List of Pearls Before Swine books

This is a list of collections and treasuries of the popular comic strip Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis.

Collections

Title Publication Date ISBN Contents Cover/title parody
Pearls Before Swine: BLTs Taste So Darn Good March 2, 2003 ISBN 0-7407-3437-7 Strips from December 31, 2001 to October 6, 2002. Title is taken from a line Pig said in the January 12, 2002 strip and cover features him eating a BLT.
This Little Piggy Stayed Home March 1, 2004 ISBN 0-7407-3813-5 Strips from October 7, 2002 to July 13, 2003. Title is taken from a line in the nursery rhyme "This Little Piggy"; cover shows Pig watching TV while everyone else leaves.
Nighthogs March 31, 2005 ISBN 0-7407-5009-7 Strips from July 14, 2003 to April 18, 2004. The title and cover are parodies of Edward Hopper painting "Nighthawks". Stephan Pastis stated that Hopper is one of his favorite artists, which may state why the parody is from "Nighthawks". Rat takes the place of the waiter behind the counter while Goat, Pig, and Zebra sit around it.
The Ratvolution Will Not Be Televised March 1, 2006 ISBN 0-7407-5674-5 Strips from April 19, 2004 to January 23, 2005. Title is a parody of Gil Scott-Heron's poem/song The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, cover features a Croc, Rat, Goat, Zebra, Pig, and Rat's cartoon character, Dickie the Cockroach, as a militant group
Da Brudderhood of Zeeba Zeeba Eata March 1, 2007 ISBN 0-7407-6801-8 Strips from January 24, 2005 through October 30, 2005. The cover vaguely parodies the movie poster of Animal House (note the pirate costume on one of the crocodiles, similar to that worn by John Belushi in the film, and the toga worn by Rat)
The Sopratos September 1, 2007 ISBN 0-7407-6847-6 Strips from October 31, 2005 to August 6, 2006. Title and cover are a parody of The Sopranos TV series; various characters that were killed off in prior strips appear buried in the dirt
Macho Macho Animals September 1, 2008 ISBN 0-7407-7369-0 Strips from August 7, 2006 to May 13, 2007. Title and cover parody the Village People; the title is a play on the song title "Macho Man" and Larry, Zebra, Guard Duck, Rat, Pig, and Goat are all dressed as members of the Village People
Da Crockydile Book o' Frendsheep September 1, 2008 ISBN 0-7407-7627-4 Contains strips supposedly selected by the crocodiles with a "frendsheep"-related theme, including several that had not yet run in a Pearls collection. Cover features two members of the Zeeba Zeeba Eata fraternity smiling, with one having his arm around the other who has his thumb up; features an introduction written by Pastis in croc-style language
The Saturday Evening Pearls March 17, 2009 ISBN 0-7407-7391-7 Contains strips from May 14, 2007 to February 16, 2008. Title and cover are a parody of The Saturday Evening Post. The cover setting parodies the painting "Freedom from Want" by Norman Rockwell, a regular illustrator for the Post. In this case, various crocodiles are sitting around a table while Patty (Larry the croc's wife) serves Zebra for dinner and Rat, Pig, and Guard Duck watch on in horror.
50,000,000 Pearls Fans Can't Be Wrong April 6, 2010 ISBN 0-7407-9141-9 Contains strips from February 17, 2008 to November 16, 2008. Title and cover are a parody of the Elvis Presley album 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong; Pastis is featured on the front cover by himself in various poses while wearing an Elvis costume, and on the back he is confronted by Pig, Rat, Larry, and Goat- Rat calls it the "worst, most arrogant cover ever", Pig urges Pastis to get help, Larry says "me want keel you", and Goat demands to know when he gets a cover to himself. 50,000,000 Pearls Fans Can't Be Wrong is the first Pearls collection to feature full-color Sunday strips; publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing has begun to print Sunday strips in color in many of its regular-sized comic collections after strictly limiting them to treasury-sized books for years.
When Pigs Fly September 7, 2010 ISBN 0-7407-9737-9 Contains strips from November 17, 2008 to August 23, 2009. Title is taken from the old saying "When pigs fly." Cover features Pig participating in a slam dunk contest while various Pearls characters and Stephan Pastis watch on. Features "The Unseen Pearls", eleven strips from the web-only days of Pearls that Stephan Pastis refused to publish in newspapers with annotations by the cartoonist (the first time Pastis provides annotations for a regular collection).
Larry in Wonderland October 4, 2011 ISBN 1-4494-0817-6 Contains strips from August 24, 2009 to May 23, 2010. Title refers to, and cover art illustrates, a storyline from the comic strip that appears in the book.
Sometimes You Just Gotta Draw a Cover with Your Left Hand April 10, 2012 ISBN 1-4494-1023-5 Will contain strips from May 24, 2010 to TBA
A Sociopath's Guide to Friendship March 12, 2013 ISBN 1-4494-0117-1 Will contain strips that illustrate Rat's ideas about friendship. Cover art features Rat holding a paintbrush and standing in front of three large yellow smiley faces, having changed the middle one to an angry face saying profanities.

