‘Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler.’ Mike Judge, of Beavis and Butthead, wrote this satire on 21st century office life. Brilliantly observed, and with a script so sharp even Jennifer Aniston comes across funny, this is the ultimate job movie. Laugh? You’ll cry.

Brilliantly observed, no budget slacker flick from comic lover Kevin Smith. Ever worked a pointless job for no money so you could blow it all on drugs and girls of dubious character? Roll up for the movie about your life.

Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda star as three mistreated secretaries taking revenge on their stupid, sexist boss in spectacular fashion. You have to love this movie and the soundtrack rocks bells.

Unusual fantasy offering from the Coen Brothers about an idiotic but inspired inventor trapped in the post room of a mega corporation. A hallucinatory vision of one wage slave’s rise and fall.

A gentle but unforgettable rags-to-riches satire which sees Eddie Murphy plucked from the streets to replace Dan Ackroyd as head trader at a city bank. This John Landis comedy is one of the funniest comedies ever made. You MUST have seen it. Add it to your DVD collection now.

Every office in the world features a lust object, but boredom and the horn take over completely in the office of sadist James Spader when he hires repressed masochist Maggie Gyllenhaal. A highly unusual Hollywood love story.

‘I’m as mad as hell and not going to take it any more’. Sidney Lumet directed this dark send-up of network news and TV in 1976. William Holden’s news anchor suffers a nervous breakdown and starts telling the truth in one of the blackest comedies of all time.

Michael Douglas gives the performance of a lifetime as an everyday working schmuck driven beyond breaking point by the stress of his daily commute. Brilliant violence and a spot on script make this a riveting ride from start to finish.

Jack Nicholson has never been better than in this classic drop-out movie directed by Bob Rafelson about an oil rig worker who’s turned his back on a life of idle privilege in favour of the real world. What a dummy...

Liked Napoleon Dynamite? This is better by a mile and features Bill Murray as a disillusioned parent who fully supports the rebellious and unusual kids standing up to the nonsense that is society.

Harvey Pekar and Joyce Springer co-wrote this biopic of indie comic legend Pekar and his grumpy triumph over adversity. A brilliant blend of line art, documentary and live action, American Splendor is the best and funniest comic book adaptation ever.

Extraordinarily good action comic movie from the classic Frank Miller series, directed with his help by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. A shockingly violent and beautifully shot film that will burn itself into your mind. Own it.

An all-star cast camp it up like crazy in Bryan Singer’s incredibly faithful rendition of the Marvel Comics adventures. Very silly but completely gripping action flick with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.

Still the best action comic ever put on film, the original Batman by Tim Burton is dark and splendidly humourous, with Jack Nicholson having the time of his life as The Joker and Kim Basinger beyond sexy as the love interest for the caped crusader.

After Batman followed a slew of shit sequels but this explosive ‘prequel’ directed by Chris Nolan is right on the money. Well scripted, beautifully shot and with enough action for three Terminators, Batman Begins is a couple of hours of pure pleasure.

British comedy’s most famous export of recent years is David Brent, the insufferable boss of a paper factory in Slough. At times so painfully funny and true that you have to turn away, this laugh out loud series now comes with a Happy Ending Christmas Special.

Nobody, even in Britain, has seen this spot-on comedy about two losers living in a tower block and working a succession of thankless jobs. Brilliant acting and some completely believable scenarios make this a non stop laugh riot. See it.

Working in a book shop is actually a dream job but constantly getting fired and having to do shifts at local fast food shops is just one of the hazards of working for the wonderfully mean, constantly drunken Bernard Black. Best British comedy in years.

Peter Kay plays a handful of roles in this hysterical mock documentary about a northern night club. A gentle look at life that will have tears of laughter rolling down your face. Kay is the master of seeing the funny side in everyday work.

Chris Morris is the darkest talent in British TV and this tragicomedy about a talented writer surrounded by work shy media plonkers and offended by their behaviour is the most upsetting piece of TV we’ve ever seen. Warning: funny, but totally bleak, this series left us staring at the screen in disbelief.

Utterly fucked up animated series with incredible art, a brain-invading soundtrack and jokes as black as burnt babies. From frustrated gays to serial killers, paedophiles and suicidal fathers, all of life’s worst elements are here to make you laugh and shudder in equal measure. Absolutely brilliant.

