Sad Birds and Crying Mice: The Cartoon Art of John Garvin collects essays, drawings and paintings spanning twenty-five years.  Garvin learned to paint first by copying the works of legendary Disney artist Carl Barks, then, during the 1980s, directly from Carl and Garé Barks. Moving fluidly between Disneyesque kitsch, Low-Brow themes, and motifs that defy classification, Garvin uses cartoon characters and settings to explore such diverse topics as religion, satire, Shakespeare, misogyny, greed, poverty, misery, and more.  All 28 original cartoon paintings, completed between 1986 and 2009, are reproduced in full color.  A series of unique essays place the paintings in their historical and cultural context.  Also included are pencil drawings completed in the Louvre in 1990, as well as drawings and sketches used to create the paintings.  Over 200 pages, 30 pages in color.