Treasuries

Treasuries contain two books in one binding with Sunday strips in color, plus insight from Stephan Pastis.

Title Publication Date ISBN Contents Title/cover parody
Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic September 1, 2004 ISBN 0-7407-4807-6 Strips from BLTs Taste So Darn Good and This Little Piggy Stayed Home (December 31, 2001 to July 13, 2003); Annotations by the cartoonist; Character(s)/object(s)-on-cover quiz, a true test of knowledge for Pearls Before Swine fanatics Title and cover parody The Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Lions and Tigers and Crocs, Oh My! September 1, 2006 ISBN 0-7407-6155-2 Strips from Nighthogs and The Ratvolution Will Not Be Televised (July 14, 2003 to January 23, 2005); annotations by the cartoonist; The Good, The Banned and The Ugly, a collection of strips which never ran in newspapers. Cover parodies The Wizard of Oz, title parodies a line from the film ("Lions, Tigers and Bears, oh my!"). Pig portrays the Scarecrow, Rat the Tin Man, Goat Dorothy, and Zebra the Cowardly Lion.
The Crass Menagerie March 28, 2008 ISBN 0-7407-7100-0 Strips from Da Brudderhood of Zeeba Zeeba Eata and The Sopratos (January 24, 2005 to August 5, 2006); annotations by the cartoonist; Not Yet Ready for Prime Time Comic Strips, a collection of strips which never ran in newspapers including one strip that was never finished. Title parodies Tennessee Williams's play The Glass Menagerie; cover does not feature a parody but instead features the Pearls characters (sans Pig, Goat and Zebra) running amok and destroying Stephan Pastis' office while Pastis watches in disbelief.
Pearls Sells Out August 18, 2009 ISBN 0-7407-7396-8 Strips from Macho Macho Animals and The Saturday Evening Pearls (dating from August 6, 2006 to February 16, 2008); annotations by the cartoonist; Stuff You Ain't Never Seen Before, a collection of strips which never ran in newspapers. Title references the release of several Pearls characters as plush dolls prior to the release of this treasury. Cover does not feature a parody but places Stephan Pastis, Pig, Guard Duck, Snuffles the cat, Andy the Dog, several crocodiles, and Rat in a store aisle selling plushies; the crocodiles tear apart the Zebra plushies while Pastis looks on in disbelief and Rat tries to steal his wallet. A Danny Donkey doll ("includes beer!") and a Snoopy doll wearing a Fez are inexplicably placed on one of the shelves. The back cover features Pig cleaning up the mess, including a destroyed Dilbert plushie.
Pearls Blows Up March 22, 2011 ISBN 1-4494-0106-6 Strips From 50,000,000 Pearls Fans Can't Be Wrong and When Pigs Fly; annotations by the cartoonist; "The Artist as a Young Man", several pages of photographs from various points in Stephan Pastis' life from childhood to adulthood. Cover illustrates a literal explosion triggered by Snuffles the cat as Guard Duck tries to stop him. Stephan Pastis, Rat, Goat, Pig, Danny Donkey, Larry, Zebra, Pig's sister Farina, Hobart the Miniature Train Engineer, and the Killer Whale are seen flying through the air due to the explosion.