Good Days and Mad: A Hysterical Tour Behind the Scenes at Mad Magazine [Paperback]

Dick Debartolo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

azine, its motley crew, and its beloved founder, the late William M. Gaines. The author offers an insider's history of the publication based on his three decades at America's favorite satirical magazine. Photos, many in color, and line drawings throughout.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

DeBartolo, a longtime MAD contributor, has written not a history but a collection of often amusing anecdotes that are mostly of the sophisticated/juvenile bent that characterizes one of America's most admirable humor institutions. Magazine founder William Gaines (who died in 1992) emerges as the superstar: he calculated contracts in odd percentages, replied to letters with comments in the margins, organized a staff trip to Haiti to beg MAD's sole Haitian subscriber to renew, got stuck near the top of a climb up the torch of the Statue of Liberty and ordered enormous quantities of food at restaurants "for the table." DeBartolo also tells of his own efforts and exploits during his 30 MAD years. Interspersed throughout are numerous "forewords" from MAD contributors-Annie Gaines, Michael Gelman, Al Jaffee et al.
shanghaied into this project by the promise of front billing. Utter MADness. Illustrations.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA?DeBartolo worked, played, and dined around the world with William Gaines, founder and publisher of Mad magazine. In 1961 when he received his first paycheck (attached to an acceptance letter written on cardboard for a satire he submitted to the magazine), he began his zany relationship with surely one of the cleverest men in publishing. The author entertains by sharing his and other peoples' fond memories and humorous insights into Gaines. Numerous photos and Mad illustrations accent the lively text, making this memoir hard to put down. This is a book that should appeal to anyone who enjoys the funny and Mad side of life.?Linda Diane Townsend, West Potomac High School, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Pr (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560250917
• ISBN-13: 978-1560250913
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,049,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't put it down!!, July 7, 2005

By 

Carey A. Holzman (Glendale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Days and Mad: A Hysterical Tour Behind the Scenes at Mad Magazine (Paperback)

As a child I used to save my paper-route money and buy MAD magazine and share it with my brother (or vise-versa at times). Many, many years later as an adult, I was very interested on how these guys could make this magazine so funny time after time and hear the 'real' stories told from adult to another. Some of the reviews of this book are undeserved and much too harsh in my opinion.

The author shares experiences at MAD that left an impression on him and made MAD what it was and what it is. Those events also helped to define the author, his style and how he got to where he is today.

This is what the book is about. To suggest the author should have censored stories is ridiculous. That defeats the purpose of the book. Why ask a question if you don't want to know the real answer, but instead some sugar-coated twist of the truth or omission? Ignorance is bliss, and other reviewers seem to punish the author for enlightening them and, by doing so, taking away some of their bliss.

If I wanted to read a story like that, I'd of picked up a work of fiction. This story is real and the author is very humble when he shares his perspectives with us. This is not biography of Prince Charles complaining how tough life is with all these servants and money around.

It's a tale of a true journey of both discovery and growth told in a humorous fashion in a way only a MAD writer could write it. I don't think the book was written for children, although I could find nothing truly offensive about it. The complaint about an S&M photograph is just ridiculous. Its a picture of a closet with leather chaps and such meant as joke. No one is wearing them.

If you can't face reality you have no business buying this book, let along being disappointed by it.

For me, I couldn't stop turning the pages. It's funny, it's true and it does what it's author intended for it to do. Answer all those questions I mentioned at the top of this review and why I purchased the book. How anyone could have expected anything different is beyond me. How anyone could suggest 'we don't talk about those things' is just poor advice. Closing your eyes or not talking about something does not change reality. To suggest the authors stories are inappropriate is like telling a professional chef how to cook. If you don't like the food, don't eat there and complain about it, go some where else.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Days and MAD is the BEST historical book ever existed!, June 6, 2004

By 

Wan (Illinois, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Days and Mad: A Hysterical Tour Behind the Scenes at Mad Magazine (Paperback)

I actually don't understand why people only rated 3 stars for this book. It's awesome once you actually READ IT! I think one of you voted 3 stars because you just wanna look at the pictures. I voted 5 stars because I actually READ it. (I'm sorry if you guys HAVE read it and rate it 3 stars) The cover of the book dosen't lie! It IS a hysterical tour behind the scenes. I'll let you in a little bit of detail, since I own the book. The WHOLE staff of MAD always abuse each other. Example: Dick DeBartolo wanted to speak to the founder "William M. Gaines" Then DeBartolo heard over the phone Gaines said "He's a pain in the ass!" There's alot more abusing before Gaines said "He's a pain in the ass!" I don't remember what else he said, but it's FUNNY!So enclosing, THIS BOOK ROCKS!

- The MADDEST fan of MAD magazine

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MADman Sums It All Up..., March 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Days and Mad: A Hysterical Tour Behind the Scenes at Mad Magazine (Hardcover)

This book is great! Well, that about does it. Have fun reading the book!

But in all fairness, this book is a great piece of literature. It is perfect for the diehard MAD fan. With only 28 calories per serving, you can trim your waistline as well! This book is a great value, using the exact same words as books costing $10, $20, $50 dollars more. STATISTICS - I counted 1,173 wisecracks made in the book, and several were even funny! This book contains 22 bonus pages, filled with DeBartolo's first works, as well as cooking and plumbing tips. The book also includes several forewords - 14, to be exact. I counted 83 chapters, 18 pictures of MAD covers, 3 MAD Minutes, and a partridge in a pear tree. In conclusion, buy the book already!