Review- THE ADDAMS FAMILY: AN EVILUTION

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: AN EVILUTION (Pomegranate, Second Printing, 2010; Hardcover)

Collects The Addams Family strips and art from 1939-2007

Writer and Artist: Charles Addams

Generations of people love The Addams Family. They are a part of our culture, whether you were there when the show originally aired or you watched it in reruns in syndication in the '70s and later (like I did) or discovered them later on with the movies. They were a precursor to Goth fashions and a reminder of a brief window of time when the macabre could be sold off as wholesome family entertainment.

While far from complete, The Addams Family: An Evilution is a nice overview of the beginning and progression of the characters in their comic strip form. They first appeared in The New Yorker Magazine in 1939 and were featured throughout the decades until they were given their own prime time television series in 1964. Some of the earlier versions of these characters are a far cry from what they would become (Lurch being the finest example), while others were fully formed right out of the gate. I found the story behind Thing and It, or Cousin It as fans of the show would know It, to be fascinating.

The first appearance of Lurch. He is on the right.

This is a fast read, as there is very little text in the strip itself. Only the introductions will take you time to read. The strip was often wordless, and you had to sit there and pore over the page, looking for clues and hints about what was going on to fill in the blanks.

This book would appeal more to pop culture fans than completist collected edition fans, as the series is incomplete and presented out of original publication order. Fans have been spoiled by complete Archives and Blu-Ray boxsets that throw in the kitchen sink. There are many other Addams Family strip books out there, but none of them seem to be chronological or complete. I borrowed this from my local library after years of hemming and hawing about buying it. It was an enjoyable read but I feel no need to own it now.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Linework and Color restoration: I have no source material to compare it to. Everything looks good to my eyes.

Paper stock: This has to be the thickest coated stock paper that I have ever seen. It has a slight sheen and is very nice.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, lies perfectly flat.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: The library uses Brodart sleeves and then fastens the dustjacket to the hardback itself, so I cannot accurately review the materials.