Mark Tatulli - Silent But Deadly

LI is distributed internationally by Universal Uclick. Silent But Deadly copyright 2008 by Mark Tatulli. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews. For information, write Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. E-ISBN: 978-0-7407-9058-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008923477 APPR www.andrewsmcmeel.com ATTENTION SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use.

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So you have this book in your hands. Odds are, its not by accident that youve picked it up, because you already know LI. In fact, you dont just know it, you love it. Its one of your favorite comic strips. This made me wonder why such a book would need a foreword. I cant imagine that anyone whos a fan of LI would even bother reading a foreword.

What could I possibly tell you that you dont already know about the strip? Youre going to skip right over this and go right to the cartoons, right? You cant even answer that question because youre not reading this, youre reading the cartoons! Hey, I dont blame you. So why am I spending my valuable time writing this? Hmmm Well, maybe someone has given this book to you as a gift and youve never seen the strip before because your local paper doesnt carry it (which means the editor is a moron and should be fired immediately). OK, I can see that, but that would be a pretty small percentage of people holding this book in their hands. But if thats your case, let me just tell you that LI is brilliant. Its not the usual comic strip fare which is one of the reasons its brilliant. LI is original and unique, and fits into my definition of greatness in art.

Ive noticed over several decades of observation that if a movie, television show, book, or comic strip can be easily summed up and understood in one simple sentence, then it has no depth or intelligence behind it. Conversely, if it cant be adequately described in a capsulated form, where it has to be seen to be understood, then this puts it in the highest level of its art form. LI is definitely a case of the latter. The best way I could describe the essence of LI is that its sweetly dark. Youll have to read it to know what I mean by that. So if youve never seen LI before, sit back, open your mind, and have a great time.

Now, for the majority of you who are already devoted fans, I guess the only reason youre still reading this is that youre hoping to gain new insight about the mind behind LI, what Mark Tatulli is really like, and what led him to this. Or perhaps youre hoping for some juicy nuggets that you wont find in his usual bio material. Frankly, Ive never quite understood such prurient interest. Isnt it enough that he works his butt off creating a feature you love to read every day? Does it really matter that he worked his way through medical school as an exotic dancer and later gave up a lucrative career as a research scientist to become a cartoonist? OK, OK for those of you who are hoping for some actual inside info, something that isnt public knowledge, here it is: Through his creation of LI, Mark Tatulli has received the highest compliment given to a cartoonist. Its a compliment that comes from within the cartooning community. Its not an award handed out at some lavish ceremony.

Its something uttered privately, if uttered out loud at all, by nearly every professional cartoonist after first seeing his creation: I wish I had thought of that! Another hallmark of brilliance. But you already know that. Wiley Miller, creator of Non Sequitur