Attempted Bloggery: Wonder Book

Showing posts with label Wonder Book. Show all posts

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Sight Unseen: Lee Lorenz's Old Farts Are Forever, Signed

Yes, that's the title. Old Farts Are Forever is a 2009 cartoon collection by Lee Lorenz, then the former cartoon editor of The New Yorker. An unspecified number of the cartoons are from the magazine. A signed copy of the book listed on eBay caught my eye late in December. Reportedly signed and inscribed by the author, but with no images other than a stock photo of the cover, I decided to add it to my collection of interesting books purchased sight unseen. With a $10.98 purchse price and free shipping, it was not a huge gamble on my part. At worst, I'd end up with a new book I was unfamiliar with.

Stock Image

Lee Lorenz
AbeBooks item accessed December 27, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Old-Farts-Forever-Lorenz-Lee-Andrews/32364396548/bd

Lee Lorenz
AbeBooks item description

The book arrived Wednesday. It is signed "Best, Lee Lorenz" in the former editor's barely-legible hand. Anyway, it checks out as legit. And it's got some excellent cartoons.

05175

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Sight Unseen: Four Books by Liza Donnelly

Back on March 20, Wonder Book of Frederick, Maryland, listed two children's books by the New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly. They were signed and reasonably priced with zero shipping charges. Then, on October 18, two additional books of hers were listed, also signed, similarly priced, and this time for grown ups. It was then that I noticed the two earlier books. Each listing was illustrated only with a stock image. It is the author's frequent practice to include sketches in her signed books, but there was no indication whether any of these books had them. Still, with the books priced between $5.99 and $7.99, there didn't seem to be much of a downside risk. I boldly made my move.

Stock Image

Liza Donnelly
AbeBooks listing accessed October 18, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Hippo-Yard-Read-Liza-Donnelly-Holiday/32157847714/bd

Liza Donnelly
AbeBooks item description

Now that they have arrived, I can show you the books. A Hippo in Our Yard is the only book of the four with an Autographed Copy sticker.

It is indeed signed, but it also has a small, delightful drawing.

Previously on the blog, we've seen copies of Cartoon Marriage signed by both authors, Donnelly and her New Yorker cartoonist husband Michael Maslin. Both cartoonists added drawings, together generally in some variation of a couple toasting each other. But this copy, we already know, is signed only by Donnelly.