Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781606997611)

Harvey Kurtzman created Mad, and Mad revolutionized humor in America. Kurtzman was the original editor, artist, and sole writer of Mad, one of the greatest publishing successes of the 20th century. But how did Kurtzman invent Mad, and why did he leave it shortly after it burst, nova-like, onto the American scene? For this heavily researched biography, Bill Schelly conducted new interviews with Kurtzman's colleagues, friends and family, including Hugh Hefner, R. Crumb, Jack Davis, and many others, and examined Kurtzman's personal archives. The result is the true story of one the 20th century's greatest humorists: Kurtzman's family life, the details of the FBI's investigation during the McCarthy Era, his legal battles with William M. Gaines (publisher of Mad), are all revealed for the first time. Rich with anecdotes, this book traces Kurtzman's life from his Brooklyn beginnings to his post-Mad years, when his ceaseless creativity produced more innovations: new magazines, a graphic novel, and Little Annie Fanny in Playboy.

Author: Bill Schelly
ISBN-10: 1606997610
ISBN-13: 9781606997611
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Language: English
Published: 05/02/2015
Pages: 644
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.80lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.30w x 1.90d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 05/15/2015 pg. 88