Groovy: When Flower Power Bloomed in Pop Culture

by Mark Voger, John Morrow (Editor), Mike Sekowsky (Artist)

It’s all too beautiful! From Woodstock to “The Banana Splits,” from “Sgt. Pepper” to “H.R. Pufnstuf,” from Altamont to “The Partridge Family,” GROOVY is a far-out trip to the era of lava lamps and love beads. This profusely illustrated hardcover book, in psychedelic color, features interviews with icons of grooviness such as Peter Max, Brian Wilson, Peter Fonda, Melanie, David Cassidy, members of the Jefferson Airplane, Cream, the Doors, the Cowsills and Vanilla Fudge; and cast members of groovy TV shows like “The Monkees,” “Laugh-In” and “The Brady Bunch.” GROOVY revisits the era’s rock festivals, movies, art―even comics and cartoons, from the 1968 ‘mod’ Wonder Woman to R. Crumb. A color-saturated pop-culture history written and designed by Mark Voger (author of the acclaimed book MONSTER MASH), GROOVY is one trip that doesn’t require dangerous chemicals!

Genres: History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 2017

Reviews

[Tim Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't work particularly well for me. It think that the failure is probably more with me than with the book or the author. This is a Twomorrows book...so if you're familiar with the publisher, you know what you're going to get.

I'll start with the fact that I'm just a tad young for the focus of the book. This is squarely aimed at mid-generation Boomers. I'm a very old Gen-Xer. So while I experienced a LOT of what this book covers second hand and through the auspices of my older siblings most of it doesn't resonate with me the way it would if I were 10-15 years older. Certainly not all of it. I LOVED me some Banana Splits and some H.R. Puffinstuff as a kid. But, overall not as much as I'd have liked.

The book also has a heavy emphasis on music of the groovy/psychedelic era. And that's fine if you want a pretty cursory look at it. But my interest in music of that era waned a long time ago. And what is here just isn't deep enough to overcome that antipathy.

For what it is, this book is fine. To me, it reads as a kind of companion to Michael Eury's "Hero-A-Go-Go." That book, however, covered stuff that was of more interest to me. Which doesn't make it a better book...just better suited to my tastes. This...fine. I just found myself skimming over pages in which I had no interest.

[Terry Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The layouts and photographs are superb. Lots of mini interviews with everyone from Ruth Buzzi to Michael Nesmith. If you are seeking a groovy overview of this era in American Pop Culture, this is a must have. If you are already well acquainted with The Brady Bunch, The Monkees, The Archies and so on, you’ll still have lots of fun.

[Billy Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been born in 1960, I have a lot of nostalgia for the decade of my childhood. This book explores that decade's music, television, movies, and comic books, as it pertains to the hippie culture of that era. One of my favorite aspects of this book was revealing how some of the iconic parts of the hit songs of the era were created. If you grew up during this decade or enjoy the history of the 1960's I would recommend this book.