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Post by jason on Dec 13, 2023 0:02:52 GMT -5
In this thread we can discuss fav artists/writers, memorable stories, appreciate some of the artwork of one of the best satirical comics of all time. ![]() ![]()  First issue I owned. I wasnt even a wrestling fan yet (that wouldnt start until 1990), but the artwork and the stuff like Spy Vs Spy and Don Martin got me hooked at an early age (I was reading it right before going into the 1st grade!) |
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Post by tarkintino on Dec 13, 2023 0:48:50 GMT -5
I believe my favorite period of the title--the point where MAD became MAD was a good decade between the early 60s to early 70s, where the title took no prisoners in sending up / targeting every walk of life--from the social to political, without a politically correct bone to be found in its creative structure. The MAD of this period (with writers such as Lou Silverstone, Stan Hart, Larry Siegel, et al.) were fearless and knew culture to the degree of knowing how to parody anything, yet say something about the inherent, flawed nature about said something (unlike D.O.A., very on-the-surface sketch comedy one found on TV of the 60s and 70s).
MAD's roster of artists (and artist/writers) was a legendary example of a publisher going from strength-to-strength with talent. I'd rank the aforementioned publishing period among the top five strongest collective of artists in the medium's history (more on that later).
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Post by berkley on Dec 13, 2023 3:24:29 GMT -5
My first issue was the one with Cannon (from the popular cop show of the time) on the cover #160, July 1973. I read it pretty regularly for the next couple of years - somehow it escaped my general hiatus from comics-reading around that time - and also a lot of the paperback reprints of the older stuff from the '50s and '60s.
More recently I read reprints of the first 20 issues or so of the classic Kurtzmann era. I'd like to carry on from there and read all through the 1960s and perhaps the first half of the '70s but probably will only sample a few issues here and there for now, until I fnd more time.
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Post by kirby101 on Dec 13, 2023 9:13:04 GMT -5
My absolutely favorite Mad artist is Don Martin. I bought his collected and original paperbacks. And found a discounted Complete Don Martin at Barnes and Noble.
My love for everything Fonebone is unbounded.
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 10:56:55 GMT -5
I believe my favorite period of the title--the point where MAD became MAD was a good decade between the early 60s to early 70s, where the title took no prisoners in sending up / targeting every walk of life--from the social to political, without a politically correct bone to be found in its creative structure. The MAD of this period (with writers such as Lou Silverstone, Stan Hart, Larry Siegel, et al.) were fearless and knew culture to the degree of knowing how to parody anything, yet say something about the inherent, flawed nature about said something (unlike D.O.A., very on-the-surface sketch comedy one found on TV of the 60s and 70s). MAD's roster of artists (and artist/writers) was a legendary example of a publisher going from strength-to-strength with talent. I'd rank the aforementioned publishing period among the top five strongest collective of artists in the medium's history (more on that later). This is probably my favorite period as well, though I'd almost say (shockingly, in view of my love for Kurtzman) the best period of the magazine started soon after Feldstein took over as editor. Starting without much in the way of resources, he quickly built a stable of "idiots" that produced consistently funny and quality work. There were always MAD imitators--besides the long-running Cracked and Sick, this book has some great examples--but they always seemed watered-down.
One special thing about Mad was, even if they knew their audience was 13-year-olds, they didn't act like it. When I started reading it (more like 8 or 9 years old), a ton of stuff went over my head. I can re-read the same articles now and get them. (When my son got a subscription in the 90s, I didn't get stuff because a lot of the pop culture references were things tweens/teens knew, not adults.)
The first issue I bought off the stands (dated January '68, so, yeah, I was 9, almost 10 when it came out):
Last issue I bought (I think) (June '75):
I've started picking up issues when I see them cheap--mainly pre-'68 and specials.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2023 11:02:36 GMT -5
The one I'd want to be with if I'm stranded on a desert island, Mort Drucker's best work collected over some 50ish years.
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Post by tonebone on Dec 13, 2023 15:43:02 GMT -5
The one I'd want to be with if I'm stranded on a desert island, Mort Drucker's best work collected over some 50ish years.
