Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor i - Hardcover

Bill Schelly is an Eisner-nominated comic-book and film historian; he lives in Seattle.

“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.”
- Joe Gross, Austin American-Statesman

“...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.”
- Akin Ajayi, Haaretz

“Thoroughly researched...devoted fans will welcome this exhaustive study.”
- Library Journal

“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.”
- Mark Rahner, Seattle Weekly

“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.”
- Mark Evanier, News from ME

“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...”
- Paul Karasik, The Comics Journal

“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.”
- Paul Tumey, The Comics Journal