Marvin

"Mar­vin, a graph­ic nov­el adapt­ed and illus­trat­ed by Ian David Mars­den based on The Way I Was by Mar­vin Ham­lisch, tells the sto­ry of Ham­lisch, a famous film com­pos­er, through a Jew­ish lens. A large por­tion of the graph­ic nov­el fol­lows Mar­v­in’s par­ents in flash­backs as they escape Nazi Ger­many to come to Amer­i­ca, where Mar­vin him­self is born. Explor­ing his par­ents’ sto­ry allows for a greater under­stand­ing of his Jew­ish her­itage and what his par­ents had to do to sur­vive Nazi Germany. The book shines when it show­cas­es Mar­v­in’s suc­cess­es. Once he starts to make it as a com­pos­er, he nar­rates the sto­ries behind some of his biggest tri­umphs, such as his break­out score for ​“The Swim­mer,” and his Gold­en Globe Win­ning song for ​“Kotch.” The graph­ic nov­el illus­trates his writ­ing process, often uti­liz­ing some of the skills he learned from his edu­ca­tion at Jul­liard, detailed at the begin­ning of the book. Mars­den includes celebri­ty cameos and behind the scenes looks at Hol­ly­wood which add sparkle and recog­ni­tion to the story. Mars­den’s art style invites in all graph­ic nov­el read­ers. The car­toon­ish yet vivid faces of the char­ac­ters are warm and friend­ly, and make Mar­v­in’s sto­ry feel famil­iar and acces­si­ble. Mar­vin is a fun read for any film fan who wants to learn about musi­cal scores, iron­i­cal­ly one of the medi­um’s most unsung aspects." -- Richard C. Kraus, Jewish Book Council
"It isn’t only that Marvin’s story offers a roller coaster of life events. It also speaks of a different time when social interaction is based on being a stand-up person, where integrity speaks for itself. It is hard to imagine it was the norm not so long ago, especially when this book and its story are pitted against what passes for the norm now. But adapted from the self-authored The Way I Was, Ian David Marsden captures the tone and look of Marvin Hamlisch, in both his penmanship and illustrations. No doubt that, there was real love for Marsden’s subject matter. And without upholding Hamlisch’s integrity in this adaptation, there is also no doubt this book would hold its weight." -- Picture This Post
“God gave Marvin Hamlisch a life that has made for some great storytelling and this graphic novel is proof. It’s a great read, historically fascinating and 100% Marvin in its wit and wisdom. I never wanted it to end.” -- Lucie Arnaz, Emmy award-winning producer and actress