Both characters in this friendship drama have interior monolgues which the viewer can hear. A simple and clever device for scriptwriters to explore what we really think but would never say. Peep Show is sexy, frustrating, funny and wrong. Like life.

Pekar, failed student cum hospital file clerk, has grown old and nearly died without ever escaping the workaday job that provides most of his material. American Splendor is the most truthful, amusing and downright moving comic series of all time, but as he never tires of saying, comics don’t make good money.

Ware has redefined graphic art with beautiful almanacs in which every page is a feast of intricate detail. This is the richest character portrait ever created, with family trees, area maps, model houses, adverts from childhood and thousands of beautiful panels. Gorgeous, humourous and almost unbearably sad.

Sacco is a brilliant comic journalist who illuminates war torn corners of the world with personal stories featuring himself and the friends he makes. Funny, engaging and almost impartial, this book clarifies a very muddled war through individual suffering and endurance. A totally gripping and inspiring read.

Beautifully drawn personal memoir of a childhood in Iran dominated by the Islamic revolution. Satrapi never strays from her personal experience and this makes the tragedies and perversions she describes all the more harrowing. At the same time, the book is funny and fundamentally optimistic.

Post modern super heroes strugle with repressed sadomasochism as they flounder around New York sucking in their guts. Meanwhile, Nixon gets ready to destroy the world. This is one comic that’s unlikely to get the Hollywood treatment. The Watchmen is incredibly well written, very funny and exciting, and a top tip for anybody who thinks they hate comics.

A thoroughly British comic, with bobbies on the beat, cups of tea, prim girls and dastardly villains. There’s a lovely retro feel to this edition which complements the stiff upper lips on the chaps and ladies. A great tongue-in-cheek comic in a style not unlike that of our very own WACE.

First in the fantastical, ridiculous Preacher series from Garth Ennis. Preacher has attracted brilliant artists thanks to a fantastic blend of cod theology, vampires, smart dialogue and bloody violence. If you have not read many comics, try this for downright entertainment.

Gaiman is a writer first and foremost and was attracted to graphic novels by their ability to transcend literary and filmic genres and make unreal worlds live and breathe. The Sandman series is his masterpiece and pushes the boundaries of comic art and writing.

Comic books and magic are the unifying themes in this epic adventure which unfolds over several decades and follows two characters who experience ten lifetimes of loss and triumph without ever surrendering their childish spirits. This book is a thick, satisfying treat, with delights on every page.

Orwell’s chilling masterpiece in which Winston Smith is employed in the Ministry of Truth to correct the past, and his very memory puts him in danger from the Thought Police. A prescient vision of a world constantly embroiled in media-drenched war, inspired by the Cold War and the crushing drudgery of office life at the BBC.

90s nerds work at Microsoft in awe of Bill, before spreading their wings in search of a proper life, and a whole bunch of money. Realistic characters, spot on dialogue, everyday angst and a casually inspiring attitude to life make this one of the most uplifting reads of recent years. Also, the stuff about Microsoft is funny.

Henry Chinaski is a drunken wreck, addicted to sex and gambling, who spends his days under the bureaucratic regime of the US Postal Service. There he meets various lowlifes and oddballs, and either screws, rips off or befriends them on company time. Bukowski at his bile-spewing best. Hate your job? You’ve got to read this book.

Totally engrossing portrait of 80s New York, where arrogant ‘banker’ Sherman McCoy runs his Merc into a black guy in the Bronx and ends up being the focus for the resentment of over six million souls. A marvellous downfall, peppered with precise and amusing observations.

Lewis worked at Salomon Brothers during the 80s as US government decisions virtually rigged the bond market and cabals of semi-corrupt traders cashed in worldwide. Very well written, with great real characters, and an engaging central message... it doesn’t take brains to get to the top, just an inclination to kiss ass, lie, cheat and steal.

One for the bosses here. Worried you might be about to get stabbed, run over, or thrown down a lift shaft? Probably because you are an asshole. Read this book about how to loosen up work, give employees a voice and generally make life worth living. Proven to reduce skiving and homicidal impulses.

Of all the various life management books I have read, this is the best. It is still pretty much shite, but has a couple of good points. Buy it if you really must but there are some good summaries on the net. Bosses – DON’T skip the pages about profit sharing.

If Boss Killer didn’t cheer you up (and I can hardly believe it) why not join half a billion other readers worldwide and read this simply written parable about life as a journey? It’s very short, and extremely encouraging.