Harvey Kurtzman
Harvey Kurtzman was a notable American cartoonist and editor, born on October 3, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in the Bronx, he developed a passion for art from a young age, despite facing early setbacks, including a failed attempt to become a Disney animator. Kurtzman's career began in earnest when he published his first cartoon at the age of fourteen and later studied at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he produced visual training aids and engaged in cartooning.
Kurtzman is best known for creating the influential satirical comic Mad, which he launched in 1952 after persuading E.C. Comics publisher William M. Gaines to support the project. Mad became a cultural phenomenon, known for its sharp parodies of popular media and societal norms. After leaving Mad in 1955 due to creative differences, Kurtzman continued to contribute to the comic industry through various projects, including the adult magazine Trump and the college-oriented Help!, where he collaborated with notable talents like Robert Crumb and Woody Allen.
In addition to his editorial work, Kurtzman created "Little Annie Fanny" for Playboy, which ran for decades. He also published educational materials about comics and taught storytelling at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the 1980s, Kurtzman's legacy endures as a pioneering figure in the realm of underground comics and postmodern humor, culminating in his passing on February 21, 1993.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Harvey Kurtzman
Cartoonist
- Born: October 3, 1924
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
- Died: February 21, 1993
- Place of death: Mount Vernon, New York
Biography
Harvey Kurtzman was born October 3, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of David Kurtzman and Elizabeth Sherman Kurtzman. He grew up in the Bronx. Kurtzman’s father died when he was young, and his stepfather, an engraver, encouraged his interest in art. He took a test to become a Walt Disney animator when he was twelve but failed.
Kurtzman, who published his first cartoon in Tip Top Comics when he was fourteen, attended the High School of Music and Art, where he befriended future collaborator Will Elder. While a student at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, his jobs included inking panels for such Classic Comics titles as Moby-Dick. Kurtzman served in the U.S. Army in 1943, producing visual training aids, as well as a couple of cartoons in Yank.
After the war, Kurtzman worked for Timely Comics, where he met his future wife. He married Adele Hasan in 1948, and they had four children. In 1950, Kurtzman went to work for E.C. Comics, purveyor of controversially graphic horror and war comic books, and edited Frontline Combat and Two-Fisted Tales. For Frontline Combat, he interviewed Korean War veterans and wrote four war stories a month, with Elder and others doing most of the artwork. During 1951-1953, Kurtzman also contributed to a daily Flash Gordon strip.
While recovering from jaundice in 1952, Kurtzman sought a project he could do from his bed and persuaded E.C. publisher William M. Gaines to publish the first issue of Mad. The satirical comic began by spoofing such popular comic-book characters as Superman and Donald Duck before satirizing movies, television, and advertising, becoming one of the most influential magazines of its time. Kurtzman left Mad in 1955 after disagreeing with Gaines over the direction of the magazine.
In 1957, Kurtzman edited the adult satirical magazine Trump for Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, but it was canceled after two issues. More successful was Humbug, which used several of Mad’s original artists, running for eleven issues. Kurtzman then ran Help!, aimed at college students, from 1960 to 1965, working with such writers as Ray Bradbury as well as early underground cartoonists. In Help!, Robert Crumb published his earliest Fritz the Cat strips, Terry Gilliam created his first cartoons, and Woody Allen appeared as a character.
Kurtzman and Elder created “Little Annie Fanny,” which appeared in Playboy from 1962 to 1988, satirizing the politics and sexual mores of this period. In 1985, Kurtzman published Nuts!, aimed at much younger readers. His 1988 autobiography, My Life as a Cartoonist, explains the process of creating comics to children. Also educational is From Aargh! to Zap! Harvey Kurtzman’s Visual History of the Comics. He taught cartoon storytelling at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts.
Kurtzman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the 1980’s and died of liver cancer in Mount Vernon, New York, on February 21, 1993. Primarily because of his role in establishing Mad magazine, Kurtzman has been described as the spiritual godfather of underground comics and the creator of postmodern humor.