The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics - Tapa dura

Harvey Kurtzman discovered Robert Crumb and gave Gloria Steinem her first job in publishing when he hired her as his assistant. Terry Gilliam also started at his side, met an unknown John Cleese in the process, and the genesis of Monty Python was formed. Art Spiegelman has stated on record that he owes his career to him. And he's one of Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner's favorite artists.Harvey Kurtzman had a Midas touch for talent, but was himself an astonishingly talented and influential artist, writer, editor, and satirist. The creator of MAD and Playboy's "Little Annie Fanny" was called, "One of the most important figures in postwar America" by the New York Times. Kurtzman's groundbreaking "realistic" war comics of the early '50s and various satirical publications (MAD, Trump, Humbug, and Help!) had an immense impact on popular culture, inspiring a generation of underground cartoonists. Without Kurtzman, it's unlikely we'd have had Airplane, SNL, or National Lampoon.The Art of Harvey Kurtzman is the first and only authorized celebration of this "Master of American Comics." This definitive book includes hundreds of never-before-seen illustrations, paintings, pencil sketches, newly discovered lost E.C. Comics layouts, color compositions, illustrated correspondence, and vintage photos from the rich Kurtzman archives

Denis Kitchen is a pioneering underground cartoonist, writer, editor, and publisher (Kitchen Sink Press). His partnership, Kitchen, Lind & Assoc., represents the Harvey Kurtzman estate, providing unprecedented access for this book. Paul Buhle is a senior lecturer in the American Civilization and History departments at Brown University, and a distinguished scholar of the Organization of American History and the American Studies Association. Harry Shearer is a comic personality and multiple hyphenate: author, director, satirist, musician, radio host, playwright, multi-media artist and record label owner. He is a voice actor on The Simpsons, was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and has appeared on screen in The Right Stuff, This is Spinal Tap, The Truman Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.