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A review by tricapra
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O'Meara
5.0
Mere minutes have passed since I finished this book, and I have already posted about it on every form of social media available to me. I have texted multiple friends about it. I will sing the praises of this book until my friends and family beg me to stop, and then I will probably continue on.
Mallory O'Meara spent 3 years unearthing the (purposefully) hidden history of Milicent Patrick: the artist, designer, and "knockout" who created my absolute favorite Universal Monster, "The Creature." She was one of the first female animators to work at Disney, and the only woman to create a Universal Classic Monster. But she was so much more, and O'Meara makes the reader feel like we were "in" on all these discoveries. O'Meara's journey and conversational tone really make this novel shine; if you grew up as a weird girl or female-identified person interested in horror, it will feel like looking into a mirror. O'Meara is funny, honest, sometimes crass, but always relatable.
I knew from the jump that I would love Milicent Patrick, even though I didn't know it then, her designs had played such an important role in my childhood. I LOVED these monsters growing up, and to find out the story of the woman behind them is invigorating. But what really caught me off guard is how much I came to love Mallory O'Meara. Her passion and her anger are so relatable, so endearing, and so familiar. I'm so grateful for the work she did to make this book happen, and I'm beyond excited to see what she will do next.
Mallory O'Meara spent 3 years unearthing the (purposefully) hidden history of Milicent Patrick: the artist, designer, and "knockout" who created my absolute favorite Universal Monster, "The Creature." She was one of the first female animators to work at Disney, and the only woman to create a Universal Classic Monster. But she was so much more, and O'Meara makes the reader feel like we were "in" on all these discoveries. O'Meara's journey and conversational tone really make this novel shine; if you grew up as a weird girl or female-identified person interested in horror, it will feel like looking into a mirror. O'Meara is funny, honest, sometimes crass, but always relatable.
I knew from the jump that I would love Milicent Patrick, even though I didn't know it then, her designs had played such an important role in my childhood. I LOVED these monsters growing up, and to find out the story of the woman behind them is invigorating. But what really caught me off guard is how much I came to love Mallory O'Meara. Her passion and her anger are so relatable, so endearing, and so familiar. I'm so grateful for the work she did to make this book happen, and I'm beyond excited to see what she will do next.