Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Schelly
Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Schelly
List: $29.95 | Sale: $20.97
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Harvey Kurtzman
The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America

Author: Bill Schelly, Terry Gilliam

Narrator: Jim Meskimen

Unabridged: 21 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/28/2022

Synopsis

This biography reveals the true story of Mad creator Harvey Kurtzman—the man who revolutionized humor in America.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 twentieth 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 of the twentieth 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.

About Bill Schelly

Bill Schelly has been immersed in the world of science fiction and comics since the mid-1960s, making his first contributions to the pop culture fringe through his comics fanzine Sense of Wonder. Schelly began meticulously researching the history of comics fandom in the 1990s and has since published many books on the subject. He is currently the associate editor of the Eisner Award-winning magazine Alter Ego. His recent books include The American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s and Harvey Kurtzman, The Man Who Created Mad.

About Jim Meskimen

Jim Meskimen is a stage, film, and television actor who has appeared in many well-known movies and television shows. He acted in Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon for director Ron Howard, both of which were nominated for Best Picture Oscars. His television appearances include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Friends, Lie to Me, Criminal Minds, and Parks and Recreation. He is also a painter, award-winning audiobook narrator, and audiobook director for Galaxy Audio.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Stewart on September 12, 2016

Masterfully done. Bill Schelly has written what will likely be the definitive biography of one of the comic industry's least-known greats. Harvey was anything but prolific, and so much of his work was in collaboration--most often and notably with Will Elder--that it's easy to overlook his influence.......more

Goodreads review by Donna on March 04, 2015

Kurtzman was a comic genius who was ahead of his time. He created MAD magazine and also left his mark in comic book history and in men's magazines such as Playboy. My great thanks go to Edelweiss, Above the Treeline and the publishers for the DRC. Schelly, another MAD alum, has fastidiously documente......more

Goodreads review by Derek on July 25, 2016

This is a substantial read, and Schelly has done an outstanding job of narrating the life of Kurtzman. As he has done with his other biographies, he doesn't romanticize his subject or come to him uncritically. The assessment of the artist's life is balanced and objective, relying on a variety of sou......more

Goodreads review by Kenny on May 28, 2015

Bill Schelly's exhaustingly researched look at America's most influential humourist/artist/editor/teacher/mentor/trendsetter/family man without whom there will be no Mad, underground comics, SNL and the list goes on. Come to think of it, a bigger influence than Stan Lee in my formative years. What a ma......more

Quotes

“Thoroughly researched…Devoted fans will welcome this exhaustive study.” Library Journal

“From award-winning comic book historian Bill Schelly, [Harvey Kurtzman] is a thorough, loving chronicle of Kurtzman’s life, struggles, art, and influence. I didn’t want to place it on the shelves alongside my beloved Mad and EC Comics archives. It made me want to take them off the shelves and sit on the floor surrounded by them, giving every page a fresh look.” Seattle Weekly

“With this book, Schelly emerges as a first-rate comics historian, writer, and critic…Schelly’s superb marshaling of the bits and pieces of Kurtzmania extant into a highly readable narrative allows one to fully grasp the life and career of the genius behind some of the funniest comics ever made.” The Comics Journal

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