“This is the only book you will ever need to read about anything. Burn all the other books — there is ONLY SHEMP!”
- PATTON OSWALT
"Shemp Howard triggers strong emotions among the Stooge fans who have been debating his merits for a generation. And now Burt Kearns presents what we all knew was inevitable: A primer for the teaching of Critical Shemp Theory."
- KLIPH NESTEROFF, author of The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
"Shemp! A word that says it all! And this book says everything else! Speaking as a dyed in the wool Curly fan, I was a little late to full Shemp appreciation until Drew Friedman sat me down and had a stern talk with me. And with that, the veil was lifted and my admiration for the many facets of the second funniest Stooge with the first funniest name began to soar. I honestly cannot imagine a better written or more thorough chronicling of the life and times of Shemp, in all his glory, than this one. If you must read one book about Shemp, make it SHEMP! by Burt Kearns. What are you waiting for? Get started!"
- MERRILL MARKOE, writer and humorist
“When I was a kid growing up on the Three Stooges, I always though they just existed. I viewed their shorts almost as documentaries. They and their violence didn’t seem real. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve wondered about them. Where did they come from? What were they like? SHEMP! doesn’t only answer those questions, it examines everything that was in the recesses of my mind, through the character I believe made them a unit. Everyone loves Curly, but he more or less stands apart from the other two because of his singular persona. Today, it’s cool to love Shemp, and I think it’s because he was one of us. A guy. And I believed him. SHEMP! realizes who Shemp was: the actor, the Stooge, and the man -- and why it’s cool to love him. A fascinating and fun book. And it’s not really long, which makes it even better!”
- RICHARD KIND
“SHEMP! is an exhaustively researched poke in the eyes to the ongoing myths about Shemp and the Stooges that were largely instigated by Moe Howard’s autobiography fifty years ago. Kearns de-shempifies the gummed up history of Shemp while addressing questions that have been burning in the collective brainpan for ages: Was Shemp as Shemp off-screen as he was on? Who or what killed Ted Healy? Who or what wrote Larry Fine’s autobiography? Whose idea was it to team Shemp with El Brendel, Brod Crawford and Lon Chaney, Jr.? Stand back, chuckleheads—all will be revealed. SHEMP! is an epic take on the funniest and loudest Stooge.”
- DAVE “THE SPAZZ” ABRAMSON, writer and WFMU host
“Extensive research! An illuminating reworking of the Stooges mythology!”
- KIRKUS REVIEWS
“SHEMP! is analytical without being academic; Kearns does not use postmodern theory or cultural studies to get his points across. He makes it easy for his readers, to ensure they learn not only about Shemp but about the work he did. The book includes plot summaries, photographs, drawings, dialogue, interviews, and commentary, fleshing out, and one might argue rehabilitating, the life and work of one of the greats of early American comedic cinema.”
- BRIGHT LIGHTS FILM JOURNAL