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Narrated by Jim Meskimen
Bill SchellyUnabridged — 21 hours, 36 minutes
Narrated by Jim Meskimen
Bill SchellyUnabridged — 21 hours, 36 minutes
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.
"The Ramones, David Letterman, Mystery Science Theater, Saturday Night Live: All impossible to imagine without the satire in Mad magazine. Comics historian Schelly has penned an exhaustive (and, yeah, exhausting) study of one of the most important humorists of the 20th century."
"Bill Schelly has done a solid piece of work. Informative and fun for comics fans who have long glorified Kurtzman... For the general public, the book is Kurtzman's long overdue induction into the pantheon of certified American comic geniuses. ... Schelly details Kurtzman's life honestly and wisely avoids exploiting the melodrama in the rise and sad, slow fall of Harvey Kurtzman..."
"...Schelly approaches Kurtzman’s work, life and the surrounding sociopolitical context as an all-encompassing tableau. ... As a chronological survey of Kurtzman’s career, Schelly’s book is a comprehensive, informed endeavor, and will certainly fill many of the gaps in Kurtzman’s professional history."
"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."
"This 642-page doorstop from award-winning comic-book historian Bill Schelly 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."
"I highly endorse and recommend Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America... Though 644 pages long, it reads like a breeze and I was sorry it was over when it was. It is scrupulously researched and filled with grand insights into its subject without forcing you into one particular interpretation."
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.”
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.”
05/15/2015
In this thoroughly researched biography, Schelly (American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s) delves into all aspects of Mad magazine creator Harvey Kurtzman's life (1924–93), including his hardscrabble childhood, service during World War II, and struggle to remain true to his artistic vision while desperately trying to earn enough to support a growing family. Using a generous selection of illustrations, Schelly traces Kurtzman's artistic development from his early work on EC Comics leading up to the creation of Mad to his subsequent collaborations with Hugh Hefner and the long-running "Little Annie Fanny" comic in Playboy. Drawing heavily on published and unpublished interviews as well as Kurtzman's personal archive, Schelly explores his subject's relationships with a who's who of fellow cartoonists, editors, and publishers: Bill Gaines, Will Elder, Will Eisner, Al Feldstein, Jack Davis, Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, Gloria Steinem, Robert Crumb, and Art Spiegelman among others. The result is both an in-depth portrait of Kurtzman and a sweeping history of the comics industry. A useful chronology rounds out the volume. VERDICT While Kurtzman's most devoted fans will welcome this exhaustive study, some may be put off by its length. Readers preferring a more concise volume might find Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle's The Art of Harvey Kurtzman more to their liking.—William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
| BN ID: | 2940176648461 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 06/28/2022 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
