MAD About Star Wars [Paperback]

Jonathan Bresman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2007

A long time ago (thirty years) in a galaxy far, far away (California) . . .

It is a period steeped in cinematic lore. Rebel filmmaker George Lucas, striking from a base in Northern California, won a tremendous box office victory against all odds with Star Wars, his sci-fi spectacular.

During the ensuing craze, MAD’s “Usual Gang of Idiots” managed to steal a few laughs at the movie’s expense, soon discovering that Star Wars was the ultimate pop culture punching bag.

Pursuing each Star Wars film’s release with more mockery, the MAD men spent the next three decades making a farce of the Force and spreading mirth across the galaxy.

Now, in this special edition volume, you’ll chuckle as the Star Wars saga’s greatest moments are mocked by such MAD greats as Dick DeBartolo, Mort Drucker, Don Martin, and Sergio Aragonés; smirk as the striking similarities between the space battles created by Industrial Light & Magic and by the “Usual Gang of Idiots” are revealed; hum along to the unforgettable Star Wars musical, as penned by MAD’s master lyricist, Frank Jacobs; gasp at the startling insights into R2-D2’s love life; and marvel at the real reason why Lucas’s lawyers never sued MAD.

And that’s just the beginning. . . .

So, pick up this book and see why, when Star Wars gets the MAD treatment . . . Sith happens! It is your destiny.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (October 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345501640
• ISBN-13: 978-0345501646
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.4 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise of a book. But what happened to the color?, November 29, 2007

By 

Alejanrro Elpajaro (Mexico DF) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MAD About Star Wars (Paperback)

I bought this book as a present for a friend, and I was very tempted to keep it for myself. MAD humor might not be for everyone, and the jokes worked most of the time, except when they didn't (as was to be expected). What I hadn't expected at all was to find the book full of historical information, anecdotes, and other real-world stuff that helped place all the original jokes within the larger context of the Star Wars sub-culture and pop culture in general. Trying not to give anything away from the book, let's just say that at times reality surpassed fiction, and even MAD humor!

I do remember reading some of the original jokes more than 20 years ago, and I distinctly recall some of them being in color. I was disappointed to see many of them reproduced in black and white in this book -and in a somewhat smaller format. It's a minor fault, and I would have given this book five stars had I not seen the original material already. Overall, this is a good book, and it's definitely great for Star Wars fans of any level.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Combines two all time classics - MAD & Star Wars, November 9, 2007

By 

R (Manukau, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MAD About Star Wars (Paperback)

If you are a Star Wars nut, buy this book. If you are a MAD nut, buy this book! A collection of everything do to with Star Wars that was ever published in MAD magazine. What more is there to say? The notes in the margins are almost the best bit, with lots of Star Wars trivia and such that I never knew about, with some great links to the Web. The only very, very slight grumble I have is that the comics and cartoons are printed a bit smaller than the originals, which make it more difficult to read for oldies like me! This is a must have book though, whatever kind of nut you are.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy it, you will!, January 19, 2008

By 

Adam Richter (New York USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MAD About Star Wars (Paperback)

The cover says it all... this book contains thirty years of "Star Wars"-related parodies from the pages of MAD, and if you're a fan of either the movies or the magazine, you're in for a treat.

One of the best things about this book is that the writers aren't afraid to really go after George Lucas and the stars of the films; they repeatedly take sharp jabs at Lucas's greed, the stiff acting, the merchandising run amok, etc. In contrast, many recent, high-profile "Star Wars" parodies in other media (i.e., "Family Guy," "Robot Chicken") have tended to have fun with the characters and specific scenes while being careful not to insult Lucas personally, probably out of fear of angering him. Ironically, Lucas doesn't seem to mind MAD's material at all; in fact, he's actually sent fan letters to MAD (which are included in this book), and he even wrote the book's introduction!

However, as the editor points out in several of the entertaining trivia pieces that accompany the articles, there was a good deal of repetition in MAD's "Star Wars" pieces over the years, and as a result, "MAD About Star Wars" can wear kind of thin if you try to read too much in one sitting. It's best to enjoy it a bit at a time.

It's great to have so much "Star Wars" humor together in one place, including parodies of all six movies, "Star Wars"-themed Fold-ins, and even a spoof of the "Star Wars" postage stamps. So go ahead and check it out, and may the farce be with you!