"Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good," is a Superb Book About Larry David and His Works

Author Josh Levin has published, via ECW Press, a fantastic book all about Larry David and his works. Titled, "Pretty Pretty, Pretty Good: Tlary David and the Making of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm," it is a bit of a biography, a bit of an episode guide, and 100% full of Larry David--in all his positives and negatives! I had a ball reading it over the holiday season when I needed a break from all the hustle and bustle. There is a bit of a focus on young Larry and the creation/massive popularity of, "Seinfeld," is discussed, but the majority of the book focuses on his other masterpiece besides, "The Show About Nothing," his improv-heavy joy, "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

The early inspiration, the creation, and the gleeful nastiness of, "Curb," are all covered. We learn about how the cast formed, to where the jaunty jingle at the open and close of each episode came from, how HBO was quite at David's mercy in regards to when exactly seasons got made, and so forth. Controversies are not skimmed over (a chunk of the cast did face some scandals later on from Jeff Garlin being accused of inappropriate remarks on the set of another show he did, to how Larry's fictional wife, Cheryl Hines, later married a known vaccine-denier/danger to society's well-being, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Even with certain depressing elements taken into account, that does not take away from how amazing, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," is and why the show is worth spending a large chunk of this book covering.

"Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good," has a guide to every single episode of, "Curb," which can be handy if you don't quite remember which season features a particular bit or just want an enjoyable trip down memory lane looking at highlights. It does not seem as if David plans to make more, "Curb," although he does have a new project in the works for HBO (a mysteriously untitled, six-episode American history sketch comedy series). Reading all about Larry David, "Seinfeld," and especially about, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," is great fun in Levin's book. I'd encourage you to ask your local store to order you a copy, ask your library to get a copy, or you can visit the ECW website for plenty of purchasing options.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Happy 2026/The List of My 2025 in Review Posts

We've arrived in 2026! I hope this year is a good one and has more ups than downs! If you wanted an alphabetical list of my 2025 in review posts then you are in luck as I now present that to you below. Have a great first day of the year!

2025 in Review posts...

Comic-Book Fiasco of the Year: Diamond Comic Distributors' Bankruptcy

Gassiest Household of 2025: Mine

Musical Return to Form of the Year: Clipse

My Favorite Television Shows From This Year

Some of My Favorite Comics This Year

T.V.-Related Bummer of the Year: "Doctor Odyssey," Getting Canceled

Gassiest Household of 2025: Mine--2025 in Review

It's the last post of 2025, and we're concluding with a bit of a fart joke--would you expect anything less from me? Seriously, however, I feel like when it comes to households with the most flatulence, ours has to be the winner. Between how much I fart due to my stomach issues (I love dairy, it doesn't love me), how much our boys love to toot, and how even Samii will fart sometimes (and she's a pretty polite lady), not an hour goes by without somebody cutting the cheese. Heck, this even applies to our cats. One of them, Clarence, will literally go to his catbox, rip a loud one without even using the box, and then proceed on his way (at least he goes to the catbox just to be safe, as you should never trust a fart, as they say). My family is incredibly gassy, and I love them in spite of and because of how loud and stinky we can all get. May our 2026 be just as or even more flatulent!

My Favorite Television Shows From This Year--2025 in Review

I will often watch shows that came out years ago. I often love them when I finally get around to checking them out, but to say they were among the best of 2025's television offerings would be factually incorrect. Hence, I am going to discuss some of my favorite TV shows that I watched this year, and which came out in 2025. In no specific order...

The Lowdown, Season 1--More Hopefully Coming?

A surreal neo-noir story with a large cast and an even bigger mystery, creator/director Sterlin Harjo gives us a wild ride. It is quite thrilling as truth-obsessed journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke) continuously finds himself in situations that result in getting beaten up, told off, or both. Filmed on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the show doesn't shy away from examining heavy topics such as systemic racism, fiscal inequities, and so forth--but it also manages to be incredibly funny and clever too. A hoot of a show, the entire season aired on FX and can be streamed via Hulu.

Severance, Season 2

In my review of, "Severance," I discussed how I enjoyed the first season that came out a bit ago just fine, but loved the second batch of episodes that were released during this year, hence it ending up on this list. Found on AppleTV, this quirky program imagines a World where people can undergo the Sevrance procedure and start having a new identity that exists at a mysterious office with zero memories/knowledge of the outside World. It's a trippy piece of sci-fi, and the second season is full of payoff that makes watching the show feel quite rewarding.

Doctor Odyssey, Season 1/The Only Season We're Getting

Yeah, I already touched upon this show in my post about how much of a bummer it was that it got canceled, and a chunk of the season did air in 2024, but there was enough in 2025 that I'm gonna argue it can count, okay? This was such a fun and silly show about a sexy doctor on a cruise ship. I know the whole program was absurd, but I adored it.

Traitors, The--Season 3 of the U.S. Version

As I said back in March, the third season of, "The Traitors," was some good television. Part game show, part psychological warfare, and all Alan Cumming being delicious as the host, this is such a wild program. A bunch of competitiors at a Scottish castle scheme and study each other closely in the hopes of figuring out who is a, "Faithful," and who is among a group of, "Traitors," that wants to pick off the Faithful. Season 4 is due soon on Peacock, and I can't wait!

Comic-Book Fiasco of the Year: Diamond Comic Distributors' Bankruptcy--2025 in Review

It is hard to believe that Diamond only declared bankruptcy at the start of this year, back in January. It feels like we've been following this slow-motion trainwreck for a decade. At first, it was going to be restructuring and business as usual. Then Diamond was trying to sell itself, but who was going to buy it got confusing. Diamond was bought, but basically turned into a zombie of a company, trying to sell off warehouse stock it did not own in the name of paying debtors...some of whom they were selling the inventory of without permission. 

