Harvey Kurtzman

Born in New York, Harvey Kurtzman was a prominent American cartoonist. With the creation of his original Mad comic book in 1959, Kurtzman became an enduring icon of American culture and humor. Mad’s parody of popular culture and entertainment positioned Kurtzman as a critical figure in American postwar satire. After Kurtzman was replaced as editor of Mad, he went on to become the editor of Help!, another satirical magazine that became a forum for several major talents, including activist and cultural critic Gloria Steinem, filmmaker Woody Allen, and comedians John Cleese and Terry Gilliam of the cult comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Kurtzman’s projects had a provocative edge and revolutionary spirit that fed the countercultural moment of the 1960s and greatly influenced humor in American culture.