Harry Houdini mesmerized a generation of Americans when he was alive, and continues to do so 80 years after his death.

This is a "snapshot" of Houdini's life, centering on one of his most famous jumps. As Houdini prepares for a death-defying leap into the icy Charles River in Boston, biographer Jason Lutes and artist Nick Bertozzi reveal Houdini's life and influence: from the anti-Semitism Houdini fought all his life, to the adulation of the American public; from his hounding by the press, to his loving relationship with his wife Bess; from his egoism to his insecurity; from his public persona -- to the secret behind his most amazing trick! And it's all in graphic form, so it's fresh, original, and unlike anything previously published about this most fascinating of American showmen.


Jason Lutes is a cartoonist living in Seattle. He has been an admirer of Houdini for most of his adult life, and his celebrated graphic novel for adults, Jar of Fools, also pays homage to the Handcuff King. His most recent book is Berlin.

Nick Bertozzi is an award-winning cartoonist based in New York. His upcoming graphic novel entitled The Salon stars Pablo Picasso.

The Center for Cartoon Studies, America’s premiere cartooning school, was founded in 2005 under the leadership of James Sturm, who is the creative director of The Center for Cartoon Studies Books. CCS is located in downtown White River Junction, Vermont, in the historic Colodny Surprise Department Store.

Visit the Center for Cartoon Studies website.