Feeling ‘Groovy’

■ “Mark Voger’s ‘Groovy’ — a book as fascinating a read as it is glorious in its layout — goes well beyond the nostalgia of psychedelic peace, love, and the Banana Splits so many of us a certain age grew up with in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Voger, as he has so masterfully done in his previous books, explores the details as well as the importance of each subject, from the Beach Boys and the Doors, from ‘Yellow Submarine’ to ‘Easy Rider,’ and from Vietnam to Altamont. The best part of the book is his examination of the co-opting of Jesus as a hippie. Groovy is a treasure, a true and deep examination of a decade of American pop culture, recognizing it not as merely ephemeral, but as lingering and permanently imprinted on the American psyche.”
— Bradley J. Birzer, Catholic World Report

■ “I feel like it’s 1967 just by looking through these pages.” — Keith Roth, host of WRAT-FM’s “The Electric Ballroom”

■ “Another masterpiece.” — Larry Corley, host of WQNA-FM’s “The Larry Corley Show”

■ “I love, love, love the fact that Voger makes room for the things Jann Wenner types consciously leave out of the discussion. So in this lively, ping-ponging survey of the late ’60s and early ’70s, there are places for the Buckinghams next to the Beatles, the Guess Who next to the Who, the Cowsills next to the Beach Boys, Tommy James next to Dylan, and Tiny Tim next to Hendrix.” — Mike Segretto‘s review on Psychobabble

■ “The nostalgia factor is way over the top, with the bright colors that only our pasts can ever show us. The pure entertainment factor of the book is equally high, with behind-the-scenes stories and legends told that even an old pop culture maven like myself had never heard.”
— Steven Thompson (a.k.a. “Booksteve”), Forces of Geek review

■ “What a great book.”  — Ron Howden, founding (and only) drummer for Nektar

■ “I just read the introduction and it brought tears to my eyes.” — David Burd, “Uncle Floyd Show” cast member

■ “Congratulations to Mark Voger on writing such a funny, affectionate and entertaining memoir of ’60s culture.” — Scott Peters, “Groovy” proofreader (he’s from England)

■ “Super groovy!”
— Laura Allred, colorist of the graphic novel “Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams” (Insight Comics)

■ “The book is packed with ’60s ephemera and lovingly designed with mindful respect of the source material.” — Ed Catto, ComicMix columnist

■ “The many interviews with these iconic figures, paired with ‘before and after’ color photos throughout, makes ‘Groovy’s’ walk through time a revealing, important discussion recommended for any definitive reader of 1960s pop culture and for public libraries’ popular history sections.”
— Diane Donovan, Donovan’s Bookshelf

■ “A highly entertaining read for fans of both ’60s pop culture and The Monkees.”
— Monkees Live Almanac blog

■ “If you’re into ’60s music, then this book is a must, as Mark Voger did his own interviewing over the years, so this is a direct source. If you were too young to appreciate the time period, then this book will give you insight into the culture of the time. As Bob Dylan sung, ‘Times were a-changing,’ and the 1960s was the place it started.” — Geoff Willmetts, SFCrowsNest.com

■ “An awesome anthology of the ’60s … It’s quite an extensive and colorful look at those times.”  — Jim Krut (a.k.a. the “helicopter zombie” in George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead”)

■ “This book is a joy to behold.”  — Steve Fodor, Too Much Scrolling podcast co-host

■ “An explosion of color.”  — Chip Hessenflow, Too Much Scrolling podcast co-host

■ “Author Mark Voger clearly knows what he is writing about. In his autobiographical introduction, he recalls how it was to be 12 years old in 1970, and how revelatory it was to visit the head shop at a New Jersey shopping mall … ultimately decorating his bedroom with selected purchases: a skull ashtray and a black-and-white poster of Raquel Welch in her animal-skin bikini from ‘One Million Years B.C .’ He also relates a June, 1969, encounter at the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey with Tiny Tim, who was on a tour to promote his book ‘Beautiful Thoughts.’ Voger was a firsthand witness to Tim’s adroit handling of some dismissive ‘mall hoodlums.’ Any Baby Boomer reading Voger’s memories of adolescence during the Groovy Era will undoubtedly smile with their own recollections.”  — J. Higgins, Amazon review (five stars)

■ “Fully illustrated in color and featuring interviews, history and more on topics as diverse as ‘The Brady Bunch,’ the Beatles, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and comic book artist Jim Steranko, ‘Groovy’ is as trippy as its name implies, taking readers on a psychedelic pop-culture romp through a controversial, yet colorful time. I loved it.”  — Brett Weiss, Amazon review (five stars)

SEE ‘Groovy’ preview HERE  |  ORDER ‘Groovy’ at TwoMorrows.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com