Reviews
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..., 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., ...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., 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., 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., Is revolutionized too strong? No way. Kurtzman was, in the words of Art Spiegelman, a goddamn national treasure., 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., Kurtzman... was the Matt Groening/Jon Stewart/Tina Fey of his day. The title of a new, exhaustive biography by Bill Schelly..., Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in America, makes this exceptionally clear, giving Kurtzman a hero's welcome into the pantheon of American cultural pioneers., 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., 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...