Post by Mister Spaceman on Dec 29, 2018 9:06:37 GMT -5
Mad #'s 1-23 (EC, 1952-1955)
Under the inspired stewardship of Harvey Kurtzman, and featuring the stellar talents of artists such as Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and Will Elder (expertly complemented by colorist Marie Severin), the first 23 issues of Mad (before it transitioned to a black-and-white magazine) stand as the greatest poke-in-the-eye to pop culture ever made. The parodies in Mad are both affectionate put-downs of television and radio shows, movies, comics, and classic literature, and outstanding examples of mass-marketed art in their own right. From "Lone Stranger!" to "Starchie," nothing was safe from Kurtzman's withering wit or the artists' expertly rendered caricatures. Kurtzman showed an entire generation that it wasn't only okay to talk back to pop culture but that it could also be a whole lot of fun. Without these seminal 23 issues of Mad we certainly wouldn't have ever had Not Brand Echh and likely wouldn't have The Simpsons or Mystery Science Theater 3000. Kurtzman and crew set the standard right out of the gate and no one has come close to reaching it since.
Under the inspired stewardship of Harvey Kurtzman, and featuring the stellar talents of artists such as Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and Will Elder (expertly complemented by colorist Marie Severin), the first 23 issues of Mad (before it transitioned to a black-and-white magazine) stand as the greatest poke-in-the-eye to pop culture ever made. The parodies in Mad are both affectionate put-downs of television and radio shows, movies, comics, and classic literature, and outstanding examples of mass-marketed art in their own right. From "Lone Stranger!" to "Starchie," nothing was safe from Kurtzman's withering wit or the artists' expertly rendered caricatures. Kurtzman showed an entire generation that it wasn't only okay to talk back to pop culture but that it could also be a whole lot of fun. Without these seminal 23 issues of Mad we certainly wouldn't have ever had Not Brand Echh and likely wouldn't have The Simpsons or Mystery Science Theater 3000. Kurtzman and crew set the standard right out of the gate and no one has come close to reaching it since.