Christmas is coming up and you don't have a present for your 50s loving boy- or girlfriend? How about the 'Rock and Roll Legends of the 1950s Paper Dolls'? Why? "The heart and soul of America's most popular performers live on with this nostalgic collection of paper dolls celebrating the very best of an unforgettable musical genre. Realistic figures of beloved 1950s legends are paired with ready-to-perform wardrobes the artists would have been proud to wear on stage." There. The text on the back cover says it all.
Elvis gets the most attention in the book. You can dress him up with his famous '50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong' gold suit, the 'Jailhouse Rock' outfit or his 68-Comeback leather suit. All other singers (Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Fats Domino, Wanda Jackson etc.) come with one extra outfit only. There are not many Rockabillies included (Sure, Presley, Holly and Jackson recorded some great Rockabilly songs when they started but they soon changed to Rock'n'Roll), but at least they gave a page to Carl Perkins and his blue suede shoes. Why artist Tom Tierney made him hold one of them in his hand and show it to the viewer as if he was saying 'Here, take a sniff. I don't have smelly feet. Must be someone else that stinks.' is unknown to me, but it sure is odd. Then again, the whole book is.
Another favorite page of mine in this little oddity is the one for J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson. Why the hell was he drawn with his fist up, ready to throw a jab? Is this how Tierney imagined Richardson would welcome Waylon Jennings in Rock'n'Roll Heaven, after he had died in February 2002, 'thanking' him for giving his seat on the plane that crashed 43 years earlier to the Big Bopper? Maybe. And then there is the Big Bopper's flying Cowboy hat. What is that about? Is it a ghost hat?
But beside creating mysteries and making you ask silly questions the book also uncovers unknown secrets of Rock'n'Roll. Look at the faces of Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Who would have guessed that they are twins! At least in the world of Tom Tierney.
This book is no must have but it sure is a funny, little addition to everyone's 50's collection. I will probably never look at it again, but before it gets dusty and will fall into oblivion on some shelf I wanted to share it with the world and give it its 5 minutes of fame.
Elvis gets the most attention in the book. You can dress him up with his famous '50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong' gold suit, the 'Jailhouse Rock' outfit or his 68-Comeback leather suit. All other singers (Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Fats Domino, Wanda Jackson etc.) come with one extra outfit only. There are not many Rockabillies included (Sure, Presley, Holly and Jackson recorded some great Rockabilly songs when they started but they soon changed to Rock'n'Roll), but at least they gave a page to Carl Perkins and his blue suede shoes. Why artist Tom Tierney made him hold one of them in his hand and show it to the viewer as if he was saying 'Here, take a sniff. I don't have smelly feet. Must be someone else that stinks.' is unknown to me, but it sure is odd. Then again, the whole book is.
Another favorite page of mine in this little oddity is the one for J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson. Why the hell was he drawn with his fist up, ready to throw a jab? Is this how Tierney imagined Richardson would welcome Waylon Jennings in Rock'n'Roll Heaven, after he had died in February 2002, 'thanking' him for giving his seat on the plane that crashed 43 years earlier to the Big Bopper? Maybe. And then there is the Big Bopper's flying Cowboy hat. What is that about? Is it a ghost hat?
But beside creating mysteries and making you ask silly questions the book also uncovers unknown secrets of Rock'n'Roll. Look at the faces of Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Who would have guessed that they are twins! At least in the world of Tom Tierney.
This book is no must have but it sure is a funny, little addition to everyone's 50's collection. I will probably never look at it again, but before it gets dusty and will fall into oblivion on some shelf I wanted to share it with the world and give it its 5 minutes of fame.
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