Minnows in the Bath and Other Doggie Treats

Book excerpt: Cartoonist Jerry Van Amerongen is an intellectual cartoonist with a loopy sense of humor and a richly subtle drawing style. In Minnows in the Bath, Van Amerongen gathers together his best canine cartoons. The droll dogs of Ballard Street are often hailed as among the cartoonist's strongest characters. Dogs who wear hats, dogs that catapult from trampolines, and dogs that outthink their human counterparts highlight Van Amerongen's humorous way with hounds. Through his comedic canines, Van Amerongen wants to share his world. "Some of the messages are profound; some are just plain silly. Some are geared for big laughs; others a quiet smile," the cartoonist says. "It's what's rattling around in my brain at the time." In 1980, Jerry Van Amerongen left a successful career in corporate America to work full-time on his cartoon The Neighborhood. After a decade, he decided it was time for a change, so he began developing Ballard Street. A graduate of Ferris State College, Van Amerongen lives in Minneapolis.