To be published simultaneously with Prelude, The Last Leaf is the sequel after Lisa’s death from breast cancer in Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe. The Last Leaf recounts how Les and family cope with Lisa’s death and continue their lives. Creator Tom Batiuk brings Lisa back in Les’s imagination, and she helps him work out difficulties and decisions in his life and in the life of their daughter Summer. Fans will recognize Batiuk’s gentle mix of humor and more serious reallife themes that heighten the reader’s interest.

Prelude is a collection of the early comic strips that bring Lisa and Les together. Introduced to readers of Funky Winkerbean in late 1984 as she experiences SAT test anxiety, Lisa becomes Les Moore’s best friend and a pivotal character. Les and Lisa go to the prom, begin steady dating, and then break up. Over the summer, Les realizes how much he misses Lisa. When he gathers his courage and goes to her house, he is stunned to discover Lisa is pregnant with a child fathered by a jock from Walnut Tech. Lisa asks Les to be her coach in childbirth classes, and their friendship explodes from there. Prelude takes fans from the early days of their deep friendship through the birth of Lisa’s baby and the baby’s adoption.

In the first edition of Classic Pens readers were reminded of the franchise’s most memorable contests, from its beginnings in the 1960s through the 2010s. This new edition brings the team’s standout games up to date, including their triumphant 2016 Stanley Cup victory.

Notre Dame’s rallying cry was once “Win one for the Gipper.” The football series with Army that spawned that memorable slogan has long since faded into history, but every year the Irish continue to face another storied rival to test their mettle. The annual tradition of Notre Dame versus USC lives on. Rockne and Jones tells the story of how the battle with the Trojans began at the height of the turbulent years after WWI that changed the world forever.

Having previously tied the world record, Eddie Hart was a strong favorite to win the 100-meter dash at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. en the inexplicable happened: he was disqualified after arriving seconds late for a quarterfinal heat. Ten years of training to become the “World’s Fastest Human,” the title attached to an Olympic 100-meter champion, was lost in a heartbeat. But who was to blame?

In this sixth volume, we see the changes in tone that now characterize Funky Winkerbean. The story arcs increasingly intertwine to mark the shift from the simple sitcom mode to a more complex narrative with subplots. At this point in its evolution, Funky Winkerbean is resonating with readers and its popularity is growing. Ed Crankshaft, the irascible and curmudgeonly school bus driver, has become a fan favorite—so much so that cartoonist Tom Batiuk spins off Crankshaft into his own comic strip. Westview High School band director Harry L. Dinkle, the World’s Greatest Band Director, takes the band to New York City for a gig at Carnegie Hall, and drum majorette Holly Budd performs her acclaimed flaming baton trick with catastrophic results for the hallowed hall.

Three years before Brian Sipe began his magic with the Cleveland Browns, Bill Fitch and his band of Cavaliers brought a buzz to Northeast Ohio basketball that fans had never seen before. Despite a rough start to their 1975–76 season, the Cavaliers rode the shoulders of Akron native Nate Thurmond to the Central Division title. Under his leadership, they qualified for the playoffs. Then in April the Cavs provided fans with a remarkable string of games against the Washington Bullets, winning in incredible fashion three times—twice at The Coliseum in Richfield—en route to a 4–3 series victory in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

By this point in its evolution, Funky Winkerbean is resonating with its readers and its popularity is growing. Crankshaft, the irascible bus driver, and Betty, Westview High School’s secretary, are introduced. Crankshaft quickly became a fan favorite, with many readers responding to the trauma-inducing, surly old curmudgeon. Not since the introduction of band director Harry L. Dinkle had a new character received such a positive response. Betty soldiers on at Westview until Batiuk finally sends her off to the cartoon character’s retirement home.

No major league team has been blessed with more great, Hall of Fame–worthy players than the New York–San Francisco Giants, nor does any other team enjoy the support of more loyal and knowledgeable fans. With Legends of Giants Baseball, fans can savor a stunning tribute to their heroes.

Renowned fantasy illustrator James A. Owen presents fifteen intricate and imaginative line drawings inspired by the works of Oxford’s famous Inklings and Diana Glyer’s fascinating Bandersnatch.

Printed on heavy stock on one side only, each drawing is suitable for markers, fine-tipped pens, and colored pencils. Color your way through The Eagle and Child pub, along the banks of the Isis, beneath the spires of Magdalene College—and find (and color!) the bandersnatch hidden in each picture.