I LOVE Drucker, but I found the movie parodies "meh" as a kid. I appreciate them more now, but back then, they required too much attention span to sustain interest over so many pages... for me, anyway. I always preferred the shorter forms of parody or silliness, such as Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Sergio, and all the great ads. Nowadays, I can really appreciate Drucker and Torres' parodies, and uncanny caricature talents. When you can do a dead-on caricature of the back of someone's head, you know you have talent! Now, I need to hunt down that book. |
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Post by tonebone on Dec 13, 2023 15:44:40 GMT -5
I believe my favorite period of the title--the point where MAD became MAD was a good decade between the early 60s to early 70s, where the title took no prisoners in sending up / targeting every walk of life--from the social to political, without a politically correct bone to be found in its creative structure. The MAD of this period (with writers such as Lou Silverstone, Stan Hart, Larry Siegel, et al.) were fearless and knew culture to the degree of knowing how to parody anything, yet say something about the inherent, flawed nature about said something (unlike D.O.A., very on-the-surface sketch comedy one found on TV of the 60s and 70s). MAD's roster of artists (and artist/writers) was a legendary example of a publisher going from strength-to-strength with talent. I'd rank the aforementioned publishing period among the top five strongest collective of artists in the medium's history (more on that later). Agreed... my sweet spot not only includes the 60s, and 70s, but the early to mid 80s as well. Once you get to the 90s there's a point of diminishing return... and the modern stuff is just mean and gross, for the most part. |
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Post by tonebone on Dec 13, 2023 15:47:25 GMT -5
My absolutely favorite Mad artist is Don Martin. I bought his collected and original paperbacks. And found a discounted Complete Don Martin at Barnes and Noble. My love for everything Fonebone is unbounded. Same here... but probably I'm more of an Al Jaffee guy... his "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" turned me into an unbearable sarcastic smartass in my early teens. No, really, I would not have blamed my parents if they would have drugged me and sold me to the circus... And his wacky made-up products and inventions were incredibly cool. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2023 15:55:47 GMT -5
I never became a serious collector of Mad, but I definitely loved picking it up at the grocery story in the magazine section when I was a kid (mostly in the early to mid 80's). I also had one of the paperback book size Spy Vs. Spy collections back then, I think I re-read that about a million times and is the reason I picked up the "Complete Casebook" some years back (which I've been meaning to re-read!).
I would love to go back and explore some of the older material.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2023 15:57:26 GMT -5
I also read and collect really old MAD magazines, but this I where I might get anal and apart from the rest. Old MADs, especially the specials, and Hardcovers came with lots of fun pullouts - anything from vinyl records to stickers, stamps etc. And if I own them, I want them to be fully intact, nothing removed. This makes collecting them that bit more difficult because many sellers couldn't be arsed to do a thorough check. As you may tell, I'm not just a reader, but a picky collector and love 100% original integrity, as though it just left the newsstand. And, of course, I don't want the back cover folded in...that just pi$$es me off.
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Post by kirby101 on Dec 13, 2023 16:27:44 GMT -5
I loved the one pagers in Mad. But in the paperbacks he did longer stories. My favorite was The Hardest Head in the World from Don Martin Bounces Back. I read that story over and over again.
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Post by jason on Dec 13, 2023 16:39:35 GMT -5
I believe my favorite period of the title--the point where MAD became MAD was a good decade between the early 60s to early 70s, where the title took no prisoners in sending up / targeting every walk of life--from the social to political, without a politically correct bone to be found in its creative structure. The MAD of this period (with writers such as Lou Silverstone, Stan Hart, Larry Siegel, et al.) were fearless and knew culture to the degree of knowing how to parody anything, yet say something about the inherent, flawed nature about said something (unlike D.O.A., very on-the-surface sketch comedy one found on TV of the 60s and 70s). MAD's roster of artists (and artist/writers) was a legendary example of a publisher going from strength-to-strength with talent. I'd rank the aforementioned publishing period among the top five strongest collective of artists in the medium's history (more on that later). Agreed... my sweet spot not only includes the 60s, and 70s, but the early to mid 80s as well. Once you get to the 90s there's a point of diminishing return... and the modern stuff is just mean and gross, for the most part. Same here. Now I also love the 50s comic book era, but the early issues of the magazine era (from what I've read) took some time to find their footing, but by the mid-60s they got a good groove going with excellent art and writing. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2023 16:58:31 GMT -5
Also, prefer full-colour....not to impugn the purists who prefer original B&W
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Post by Rob Allen on Dec 13, 2023 18:53:54 GMT -5
Looking at the GCD cover gallery, it looks like the earliest issue that I remember is #93, March 1965, and I bought it occasionally for about six years. The last cover that looks familiar is #142, April 1971. My first National Lampoon was eleven months later, the March 1972 issue.
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