At 180 pages and nearly 400 cartoons, it features backyard air shows, dogs in fancy shoes, hamster racing and lots of stuff like that. From 1980 to 1990 THE NEIGHBORHOOD graced the comic pages of newspapers across the country. Along with Gary Larson's THE FAR SIDE, it redefined the single panel gag cartoon with short bursts of sophisticated and surreal humor. Van Amerongen introduced BALLARD STREET in 1991 . . . a rich continuation of his singular humor. Jerry Van Amerongen's cartoons have been in continuous syndication for 30 years. Countless greeting cards, calendars, many other licensed products, and w the Internet have created a large and loyal following.