The History of Sketch Comedy A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor by Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key

Authors Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key build on the popularity of
their 2022 Webby Award-winning podcast and delve deeper into the
world of sketch, helped along with new essays created expressly for the
book by comedy greats.
The History of Sketch Comedy will appeal to all kinds of comedy fans as well
as fans of Keegan-Michael Key, whether they know him from his Emmy and
Peabody-winning work on Key & Peele; his roles in Fargo, The Prom,
Schmigadoon!, The Bubble, and the upcoming Wonka ; voiceover work in
The Lion King ; or as President Barack Obama's anger translator, Luther.
With epic personal tangents and hilarious asides, the Keys take you on an
illuminating journey through all facets of comedy from the stock characters of
commedia del arte in the 16th century, to the rise of vaudeville and burlesque,
the golden age of television comedy, the influence of the most well-known
comedy schools, and the ascension of comedy films and TV specials-all the
way through to a look at the future of sketch on social media platforms. Along
the way, we hear tales of Keegan's childhood, his comedy influences, and the
vicissitudes of his career path. As the New York Times said in its review of
their podcast, this comedy nerd history is filtered through memoir, with Key
relating stories of his budding fandom, training and rise from improv comic to
television sketch artist."
Part memoir, part (...)

Keegan-Michael Key is an Emmy(Reg TM) and Peabody Award-winning actor,
writer, and producer with an extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging
talent in both comedy and drama. In the comedy world, Keegan-Michael is
perhaps best known for starring alongside Jordan Peele in their multipleaward-winning show Key & Peele . His other credits include leading turns in
Apple TV+'s Emmy-nominated Schmigadoon!, playing Meryl Streep's love
interest in Netflix's The Prom, his Critic's Choice nominated role in Hulu's
Reboot, and starring alongside Timothee Chalamet in the Warner Brother's
feature Wonka . His voicework in feature animations includes The Lion King,
Toy Story 4, and The Super Mario Brothers Movie . He made his OffBroadway debut in Hamlet with Oscar Isaac, and his Broadway debut in Steve
Martin's Meteor Shower with Amy Schumer. Keegan-Michael redefines what it
means to be a multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television, and theater,
and his wildly varied and indelible performances have won him fans of all

Chronicle Books
On Sale: Oct 3/23
7.25 x 9.25 • 300 pages
9781797216836 • $44.95 • CL - Hardcover, full-color
illustrations and photographs throughout, jacketed
HUMOR / Topic / History