Josh Karp

About the Author

Josh Karp is an acclaimed author and journalist whose incisive explorations of comedy's underbelly have captivated readers and critics alike. With a background in entertainment reporting for outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, Karp brings a sharp eye for the absurd and the profound to his nonfiction narratives. His debut book, A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever, meticulously chronicles the wild rise and tragic fall of the National Lampoon empire, revealing how a band of irreverent geniuses reshaped American humor in the 1970s. Drawing on extensive interviews and archival research, Karp's work not only honors the legacy of figures like Doug Kenney but also dissects the cultural forces that birthed modern satire. A resident of Los Angeles, he continues to probe the intersections of creativity, chaos, and comedy in contemporary society.