Bill Barnes (1) (1967–)

The twelfth, and final collection of the Unshelved strip. Seeing these familiar characters fade into history is disappointing, not least because the two remaining creators, Gene Ambaum and Chris Hallbeck (Bill Barnes had already left the series), have immediately begun a new library strip. So far, I haven't been able to detect that the gags in the new material could not have worked in the original, which leaves me to wonder why the need to close it.

But that's all gripes, I suppose. Anyone show more who worked in or enjoyed public libraries recognized immediately the slice of reality that Unshelved both reflected, but saw the humor in. It will be missed. Goodbye, Dewey.... show less

For a strip that's written by two guys I find it very refreshing when it comes to the women's point of view even as it doesn't make Dewey, the male, stupid and stereotypical either (Dewey is a lot of other things, but not those two things). And somehow year after year they keep their strips mostly fresh.

I really liked the 'Great Plastic Coffee Lid Comic Strip Challenge', uh... interesting and very funny.

I also really liked the Firefly/Serenity strips. As well as the other totally on target show more nerd strips they do. And I thought the Internet/Library strips based on the Mac/Windows ads were quite funny as well. They keep the strips current with stuff like the ads, and the movies, but they also do a whole lot of strips that are timeless. For example, the bathroom humor ones. show less

This is a compilation of sarcastic and satirical comic strips about libraries, librarians, working for a living, working with the public for a living and striving to maintain a public service while rabid politicians are ranting about the need to privatize everything they possibly can unless it effects them personally. With all that said, it's very funny. Here's a dialogue between Mel, the head librarian, and Dewey the young reference librarian:
Dewey: So there I am playing "Spider Solitaire" show more for like two hours, the same game, trying over and over. Do I give up? No, I persevere.
Finally I look in the help file and do you now what it says? "Not every game is winnable". Not every game is winnable!
Mel: And you did this while you were working on the information desk?
Dewey: My point exactly! All those people waiting in line for no reason! show less

This series found its groove early on and stuck with it right to the very end: static, one-note employees of a public library complain about the static, one-note, weird people who come to read the books and use the other services the library provides.

Fittingly, the creators choose to leave everyone in this state of limbo instead of blowing everything up in some uncharacteristically dynamic series finale.

FYI: Co-writer Gene Abaum may have left Mallville Public Library behind, but he has a new show more strip about life in a library with the on-the-nose title of Library Comic.

FOR REFEFENCE:

Reprinting Unshelved comic strips originally published on the Unshelved website from September 29, 2014, to November 11, 2016, and Conference Tips originally published in ALA Cognotes newspapers in January 2015, June 2015, January 2016, June 2016, and January 2017. show less