Born in Canada, Mort Sahl moved to Los Angeles at the age of seven, where he grew up and attended Belmont High School. After graduating, he was drafted into the Air Force and served at the Ninety-Third Air Depot in Anchorage, Alaska. During his service, Sahl exhibited a rebellious streak by growing a beard, refusing to wear his hat, and editing the camp newsletter, "Poop from the Group." His outspoken nature landed him on KP duty for eighty-three days, and he completed his military service as a private. Following his military stint, Sahl pursued higher education, first attending Compton Junior College and later the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor's degree. Despite spending many nights in jazz halls, he managed to complete his studies. He initially planned to further his education in traffic engineering but soon realized that a conventional path was not for him, leading him to drop out. In the years of searching for his true calling, Sahl wrote movie reviews and unpublished fiction, including a novel. To support himself, he worked as a used-car salesman and a messenger while nurturing his passion for stand-up comedy. For three years, Sahl occasionally performed in Los Angeles, even offering to entertain for free in strip clubs, before finding his footing at the legendary San Francisco club, hungry i. It was at the hungry i, with encouragement from his girlfriend, that Sahl truly honed his craft. He developed a unique style, marked by casual dress—chinos and a sweater with an open collar—and a rolled-up newspaper used as a prop to jot down reminders. Unlike the traditional setup-punchline method of the time, Sahl's delivery was influenced by the improvisational nature of jazz, allowing him to blend premeditated bits with spontaneous observations. Sahl's comedy was groundbreaking for its intellectualism and political content, challenging the norms of the 1950s and 60s. His satirical take on political figures and government institutions resonated with audiences eager for dissent, and his influence on the comedy world was significant. Sahl became the first comedian to appear on the cover of Time Magazine in August 1960, highlighting the rising importance of comedy in American culture. Despite writing material for John F. Kennedy's campaign, Sahl remained an equal-opportunity satirist, willing to critique politicians across the spectrum. In the wake of the Kennedy Assassination, Sahl's career took a sharp turn as he used his performances to discuss conspiracy theories challenging the Warren Commission's findings. His unwavering stance came at a cost; his income plummeted from a peak of $1 million a year to less than $20,000. Mort Sahl experienced a resurgence later in the 1960s, as comedians he had influenced began to find success and invite him to perform on their shows, such as The Smothers Brothers' program and those hosted by Dick Cavett and Steve Allen. Although television evolved to accommodate sharp, topical humor with newcomers like Jay Leno and Jon Stewart, Sahl's pioneering contributions remained undeniable. In his later years, Sahl continued to perform alongside peers like Dick Gregory, demonstrating the enduring legacy of his revolutionary approach to comedy. His career, marked by innovation and risk-taking, paved the way for future generations of comedians who valued intellect, improvisation, and political discourse.