's twice as long, including many strips that were omitted from Sweeto, including a number that were too racy, gross, unfunny or weird for the newspaper syndicate, as well as sketches and interviews.

Here's what I'd do if I already owned Colonel Sweeto: I'd get this one anyway and give the Sweeto to someone who needed a good mind-blowing. Both books are very handsomely made (Dark Horse does a quality product) and both are the kind of funny that's worth having around.

The Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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IamInnocent

I must have lived too long. The strips made me laugh or got me bored but cringe or look away? Not one single of them…
Takuan

not at all Innocent, it simply means you are…..one of us…. Oh stop that! Stop that right now, you are being silly, our kind can’t die. Now just stop that, put that down! (bleedin’ noob….)
RainyRat

#5, #18 – there’s an explanation for the dearth of new strips here:

http://www.blorgable.com/2008/02/19/the-perry-bible-fellowship-enters-semi-retirement/
Stefan Jones

You people are such suckers.

Gurewitch used a MACHINE to generate his comics.

With the strip over, he felt secure enough to reveal and demonstrate it:

http://home.comcast.net/~stefan_jones/gurewitch_unveils_lo.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~stefan_jones/gurewitch_consults_lo.JPG

Laugh and turn away? I dunno, but some of them made me put PBF in the “not for everyone” list. Like the strip about the bunny and the girl looking at clouds.
IamInnocent

:D
Tak, I have no problem with living waaaayyy too long per se. Hopefully you’ll come along. I’m just noticing a tinge of blasÃ© in my perceptions.
I was also wondering what portion of the planet’s people have seen so much that they are at the same point as I am or further… and how many of them are much, much younger than I am. Now that still creeps me out.
Takuan

ummm, yer fourteen, right?
Anonymous

Hey I Love the PBF – LOVE IT.

That’s why I got excited when I saw this post, as I hadn’t read the PBF in over a year – which is when I first discovered it.

However I was slightly dismayed to see there has only been exactly ONE new strip added to the PBF in the last 12 months!

Granted every single strip is gold and should be framed an mounted in a museum for the enlightenment of future generations; but to encourage people that “now is the time to start reading” the PBF is a little hasty. I’m wondering if you could start reading this amazing comic in a year or two and feel as if you haven’t missed too much.

That’s right, I’m a bitter old curmudgeon! I want more PBF but it never comes.

Bah.

Humbug, even.
Tony Moore

i love this beautiful book. It definitely made me question my moral compass, though, because i could clearly see why most of the jokes were outright wrong, but was never fazed enough to do anything but cackle like a syphilitic clown.

-T
IamInnocent

No, fourteen is quite over, thanks God, OT for me now, although I still can feel it floating inside: long black trench coats, hair down to the waist, willowy blond girlfriends sweeter than a Himalayan but feeling like a red and blue striped cat quite often.

Which should connect us back to the weird ending comic strips.
Anonymous

I bought both books. I’m so damn sad and awesome at the same time.
Takuan

you must like Maakies then?
Blue

Is this what it’s going to be like in the BB retirement home?
braininavat

The strip ‘Gambling Man’ is the story of my life (probably lots of other BBers’ lives too). You must understand that there is a deep spiritual connection between the Bum with a sure bet and the pretty pink pony who’s just too talented to keep to the race track.
Takuan

the BB retirement home: “There’s nothing in here but this walrus skin rug…”
Anonymous

I have his 1st book, the trial of colonel sweeto,and i’ve bin reading his strips for a year or two now,funniest comics ever
IamInnocent

@ Blue:

LOL

@ Tak: that does it for me pretty well. :)
D3

This is why I come to BB. Never heard of this strip, and it’s brilliant! Thanks Cory.
redpiller

I sell this at my little indie bookstore in the middle of nowhere BC. I doubt anyone in this town is even aware of the existence of PBF, but when I saw this available at Diamond Comics I had to pick it up for personal enjoyment.

Think of how surprised I was when I sold a copy of it the first day it was out on the shelves (it was on display). I skimmed through it of course, and it’s everything a PBF-lover could hope for.
noen

What? You mean this isn’t the BB retirement home? Who stole my strained peas?
Anonymous

Genius!!!
kiint

love this one!
http://pbfcomics.com/archive_b/PBF103-Nice_Shirt.gif
Takuan

I could throw up on you a little if it helps…
Anonymous

i went to college with nick gurewitch, he was a great guy. however! many of his comics were co-authored by friends… hence the perry bible FELLOWSHIP…
great stuff though. glad he’s world famous now :)
winstonsmith85

I sent one to my little sister for her birthday tomorrow!
I know she will lurve it.
Brainspore

Could this new attention mean that Nick might actually start drawing these again? There’s been a big empty place in my internet ever since he stopped doing weekly comics last year.
Jaycatt

I’ve always loved PBF… It’s one of those cartoons no one knows about, like the Chris Ware ACME Novelty Library stuff. I wouldn’t say they’re the same, but whenever either author puts something out, I want it in my library. And Brainspore, I also hope this means new content on the website!
Anonymous

Also worth noting: Mr. Gurewitch uses different styles of illustration, mediums and typography for stylistic effect and to reinforce the central message of each comic.

Ex. 1) “The Shrink Ray”
http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF243-The_Shrink_Ray.gif

Ex. 2) “Thwack Ye Mole”
http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF216-Thwack_Ye_Mole.jpg

Ex. 3) “Post Apocalyptic”
http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF202-Post_Apocalyptic.jpg

Ex. 4) “The Great Circle” (watercolor & ink)
http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF218-The_Great_Circle.jpg

Genius! – DSR
MooseDesign

Oh, how many long, lovely hours of my life have been spent laughing on that site… Just bought the book.