Customer Reviews

The Wolverton Bible

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a faithful reproduction of the text and drawings of the original series of Bible Story for Children. It covers much of the Old Testament in simple English and is faithful to the story. It also has an additional chapter on Nehemiah that was never in the original series as well as a chapter on the book of Revelation. It is profusely illustrated in Wolverton's unique style which would be familiar to anyone who has seen his work in MAD magazine.

To reproduce it in a single volume the editors have made the text very small which makes in unsuitable for very young children, but they are probably more interested in the drawings than the text. It would be a great book for older children and teenagers and suitable for parents to read to their very young children. However, parents should be warned that it contains very graphic drawngs of the more gruesome and horrific sections of the Bible, especially the book of Revelation. Basil Wolverton didn't hold back from drawing it the way he believed it happened, or in the case of the book of Revelation, like it thought it would happen.

Anyone who loves Basil Wolverton's drawings will find this a magnificent volume, but it is very different to his humour of MAD magazine.

The only negative issue is the introduction by Basil's son Monte which detracts from the magnificent work of his father. What he says may be correct, but the cynical TONE of his comments about his father's relationship with his old boss, just isn't necessary in such a great book. Nevertheless, this is just a minor 4-page glitch in a 300 page book and certainly doesn't impact on the overall content.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it and found it to be a superbly produced volume of high quality.

The late Basil Wolverton was one of the most idiosyncratic artists ever (in my opinion, "cartoonist" is too mild a word for his particular brand of "screwballitude"), and one of the most diverse in his activities that I know of. Not surprisingly, his art gravitated to (truly or allegedly) idiosyncratic associations, ranging all the way from MAD Magazine on the one hand to the publications of the Radio Church of God (later, the Worldwide Church of God) on the other.

In this book, in addition to telling examples from other media, we see the collected output, awesome in degree and kind, of Mr. Wolverton for the Radio/Worldwide Church of God as it was under the guidance of its founder, the late Herbert W. Armstrong. Mr. Wolverton retained and even magnified his keen eye for the absurd in human nature and behavior, whether in the world at large or among his fellow Church members. On the other hand, he was a dedicated minister of the Church, and accordingly, his serious work for THE BIBLE STORY and his apocalyptic work for 1975 IN PROPHECY comprise the apotheosis of his "spaghetti-and-meatball school" of drawing. I maintain that in important ways, his depiction of Adam and Eve being driven out of the Garden of Eden has no equal in art history on that particular subject - because it is drawn, and drawn very well, from the point of view of a cherub with a flaming sword in his hand. Quite possibly, only someone with a theology like Mr. Wolverton's could've thought of taking that point of view.

Basil Wolverton is one of the legends of comic art, noted for his grotesque drawings that appeared in Mad Magazine, DC Comics' "Plop", and posters for Topps. He worked a number of years for Timely/Marvel comics as well. Less known, however, were illustrations he did for Plain Truth Magazine depicting the Old Testament Bible, commissioned by the Worldwide Church of God. This is the bible as only Wolverton can depict it, filled with apocalyptic drawings of cataclysmic events, insidious demons and other beasts, and the universal evil that men do.

This is all told in Wolverton's unique art style, highly detailed and yet caricaturized at the same time. The book contains over 450 illustrations in all as well as additional 170 Wolverton illustrations including numerous cartoons and general zaniness. For fans of comic art, particularly extreme, underground-style art, this book is a tremendous boon as it shows a genius illustrator at the pinnacle of his ability.

The Wolverton Bible is a great buy. The illustrations are amazing and the bonus non-bible related illustrations at the end are priceless. Enjoyable read with a unique illustrative perspective.

The Wolverton bible is a thing of beauty. The illustrations are beautiful, detailed and drawn with love. I knew Basil Wolverton through underground comics and was surprised to learn he was a man of faith. These bible pictures are some of his best word and really catch the sublime horror of Bible stories that come off as cheesy myths by lesser hands. Wolverton was a follower of Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. I had read several of his books on the "end times" when I was a teenager and followed the reconstitution of the church through the news as it became more orthodox. Whatever you may believe theologically it was a really magical collaboration and the Wolverton Bible collects these pictures in one handsome volume. I have been moving through the book slowly, savoring the picture and have really enjoyed being reminded of the truly strange nature of many bible stories. Excellent book.

As a kid I was always enthralled with Basil Wolverton's imaginative artwork. His style was, for me, the high water mark of science fiction art and I always considered his features in some of the comic books I bought to be the icing on the cake. Little did I know that out of his vast body of work his illustrated Bible would be the one thing he wanted to be remembered most for. The Wolverton Bible is extraordinary. Basil Wolverton's visions of many of the Bible's stories are masterfully illustrated and some (The Apocalypse and Beyond) are chilling (check out page 272...look for the skyscraper and the airliner). The Wolverton Bible is a valuable addition to my Christian library.

Legendary cartoonist Basil Wolverton was known for his grotesque drawings of odd creatures and ugly humans. He had been an agnostic, but in 1941 he "got religion" and joined the Worldwide Church of God. WCG leader Herbert Armstrong commissioned Wolverton to do a series of drawings of Bible stories. Wolverton came through with flying colors; these are fantastic drawings. Most of the illustrations are from The Old Testament because Armstrong thought it was a sin to show depictions of Jesus. That's kind of a shame, because it would have been interesting to see how Wolverton would have depicted the life of Jesus. But Wolverton did draw some astounding illustrations of apocalyptic scenes from the book of Revelation. The drawings in this book are the best Biblical illustrations I have ever seen.

This book contains the illustrations with captions. It does not contain the text from the six-volume Bible Story. The book is nice to have because of the pictures and the background information.

An excellent compilation of Basil Wolverton works, which in its day would have been remarkable -- and to a degree still is, captivating (especially for young minds) those amazing Biblical events and personalities and in doing so retelling those timesless stories in an unique, remarkable way.

[...]

I read the original version of Basel Woverton's "The Bible Story" and was much impressed with not only the drawings but the narrative as well.

The "Woverton Bible" is a disappointment in that it elevates the drawings over the story. The drawings were meant to enhance visually what was in the words. The Bible stories are more important than the drawings.

I would have preferred to have the original six volumes reprinted without change.

I regret buying the book.