All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story

by Koren Shadmi

Overview

An examination of some of rock'n'roll's most iconic figures—The Velvet Underground & Andy Warhol—and the loaded push-pull relationship that distorted their lives and echoed throughout popular culture.

Many cultural critics would agree that Andy Warhol gave the Velvet Underground their break simply by bringing them under his wing. While they reached a certain level of notoriety and local celebrity in their time and have since acquired a lasting cult following, their success was in large part fostered by Warhol’s patronage. But at the time, this relationship was muddied by a certain level of codependence and an insatiable appetite for fame and irony, leaving Reed to ponder quietly: Would we have succeeded without Warhol's help? This doubt begins to spread like a malignant force, eventually leading to the band’s undoing as they break away from Warhol and, perhaps, give up their golden ticket to success.

Explore the story behind the group The New York Times called "arguably the most influential American rock band of our time," through good times and bad, as captured in emotive style by multi-award winning artist Koren Shadmi (Twilight Man, Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643375632
Publisher:	Humanoids, Inc.
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Pages:	180
Sales rank:	675,955
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Koren Shadmi is an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist. He studied illustration at The School of Visual Arts in New York where he now teaches. Koren’s graphic novels have been published in the US, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Korea and Israel. His latest book, Rise of The Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and The Creation of D&D (Nation Books), is a collaboration with esteemed tech writer David Kushner. Koren has contributed illustrations and comics to: The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Playboy, Mother Jones, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Wired and others.

Editorial Reviews

08/14/2023

In this snappy graphic history of the Velvet Underground, Shadmi (Lugosi) frames the influential 1960s and ’70s rock group as a project forged by opposing visions. Like Todd Haynes in his 2021 documentary about the band (a cited source), Shadmi focuses on the stories of Lou Reed and John Cale, chronicling the two future luminaries’ early years—mercurial Reed penning pop songs for trend-hopping Pickwick Records, headstrong Cale drifting from conservatory training to music’s fringes. The pair’s mutual admiration is immediate, but a competitive wariness develops and comes to define their creative partnership. The script tracks the band’s formation, its adoption by Andy Warhol’s Factory, and the release of its first LPs, highlighting the ways that Cale and Reed (and Warhol) pull the group in divergent directions that result in the “tension between the pop and the avant garde” that comes to define the group. If Shadmi neglects the less forceful personalities of guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker, and dismisses bassist Doug Yule as “competent,” his cartoon caricatures capture the strain of collaboration on each musician. Meanwhile, the portrayal of German actor/model/chanteuse Nico—ambitious but withdrawn—is a highlight. The lilting and cacophonous urgency of the Velvet Underground’s sound is adroitly packaged in this graphic history. Shadmi’s fervor for the band’s mythic history will win over longtime fans and neophytes alike. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"An impressive feat that shows just how much work and research went into getting the story right. It’s an inescapable book for those that want to know The Velvet Underground."

The Beat - Ricardo Serrano Denis

"With absolutely gorgeous illustrations and deft pacing and plotting, every page is a masterpiece of detail and momentum. You can almost hear the music coming off the page."

Newsweek

"Shadmi’s graphic biography is richly detailed, beginning with Reed and Cale as college boys. Everyone is portrayed with both their talents and their flaws, but this is especially true of Reed and Warhol. Shadmi’s detailed illustrations convey the atmosphere of New York City in the 1960s, as well as the emotions and tension felt by the band members. Publishing is not short on musicians’ graphic biographies, but this one succeeds in showing the
interconnectedness of pop culture at the time."

Booklist

★ 2023-07-28
Shadmi tells the story of the iconic underground band in this graphic novel.

The author (who is also the illustrator) has created an extraordinary nonfiction graphic novel about the Velvet Underground, the influential, Lou Reed–led rock band of the 1960s and 1970s. The book opens with the death and funeral of pop artist Andy Warhol, who became the band’s manager in 1966 and designed the famous banana-peel cover for the band’s first album. What follows is a thorough look at the band and its members, focusing on leaders Reed and John Cale. Both Reed, in Long Island, and Cale, in Wales, endured troubled childhoods, eventually bonding during a meeting at Pickwick Records. Soon after, they formed the Velvet Underground, and the book follows the group’s many personal and professional highs and lows. Warhol is a key figure, as the Velvet Underground became the house band at his famous Factory. Shadmi takes a gritty look at a gritty band—Reed’s volatility is front and center (“Anything that scares off tourists is OK in our book”), as well as the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll that anyone with a passing knowledge of the Velvet Underground knows pervaded its history. The graphic storytelling approach emerges as the perfect way to share the Velvet Underground story, a must-read for both comic book enthusiasts and music aficionados alike. Shadmi’s stunning drawings and taut prose seamlessly interweave the band’s personal history and music into a compelling narrative. The drawings are effective when capturing huge public moments, such as Warhol’s funeral, and detailing smaller, personal ones (such as a disturbing sequence with Reed in a psychiatric institution) with great impact. Stylish, poignant and intriguing, the book recounts the creation of classic Velvet Underground songs such as “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” “Sister Ray,” and “Sunday Morning.” Shadmi’s history offers an immersive and enlightening experience, one that fans will appreciate for its scope and honesty, and one that non-fans are also sure to enjoy, if only for its inventiveness.

Lush drawings and a captivating narrative combine for a wonderful telling of the Velvet Underground story.

Kirkus Reviews