A must have, the last book collection of Selected Ballard Street syndicated cartoons (2010 to Present)
Jerry Van Amerongen's cartoons are in every sense Short Stories. Each beautifully balanced composition relies on the expressions and posturing of the characters to give us clues to who they are, and what motivates them to act as they do. We can tell by looking at them how they may have behaved in the past, and how they are liable to act in the future. And, then there are the captions...wonderfully droll understated observations that we readers might make ourselves. All this in a single panel drawing! This is exceptional cartooning. If there were a Mount Rushmore for Cartoonists, Jerry Van Amerongen would be on it!
Jerry Van Amerongen's cartoons have been in continuous syndication for nearly 40 years. Beginning with The Neighborhood (1980-1990), which along with Gary Larson's The Far Side, helped redefine the single panel newspaper panel cartoon and continuing with Ballard Street (1990-2019). Van Amerongen is a 5 time nominee and 2 time winner of The Best Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award presented by The National Cartoonist Society.