The Blade: Shellville High School Yearbook by Don Novello

This is exactly what the title says it is. It's a high school yearbook for the small Midwestern town of Shellville. Only all of the faculty, staff, and students are sheep and goats!

From the warped mind of Don Novello (The Lazlo Letters, and SNL's Father Guido Sarducci) comes the weirdest book I have ever come across. Novello is a weirdo genius. Who else looks at a high school yearbook and decides that they'll make it better with sheep!?

I imagine that this book was murder to make. The old adage 'Never work with kids or animals' comes to mind here. How difficult must it have been to have all that livestock posing together in pictures. Plus Novello crafted a full lineup of characters here and to keep the sheep separate and distinct throughout the book takes a maddening amount of organizational skills. 

From 1984, this book has a very strange cult following. While no longer in print, used copies can be found on Amazon and other online sites for upwards of $40 and more. That's a mark-up of over 100% of the original cover price. But it's rare and highly sought after.

Worth Consuming!- if only for the sheer level of oddness.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

An all-time favorite review of mine: A review of "The Lazlo Letters" Originally dated 1/15/2008

Originally dated 1/15/2008

Dear Mr. Toth,

 I just finished your book and I must say it is the BEST!!!! Did you really write all those people? I heard you wrote more letters and books to other world leaders, but I have not been able to find them. Are they good books?

 I didn’t really buy your book, NO I DID NOT steal it. I found it at a Used Book Store and I was so outraged, I demanded that the owner carry this book new only, in order to help fund a patriot like you. Postage sure has gotten expensive. He just shrugged his shoulders and told me to pay him $2.00 Just 2 measly, but by the grace of God, wonderful dollars for this tome? It should be in the Smithsonian. As a loyal American, I refused to play less than $5.00 and that was fine with him.

I also hear you have lots of friends; like George Tuttle- did you know that was the name of Hawkeye’s imaginary friend on MASH? Weird, huh? I also hear your friends with Don Novello. He’s also father Guido. My parents wouldn’t let me watch him because he was blasphemous. But, I don’t understand why they got so upset, because my parents didn’t like Catholics either.

I just hope that man does not corrupt your morals.

Take Care, and keep writing your letters.

Sincerely,

Bob A. Shep

PS, Can I have your autograph and a picture- and if not, do you have any extra Nixon autographs? He was the Best- beside Reagan!