Happiness Is a Rat Fink / Unhappiness Is a Dirty Dog (First Edition, two volumes)

New York: Kanrom, 1963. First Edition. First Edition. Two volumes, oblong 16mo, illustrated paper boards. Published by controversial comedian and singer, Jackie Kannon, and his friend Alex Roman, about whom not much is known. The two entrepreneurs also published the "JFK Coloring Book" and a book of poetry called, "Poems from the John" (largely written by television writer, Sol Weinstein).

Jackie Kannon was a night club entertainer, singer, and comedian, who made daring statements about race, women's rights, birth control, and politics, much in the vein of Lenny Bruce. Kannon also had ties to mobsters, and worked out of a mob-owned establishment known as "The Rat Fink Room," the name likely inspired the title of the first volume. With the popularity of Charles M. Schulz' "Happiness Is a Warm Puppy" (1962)published a year earlier, Kannon and Roman decided to take their own stance on happiness, with these parodies of Schulz' "Peanuts" classics.

Both volumes with spine lean, rubbing at the extremities, light spine fade, and two tiny bruises on the front endpapers ("Unhappiness"). Uncommon.