Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993) was a cartoonist, writer, editor, and comics genius. He is probably best remembered for
MAD, which he founded in 1952. He created 28 revolutionary issues for E.C. publisher Bill Gaines (for whom he also created
Two-Fisted Tales and
Frontline Combat) with such talent as Will Elder, Jack Davis, and Wally Wood before leaving in 1956. Kurtzman then created the short-lived satire magazine
Trump for Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner in 1957. He followed with the comic-size
Humbug in 1958, then
Help! magazine. During his
Help! tenure he discovered such diverse talent as Terry Gilliam, Gloria Steinem, Gilbert Shelton, and R. Crumb. In 1962 he and collaborator Will Elder began producing the long-running and elaborate
Little Annie Fanny comic for Playboy. In the 1970s he became known as the "father-in-law of underground comix" for inspiring a new generation of media-bending cartoonists.
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