Shepherd’s Delight is a satirical exploration of the origins of humor that moves between the absurd and the deadly serious. John Smith uses the illustrated lecture format in order to parody semiological analyses, looking to the world of packaging and advertising for his examples.

As well as dissecting gags with improbable wit, Shepherd’s Delight takes pleasure in cultural analysis and poetic puns that riff on the objects of everyday England. But wait—there is also a surprising sincerity and vulnerability here, as John Smith turns on the humor for which he is well-known.