Stephan Pastis's comic strip Pearls Before Swine is not like other strips. The main characters have generic names. The strips deal with topics such as death, sex, and relationships. The cartoonist appears as a character from time to time and the strip is not afraid to viciously make fun of other comic strips and other cartoonists. This dark and subversive (but hilarious) comic strip isn't for everyone but fans and newcomers alike will find a lot to enjoy in Lion and Tigers and Crocs, Oh My! - the second Pearls Before Swine treasury.

For those who have never encountered Pearls, the strip revolves around a group of anthropomorphic animals. The main characters are Rat and Pig. Rat and Pig are friends and roommates who are complete opposites. Rat may very well be the most self-centered character in all of comics. He engages in various schemes to make money, cares for no one but himself, and has a pretty pessimistic view of life. Pig is a kind soul who is eternally optimistic. However, he is also quite dumb and can misunderstand even the simplest of things.

Pig and Rat are friends with Goat and Zebra. Goat is the smartest character in the strip, an intellectual who tries to clarify things for the duo. Zebra is almost as optimistic as Pig but not nearly as dumb. He tries in vain to keep predators (mainly lions and crocodiles) from killing his kind through various diplomatic means.

The storylines that appear in this treasury give you an idea of this strip's unusual sense of humor. One set of strips has Rat opening a pizza parlor where women can turn in their husbands for a free pizza. Another chronicles Pig's ill-fated romance with Ms. Bootyworth, a bottle of pancake syrup. Rat attempts a takeover of the strip and makes Pastis give into his demands by spouting Cathy and Garfield punchlines. Pig visits a slaughterhouse and thinks it's a pig singles party. There are encounters with an agoraphobic turtle, a needy porcupine, and the introduction of the crocodile frat brothers of Zeeba Zeeba Eata who become Zebra's next door neighbors.