The first time adult coloring books swept america, they weren’t therapeutic… they were satiric.
In the early 1960s, the first wave of parody coloring books used the form to mock the culture of the day. Here are five prime examples that took on the politic conflicts of that era. Most of these have been out of print for half a century.
- JFK Coloring Book – a genuine New York Times-certified best seller, this look at the Kennedy White House, the Kennedy friends, and especially the Kennedy family contains beautiful art by Mort Drucker, master caricaturist from Mad.
- New Frontier Comic Coloring Book – an all-out attack on the Kennedy administration, produced by Arthur J. Weaver, a Republican politician from Nebraska and a four-time delegate to the Republican National Convention
- Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev Coloring Book – a look at the notorious but colorful Soviet leader, written by Amram Ducovny, father of actor David Duchovny.
- Khrushchev’s Top Secret Coloring Book – with Gene Shalit on the writing and Jack Davis of Mad fame handling the art, the communists take it on the chin.
- The John Birch Coloring Book – a poke at the right-wing John Birch Society, who were concerned with communists abroad and communists (real and perceived) at home.”Overall, Cold War Coloring is a remarkable volume. It reminds me of an era I barely understood as a child and clarify those times for me. It’s a perfect gift for coloring book buffs, nostalgia fans and political memorabilia collectors” — Tony Isabella, Tony’s Tips
8.5″x11″, 148 pages, black and white, paperback, list price $9.99 US.
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