A snapshot of one moment in the life of Harry Houdini, focusing on the events of a single day -- May 1, 1908 -- and a single publicity stunt, in which Houdini leapt into the near-frozen Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts wearing only a bathing suit and shackled at the wrists and ankles, and though we know what to expect, he still pulls several surprises. Bold graphics presents a living picture of this greatest of American showmen, and probably the most famous man in the world at the time, and show how the times and morals shaped him and his art.

Originally published: New York : Hyperion, 2007. At head of title: The Center for Cartoon Studies presents.