Lions and Tigers and Crocs, Oh My!

Stephan Pastis, the creator of Pearls Before Swine, launched this standalone one-shot comic in 2006 for Andrews McMeel, blending his signature deadpan humor with a menagerie of anthropomorphic animals. The single issue pits the strip's familiar cast—including the hapless Rat and the dim-witted Pig—against a crocodile-themed crisis, delivering the sharp, absurdist wit that defines Pastis's work. While a brief entry in his oeuvre, it showcases his ability to spin a self-contained, gag-driven narrative outside the daily strip format.