Product Description

“...Hilarious...You couldn't write better insults than these if you tried, and it's easy to understand why Kaufman just couldn't let them go.”—Pop Candy for USA Today

“It is not just the letters that help to make Dear Andy Kaufman a complete success. The grainy graphics and often hilarious images ultimately tie the entire book together, making it something heftier than a coffee table book but no less engaging to thumb through.”—LAist

“Collecting hundreds of angry letters written to the provocative star of Taxi and SNL, the coffee table-style book Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts! is a suitably ironic love letter to the oft-misunderstood comedian.”—Flavorpill

“Andy saved and organized all of the letters and photos he received and now his widow, Lynn Margulies, has released them as the exact sort of book you would want to own.”—Vice

Famous for his role as Latka Gravas on television's Taxi and for his appearances on Saturday Night Live and his own variety show, the legendary eccentric performer Andy Kaufman provoked a national outrage in 1977 by taunting the women of America and challenging them to wrestle him live on television. Taking on an aggressive and ridiculous personality based upon the characters invented by professional wrestlers, he offered a $1,000 reward to any woman who could pin him.

Thousands of fired-up females (and a few males) responded to the call, and Kaufman received a torrent of impassioned challenges, hate mail, and love letters from would-be wrestling contenders.

These fascinating and sometimes bizarre handwritten letters, photographs, and illustrations from would-be contenders are here assembled into an astonishing Rorschach of the late ‘70s liberated female psyche.

Kaufman’s girlfriend at the time of his death, Lynne Margulies, provides an introduction. Bob Zmuda, Kaufman’s cohort and longtime friend, writes the foreword.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93911 in Books
• Published on: 2009-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 120 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781934170083
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

About the Author
Lynne Margulies and Andy Kaufman met on the set of "My Breakfast With Blassie," in 1982, and they were together from then on until Andy died in 1984. She was portrayed by Courtney Love in the 1999 movie, "Man on the Moon." Lynne is a film editor and producer who resides in Los Angeles.

Bob Zmuda is an American author, comedian, producer and director best known as the sidekick, co-writer and friend of cult personality Andy Kaufman. Bob Zmuda occasionally portrayed Kaufman's Tony Clifton character on stage and for television appearances. He co-executive produced the 1999 film "Man on the Moon."

Customer Reviews

Andy Kaufman LIVES!
This book is hilarious and well worth the bucks for any Andy fan or Andy hater! For me, these 30 year old letters, each accompanied by photos of the potential challengers, are a cool time capsule footnote to one of the great performing artists of all time. It's interesting to imagine that real people sat down to write these letters and then to wonder what happened to them after that moment in time. I must say it's not always easy (but still fun) to figure out who's angry, who's nuts, who's enamored, who's just "playing along" for a chance to be on Saturday Night Live, or any combination of these motivations. A very creative, entertaining, and highly unusual book for sure. I had heard about this project a number of years ago from Ms. Margulies when I was still the caretaker of an Andy tribute website ([...]), and I am delighted that she was able to get this published. Well worth the wait, and a big thanks to all involved.

Rejects and Possibles
The best letters Andy received were the ones from people under the age of 12.

Just Happy It Was Published
Being an Andy fan and having read "Lost In The Fun House" and "AK: Revealed" I'm just glad we have even a glimpse at the kinds of challenge letters Andy was receiving. This is a great and rare treat.

The book is very high quality, I just wish maybe they could have sacrificed quality for a few extra letters as it is a very quick read. Mostly a coffee table book. But it is a very good cross-section of folks reacting to Andy's inflammatory statements and challenges to wrestle women. There were actually quite a few very clever letters mixed in with the misspelled rantings and ravings.

If you are an Andy Kaufman fan pick this up, it completes the trilogy of essential Andy reading, along with the other two books mentioned above.