R.I.P. Mad Magazine

It's many years since I bought an issue -- new or used; but I'm one of innumerable people who have liked the magazine. The Mad I celebrate (from the 1950s-60s) managed to be funny, anarchic, and decent, the perfect complement to classic television shows from the time such as The Fugitive and Star Trek that it delectably satirized.
 
The first 23 issues -- the comic-book ones edited by Harvey Kurtzman -- are sheer, undiluted genius.
 
This a shock. You just expect some things to be around forever. Mad was one of those things.
Hey! Does that mean my box full of old issues will soon be worth a fortune?
 
Vince W said:
Has anyone actually ever purchased a copy of Mad? I never did, but they always to be in other people's homes or offices.
Click to expand...

When is was kid I used buy them , then Mad magazine and its satire and humor got old .
 
Vince W said:
Has anyone actually ever purchased a copy of Mad? I never did, but they always to be in other people's homes or offices.
Click to expand...

Yes. I bought, or possibly had bought for me, the issue after Mad's Star Trek parody, with a letter from the show including a photo of Shatner and Nimoy in their makeup, looking at the issue. It was only much later that I got hold of the issue with the parody itself.

I bought several issues of the magazine's reprints as used copies. But you do raise an interesting point, that the issue shown below might be the only regular issue I ever bought (if I did) off the stands.
54119

54120
 
The magazine's "maddest artist," Don Martin, used to convulse my dad. One of the first works of comic art on the household was a paperback of original stories by Martin. I think a story in the book below might have been the origin of National Gorilla Suit Day.
54128
 
Extollager said:
Yes. I bought, or possibly had bought for me, the issue after Mad's Star Trek parody, with a letter from the show including a photo of Shatner and Nimoy in their makeup, looking at the issue. It was only much later that I got hold of the issue with the parody itself.

I bought several issues of the magazine's reprints as used copies. But you do raise an interesting point, that the issue shown below might be the only regular issue I ever bought (if I did) off the stands.
View attachment 54119
View attachment 54120
Click to expand...

Cracked Magazine also did a pretty funny Star Trek Parody.
 
I remember such issues as The Milking of the Planet of the Apes
A Clockwork Lemon Which did a wonderful parody of Stanley Kubrick's A ClockWork Orange
The Poopsiedon Adventure . :LOL:
 
The e was an issues of made in the mid seventies which featured a major Don piece It about horrible sewer monster that was attacking people sitting on thore toilets. I think was title Yeech or What Terrible Waste .
 
Vince W said:
Has anyone actually ever purchased a copy of Mad? I never did, but they always to be in other people's homes or offices.
Click to expand...
I did, and even subscribed to it off and on. I stopped subscribing maybe ten years ago, when I realized the copies were piling up unread.
 
I used to buy it occasionally in the 80s, the problem I had was being in the UK a lot of the tv series parodied were unknown here.
 
I think I bought one copy [and stole my friends "Alien" edition - sorry for that] in the 80s.
It is sad for people losing their jobs, but I can't remember seeing MAD for sale in my part of the UK in last 20 years outside of FP in London. I didn't think it was still going.
 
It's still available on line and through limited stores.

Like many, I loved it in the nineties. I did subscribe for a year when I first bought my iPad, but kept forgetting to download the editions.

I'm always taken aback by how much humour was packed into the magazine. You event had to go back to read the one drawing jokes between the main story panels. Excellent stuff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
Extollager Malvern Hills -- Tolkien angle -- Country Life magazine 20 March 2024 JRR Tolkien 3
Extollager C. S. Lewis Was a Reader of American Pulp Magazines Book Discussion 17
Phyrebrat Subbing to genre magazines. Publishing 1
Lafayette A Brief History of Mad Magazine History 4
Matteo JWST info and images (Sky at Night magazine) Science & Nature 0

Similar threads


Back
Top