"All the Answers isn't just a fascinating slice of pop-culture history, it's also a moving and deeply personal portrait of America's first celebrity know-it-all."
—Ken Jennings, Parade columnist and longest-running Jeopardy! champion
Description
A 2019 EISNER AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST REALITY-BASED WORK
A NPR BEST BOOK OF 2018
A VULTURE BEST COMIC OF 2018
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF 2018
A LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF 2018
A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF 2018
WINNER OF THE PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 2018 GRAPHIC NOVEL CRITICS POLL
In this moving graphic memoir, Eisner Award-winning writer and artist Michael Kupperman traces the life of his reclusive father—the once-world-famous Joel Kupperman, Quiz Kid. That his father is slipping into dementia—seems to embrace it, really—means that the past he would never talk about might be erased forever.
Joel Kupperman became one of the most famous children in America during World War II as one of the young geniuses on the series Quiz Kids. With the uncanny ability to perform complex math problems in his head, Joel endeared himself to audiences across the country and became a national obsession. Following a childhood spent in the public eye, only to then fall victim to the same public’s derision, Joel deliberately spent the remainder of his life removed from the world at large.
With wit and heart, Michael Kupperman presents a fascinating account of mid-century radio and early television history, the pro-Jewish propaganda entertainment used to counteract anti-Semitism, and the early age of modern celebrity culture.
All the Answers is both a powerful father-son story and an engaging portrayal of what identity came to mean at this turning point in American history, and shows how the biggest stages in the world can overcome even the greatest of players.
Reviews
"Really enjoyed reading All the Answers, a graphic novel telling the true story of [Kupperman's] 'Quiz Kid' father. Poignant and funny and sad."
—Jake Tapper, chief Washington correspondent, CNN
“Kupperman’s varied angles, thick line work, staring seriocomic facial stylings, and sharp prose help turn an already incredible story into an electrifyingly fast-paced, yet intimate memoir about family secrets and the price children can pay for their parents’ ambitions.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A moving tale of fathers and their sons. A cautionary fable from the primal dawn of the Age of Celebrity. This book is brilliant.”
—Grant Morrison, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Doom Patrol and JLA