From the ashes of Diamond, we saw further growth of Lunar as well as Penguin Random House, further announcements of new distribution options, and as the year ends, things seem to have finally settled into a mostly stable groove...Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day arguments aside. Still, it has been less than 365 days, and the landscape of comic distribution has changed to a remarkable degree, which I think few could have foreseen coming.

Musical Return to Form of the Year: Clipse--2025 in Review

No Malice and Pusha T are brothers and, at one point a good chunk of time ago, they were busy as collaborators for the musical duo known as Clipse. Then, there hadn't been a new album from Clipse since 2009. A featured track here or there with them both as Clipse, but not much. Then, we learned Clipse was returning in July with, "Let God Sort Em Out." After all these years, could Clipse still have great tracks thanks to their razor-sharp wits and partnerships with fantastic producers? The answer turned out to be a resounding, "Hell yeah!" It really is an astounding piece of work.

With Pharrell providing some superb instrumentation, beats, and other friends stopping by to drop fantastic verses (Kendrick Lamar, Nas, and so forth), the resulting LP is a fantastic album that rewards repeat listens as all the clever metaphors reveal themselves and the music keeps your head continuously bopping. It has been nearly two decades, but Clipse remains a stellar rap group.

T.V.-Related Bummer of the Year: "Doctor Odyssey," Getting Canceled--2025 in Review

I quite enjoyed the off-the-wall, zany nature of, "Doctor Odyssey," on ABC. Created by Ryan Murphy and friends, it was a show about a sexy boat doctor (played by Joshua Jackson) who cures mystery ailments of cruise-goers while juggling romance with his staff. The program was absurd, silly, and had Don Johsnon as the captain--he's a treat in any show! It had good ratings, people liked it, and even bad Ryan Murphy shows seem to get renewed these days. Yet, "Doctor Odyssey," only got one season and then seemed dead in the water--pun depressingly intended. We may never get more of the show, but at least what we did get was a hoot.

Some of My Favorite Comics This Year--2025 in Review

There were many great comics throughout 2025. When I thought really hard about what stood out in my mind, however, five series released during this year/books published this year stuck out in my mind. Well, it was actually six series, but one was featured last year (more on that in a second), so I disqualified it. Anyway, here are some of my favorite comics/graphic novels/etc. this year.

Ultimates

Full disclosure, this and, "Ultimate Spider-Man," were the two Ultimate titles I adored this year and couldn't wait to read every month from the first issues on back in 2024 to now. That said, I already put USM in this sort of list last year so I cut it this time and thought I would focus on, "Ultimates." For real, however, if you want the main/big book that is key to this latest Ultimate Universe, "Ultimates," is a fantastic read from start to (rapidly approaching) finish. Deniz Camp has consistently written a superb comic about heroes in a broken World who dream of a better tomorrow (with Juan Frigeri generally on art), and I'm here for it.

Orla!

A comic about a woman named Orla with a literal monster inside her that devours bad dates. Yeah, its a horror comedy, but it has some sweet romance elements too when Orla falls for a guy she doesn't want to ingest. An incredibly funny and clever mix of genres, "Orla!" has just concluded as of this month (I need to grab the last issue), and I would encourage everyone to purchase the upcoming trade paperback collection!

Santos Sisters Volume 1

This one is a bit technical, as the first volume of, "Santos Sisters," collects the initial five issues printed before 2025. That said, this book was released in this year, so I say it counts! In my review of the first TPB, I state how it is, "Joyful, undiluted fun." I continue to feel that way about Greg & Fake's superb mix of vintage Archie-esque style with modern and clever jokes. Definitely a book worth picking up.

Absolute Batman

The earlier issues of, "Absolute Batman," were solid, but as we entered 2025, the book started rolling full steam ahead. The mix of crime drama, body horror, and amazing artwork by Nick Dragotta, among others (with superb writing by Scott Snyder) has resulted in what is undoubtedly my favorite Absolute book of the line--although all of them are solid and have charms. It is wild to think that when the Absolute line was first announced how skeptical many of us were. Now, here we are with Absolute books, and, "Absolute Batman," in particular, getting rave reviews and selling lots of copies. The old adage remains true to not judge a book (or comic) by its cover.

Holy Lacrimony

Michael DeForge is a modern master when it comes to making comics. His original graphic novel, "Holy Lacrimony," is a superb read about alien abductions, support groups, and sadness. Quite trippy and a little raunchy at points while also being laugh-out-loud hilarious, I was super-into this book and consider it another masterful entry in DeForge's oeuvre. 2025 clearly had some quality comics, and I'm pleased to have enjoyed these among other stellar reads!

Merry Christmas 2025!

I want to wish a Merry Christmas to anyone who celebrates the holiday! Have a relaxing day, and hopefully you're getting an extended weekend without having to work Friday/tomorrow. One of our local doughnut shops was actually open today, so I bought a bunch for the family; I'm gonna go take a nap now because I ate far too many. Have a great day, ya'll!

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 5--and Final: Another 3-month Free (Premium) CovrPrice Account

Update: Winner has been notified!

It's Christmas Eve, and I've got one final gift for all of you, my dear readers of the blog! The awesome people at CovrPrice gave me another three months of a free premium CovrPrice account to give away, and it can be yours if you'd like. Just comment here with your name and email address or send me an email at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com with your name. Around December 26th I will draw the final winner for this last giveaway, and I'll kick off my year-in-review posts then, as I generally do the day after Christmas. In the meantime, have a good Christmas Eve, everyone!