Photo: Sally Montana

Keegan-Michael Keyknows a thing or two about sketch comedy.
The actor and Elle Key exclusively revealed to PEOPLE the cover of their upcoming book,The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor. Building off their podcastThe History of Sketch Comedy, the couple detail the extensive history of sketch comedy and what the future looks like for the genre.
“It has been a dream project—to collaborate with my writing partner, and partner in all things on this love letter to comedy—Elle hit it out of the park and I couldn’t be more proud of his project,” the 52-year-old Emmy winner tells PEOPLE of the book, which is described to be both a masterclass and a memoir.
“Our idea was to build off of our award-winning podcast and share insights into the sketch comedy world in a way that could be as accessible and informative as it is entertaining,” Elle tells PEOPLE. “Our intention is to bring a little joy and levity to the world and inspire people to have a deeper understanding, as well as a deeper appreciation, of some of the folks that paved the path to where we are now.”
Michael Loccisano/Getty

“It was such an amazing experience for us to interview some of our comedy heroes; legends likeMel Brooks,Mike Myers,Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, and the wonderfulCarol Burnett, and get their perspective and wisdom about what makes classic comedy. We are both excited to share this with you,” Keegan-Michael tells PEOPLE.

Robin Marchant/Getty Images

“The idea for a book came to us many years ago when we first became partners. It was our love of comedy that helped bring us together,” Elle in a statement. “These pages reflect our joint passion for making others — and ourselves! — laugh. We gathered as many stories as our editing team would let us make room for to create something special to share with our friends, comedy heroes, and all fans of sketch.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The History of Sketch Comedywill hit bookstores on Oct. 3 this year.
source: people.com