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Inside Mad
Early MAD reprint, with credits
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 23, 2023
Wally Wood and Bill Elder. It doesn't get any better.
March 16, 2017
Not my favorite Mad material, but still amusing.
December 11, 2014
(Warning! This review will likely be difficult to follow if you’re younger than 55 or 60, so all you Old Farts out there, read on!)
Another in the “recently found” MAD magazine compilations from the 1950’s, which to my mind was the heyday of MAD. Almost every panel has “wacky stuff” going on in the background that one has to inspect carefully to “get” the jokes. While this is still true in contemporary issues of MAD, it isn’t as ubiquitous as back then. Also, the magazine had much more of an edge than it does now. Also, the old MAD seemed to have more in common with the old “Smoky Stover” comics than the contemporary MAD. For instance, such MAD phrases as “portrziebie” and almost all of Don Martin’s sound effects are more than equaled by “foo” and “notary sojac,” along with ubiquitous sight gags and puns, again in almost every panel. (hey, this doesn’t mean I don’t like the current format; the magazine still pokes fun at movies, institutions and self-important celebrities with glee; I pick up a copy whenever I see it in the grocery store, so I’m still a loyal fan!)
All that said, the content of this book consists of “Mickey Rodent” (an unappealing, egotistic, bewhiskered version of Mickey Mouse); “Smilin’ Melvin” (a takeoff on the ace-pilot strip “Smilin’ Jack”); “Howdy Doodit” (a hilarious takeoff on “Howdy Doody” and all those other kids’ shows); “The Katchanhammer Kids” (goof on “The Katzenjammer Kids,” complete with almost incomprehensible German-accent dialog); “Shermlock Shomes” (Sherlock Holmes, of course); and “Bad Boy and Rubin” (Batman and Robin), along with parodies of current ads, as well as a “backword” by Stan Freberg, one of the most celebrated comedians/satirists of the day.
Great fun, rediscovering these gems! Five stars!
Another in the “recently found” MAD magazine compilations from the 1950’s, which to my mind was the heyday of MAD. Almost every panel has “wacky stuff” going on in the background that one has to inspect carefully to “get” the jokes. While this is still true in contemporary issues of MAD, it isn’t as ubiquitous as back then. Also, the magazine had much more of an edge than it does now. Also, the old MAD seemed to have more in common with the old “Smoky Stover” comics than the contemporary MAD. For instance, such MAD phrases as “portrziebie” and almost all of Don Martin’s sound effects are more than equaled by “foo” and “notary sojac,” along with ubiquitous sight gags and puns, again in almost every panel. (hey, this doesn’t mean I don’t like the current format; the magazine still pokes fun at movies, institutions and self-important celebrities with glee; I pick up a copy whenever I see it in the grocery store, so I’m still a loyal fan!)
All that said, the content of this book consists of “Mickey Rodent” (an unappealing, egotistic, bewhiskered version of Mickey Mouse); “Smilin’ Melvin” (a takeoff on the ace-pilot strip “Smilin’ Jack”); “Howdy Doodit” (a hilarious takeoff on “Howdy Doody” and all those other kids’ shows); “The Katchanhammer Kids” (goof on “The Katzenjammer Kids,” complete with almost incomprehensible German-accent dialog); “Shermlock Shomes” (Sherlock Holmes, of course); and “Bad Boy and Rubin” (Batman and Robin), along with parodies of current ads, as well as a “backword” by Stan Freberg, one of the most celebrated comedians/satirists of the day.
Great fun, rediscovering these gems! Five stars!
January 10, 2010
It is a sobering commentary on our culture and on my place in this culture that I classify the Mad Readers as "art" in GoodReads and that this kind of "book" constitutes the bulk of those volumes so categorized.
I loved the early Mad Readers as a kid!
I loved the early Mad Readers as a kid!
February 4, 2012
My favorite was the movie poster sendup...oh yeah, and the Sherlock Holmes thing as well. Interesting to see the different approach in those early years, with a slower, more ruminative pace and lots of sight gags in the panels.
September 30, 2010
A very poor excuse for Mad humor. Spoofing tv series of old, the humor seems forced and really sad. Probably the worst Mad book I've ever read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews