The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics

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2 reviews
Ebook
256
Pages

About this ebook

The definitive anthology of the pioneering cartoonist and creator of Mad magazine, featuring 100s of classic and never-before-seeen illustrations.
It's difficult to overstate Harvey Kurtzman's influence on pop culture. He discovered Robert Crumb and gave Gloria Steinem her first job in publishing. Terry Gilliam also started at his side, where he met John Cleese, and the genesis of Monty Python was formed. And Art Spiegelman has stated on record that he owes his career to him.
Harvey Kurtzman was 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 and comedians.
The Art of Harvey Kurtzman 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.
The definitive anthology of the pioneering cartoonist and creator of Mad magazine, featuring 100s of classic and never-before-seeen illustrations. It's difficult to overstate Harvey Kurtzman's influence on pop culture. He discovered Robert Crumb and gave Gloria Steinem her first job in publishin...

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Ratings and reviews

2 reviews
Byron *s
January 7, 2026
Finally, a really entertaining book on Kurtzman, one of the best comic book illustrators of all time.
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About the author

Denis Kitchen is a pioneering cartoonist, writer, editor, and underground comic book publisher. He represents the Kurtzman estate, and maintains the archives. In 1986 Kitchen established the nonprofit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and served as its president for its first eighteen years. He lives in western Massachusetts. Paul Buhle is a senior lecturer in the American Civilization and History departments at Brown University. He has written and edited thirty-five books, including Jews and American Comics, and lives in Rhode Island. Harry Shearer is a comic personality and author, director, satirist, musician, radio host, playwright, multimedia artist, and record label owner.
Denis Kitchen is a pioneering cartoonist, writer, editor, and underground comic book publisher. He represents the Kurtzman estate, and maintains the archives. In 1986 Kitchen established the nonprofit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and served as its president for its first eighteen years. He live...

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