Hologram Christmas trees? Appendectomy stitches that end at the wrist? Assault lizards that attack through the pet-store picture window? Where does John McPherson get this stuff?Where indeed? The answer is not even close to clear, but that doesn't stop Close to Home fans from howling at the sheer comedic genius they find before them in this daily panel. For instance, they love the way McPherson twists the common everyday situation just enough to push it into the world of wackiness: There's Carol questioning the romance factor in her marriage when she opens her anniversary gift, the electric Yam Master; The maternity ward mother holding a furry newborn exclaiming, We've already had endorsement offers from three shampoo companies; The shipwreck survivor who claws his way onto a deserted island only to find a ubiquitous Nike swoosh emblazoned upon a lone palm tree.The settings of McPherson's offbeat comic panel seem disturbingly familiar to those who live in the 20th century, according to the Daily News in Greenville, Michigan. (His) talent takes the everyday worlds of work, home, and play and finds the unexpected angle from which to view them.This latest Close to Home collection, yet another trip down that crooked path between grotesque and goofy, will have McPherson readers racing from page to page.Now based in Saratoga Springs, New York, McPherson started his professional career as a design engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers. Soon, however, he found his twisted version of reality to be far more fascinating than any technical drawing or specification. Thank goodness he's now much Closer to Home.