Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Uncle Andy’s by James Warhola

Before we go any further, I would like to clarify that we recorded this episode about 2 weeks ago. If you’re wondering why we’re not alluding in any way to the Mac Barnett situation, that is why.

So folks ask me to do more nonfiction on this podcast, and while I admit that it is a bit of a stretch to call today’s book pure nonfiction, I at least think that it’s closely aligned. It’s not a biography, though. Consider it more of a personal memoir from 1962. In essence, it’s the true story of Andy Warhol’s extended family, written by one of his nephews. Sadly, James Warhola didn’t continue to make much in the way of children’s books (though he did make a sequel to this book called Uncle Andy’s Cats). We discuss everything from David Bowie’s depiction of Andy in the film Basquiat, to creepy ventriloquist dummies, to what you should do if roughly a dozen members of your extended family show up at your door (answer: put them to work).

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, Audible, Amazon Music, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

The brand names throughout the book threw Kate off a little bit. Here’s a question: How many Camel cigarette ads in picture books can you name off the top of your head. AMAZING no one got mad about that!

Speaking of stuff you probably couldn’t put in a book today without a separate author’s note: Kids in cars not wearing seatbelts.

And these were New York prices!!

My husband has this neat trick where you can show him a comic and he’ll tell you info on it. So I showed him these. He informs me that is Fantastic Four #4. The year it came out? 1962. You have to give my husband credit. He’s good at this stuff.

We love that the kids in this image are less realistically depicted than the ventriloquist dummy on the floor.

Steve Martin, by the way, was fully gray by the age of 32.

Ah! The Grandma Poss and Hush statues that I alluded to in the episode? See them here!

Betsy Recommends: J.D. Amato (recent creator of The Endless Summer)

Kate Recommends: My Favorite Murder is now on Netflix

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate