Just about everyone who came of age during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s was influenced by MAD MAGAZINE, and no one at MAD was more influential than "MAD's MADdest Artist," Don Martin. His immediately recognizable style--featuring bulbous noses, wild sound effects, and the legendary "hinged feet"--was filled with broad and daring slapstick and routinely broke new ground. A surprisingly quiet man, Martin's work spoke volumes as he left an indelible mark on several generations, influencing the style of many illustrators while shaping the sense of humor of countless misguided youths. He was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004. Says Gary Larson, creator of The Far Side: "Don Martin was the one who really stood out."Now, it is with great pride that Running Press, in collaboration with MAD, launches the MAD’s Greatest Artists: The Completely MAD Don Martin (MAD’s Greatest Artists Series). For the first time ever, here is the complete collection of every piece of art Don Martin published in MAD throughout his extraordinary thirty-year tenure (1957-1987). With all of Martin's strips, covers, posters, and stickers--presented in chronological order--it is nothing less than a masterpiece of comic genius. Complementing Martin's opus of published works are letters, sketches, and rare photos providing an in-depth look at the artist at work. Plus, scattered throughout are notes and original illustrations--commissioned for this volume--paying tribute to the artist and penned by MAD's most-notable personalities, including Al Jaffee, Mort Drucker, Jack Davis, Sergio Aragonés, and more. There are also notes by the likes of Jim Davis (Garfield) and a foreword by Gary Larson. A collector's item and object d'art in its own right, this deluxe two-volume slipcased edition will be the season's must-have gift book for the millions whose childhoods--and subsequent adulthoods--would not have been the same without MAD MAGAZINE and Don Martin.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"...fans of Don Martin's genius will rejoice in this double-decker omnibus." -- Washington Post
"Balm for the funnybone, bruising for the back." -- Rocky Mountain News, November 24, 2007
"Can't see enough of the magazine and cartoonist that kept you sane through your coming-of-age in the '60s and '70s? How about two volumes and more than 1,000 pages? ... Exquisitely brewed for the coffee table." -- Philadelphia Inquirer, December 16, 2007
"In short, it's a masterpiece befitting a genius." -- The Sunday Star-Times, December 2, 2007
"The Completely MAD Don Martin" by Don Martin (Running Press) THWACK! That's the sound of this 25-pound, two-volume laugh riot dropped from 25 feet up. It's filled with everything Martin drew for MAD, in his slapstick-y style, during his 30-plus years in the mag's subversive universe." -- NY Post, December 16, 2007
"The Completely MAD Don Martin" is gorgeously printed. For the MAD maven, it's the gift of the season." -- The Houston Chronicle, December 2, 2007
"This mammoth two-volume hardcover set collects every single piece of art that 'MAD's Maddest Artist' created from 1957 to 1987 - a 1,000-page body of work that displays astounding consistency, as well as provoking endless laughs. Illustrating absurdist gags that routinely bordered on the berserk, Martin's artwork featured a keen and detail-rich comedic sense. Terrific stuff: no wonder he's regarded as one of the all-time greats." -- The First Post, October 5, 2007
You can have your high-tone, filled-with-stunning-color-plates retrospectives of Goya and Picasso -- none come close to "The Completely MAD Don Martin" ("1,000 pages, 2 volumes, 1 slipcase, 25 pounds, $150 -- Cheap!"). This insanely special gift to the ages from Running Press has every piece of art that MAD's Michelangelo published during his 30-year run at the magazine, plus letters, sketches, photos and an intro by the "Far Side's" Gary Larson.
"Balm for the funnybone, bruising for the back." -- Rocky Mountain News, November 24, 2007
"Can't see enough of the magazine and cartoonist that kept you sane through your coming-of-age in the '60s and '70s? How about two volumes and more than 1,000 pages? ... Exquisitely brewed for the coffee table." -- Philadelphia Inquirer, December 16, 2007
"In short, it's a masterpiece befitting a genius." -- The Sunday Star-Times, December 2, 2007
"The Completely MAD Don Martin" by Don Martin (Running Press) THWACK! That's the sound of this 25-pound, two-volume laugh riot dropped from 25 feet up. It's filled with everything Martin drew for MAD, in his slapstick-y style, during his 30-plus years in the mag's subversive universe." -- NY Post, December 16, 2007
"The Completely MAD Don Martin" is gorgeously printed. For the MAD maven, it's the gift of the season." -- The Houston Chronicle, December 2, 2007
"This mammoth two-volume hardcover set collects every single piece of art that 'MAD's Maddest Artist' created from 1957 to 1987 - a 1,000-page body of work that displays astounding consistency, as well as provoking endless laughs. Illustrating absurdist gags that routinely bordered on the berserk, Martin's artwork featured a keen and detail-rich comedic sense. Terrific stuff: no wonder he's regarded as one of the all-time greats." -- The First Post, October 5, 2007
You can have your high-tone, filled-with-stunning-color-plates retrospectives of Goya and Picasso -- none come close to "The Completely MAD Don Martin" ("1,000 pages, 2 volumes, 1 slipcase, 25 pounds, $150 -- Cheap!"). This insanely special gift to the ages from Running Press has every piece of art that MAD's Michelangelo published during his 30-year run at the magazine, plus letters, sketches, photos and an intro by the "Far Side's" Gary Larson.
The jokes still work, the visual cues are timeless, the artwork identifiable from a city block away. This is like watching Dimaggio, Hope & Crosby, Paul Robeson -- clips from our collective memory bank. Personal favorites: The "One Afternoon ..." and "Scenes We'd Like to See" panels.
$150 is too much, you say? Genius has no price -- you'll get more benefit from this than that Starbucks habit. -- The San Diego Union-Tribune, October 14, 2007 Sunday
About the Author
Don Martin (1931-2000) was known as "Mad's Maddest Artist" during his 30+ years with the magazine. His wacky sound effects, memorable characters and signature style made him an icon, and a key influence on the generations of artists who followed him.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Of all the artists to ever contribute to Mad Magazine, Don Martin's work is probably the most recognizable. The hinged feet, long fingers, crooked noses, and expressive sound effects (like THOINK! or FLUGGLE!) made him the first comics I would really slow down to read when getting the latest issue of Mad as a boy. Now every single bit of his work for the magazine has been collected here in a beautiful box set.
The pages are roughly the size of the old magazine, so you still get the same effect of first reading it. The colors are amazing on the acid-free paper. His first comics are a little rough artistically and don't really look much like his later work, but it's interesting to see it evolve from the more detailed "sketch comedy" to the four-panel funnies he later made popular.
The only shortcoming these books have is that they neglect Don's paperbacks that he wrote under the Mad title (ex: "The Mad Adventures of Captain Klutz", "Don Martin Forges Ahead", "Don Martin Digs Deeper", etc). Characters such as Captain Klutz and Chester Bestertester don't show up here, and to me those books were some of his funniest material. Maybe the Mad guys will release those as a similar set later on so we don't lose any of Martin's madness.
These books are heavy and are obviously meant to last. If you're familiar with the "Absolute" sets DC Comics puts out ("Absolute Kingdom Come") then you'll be familiar with how this is laid out. It's pricey, but holding 30 years worth of comics by one of the funniest cartoonists around makes it worth the expense.
The pages are roughly the size of the old magazine, so you still get the same effect of first reading it. The colors are amazing on the acid-free paper. His first comics are a little rough artistically and don't really look much like his later work, but it's interesting to see it evolve from the more detailed "sketch comedy" to the four-panel funnies he later made popular.
The only shortcoming these books have is that they neglect Don's paperbacks that he wrote under the Mad title (ex: "The Mad Adventures of Captain Klutz", "Don Martin Forges Ahead", "Don Martin Digs Deeper", etc). Characters such as Captain Klutz and Chester Bestertester don't show up here, and to me those books were some of his funniest material. Maybe the Mad guys will release those as a similar set later on so we don't lose any of Martin's madness.
These books are heavy and are obviously meant to last. If you're familiar with the "Absolute" sets DC Comics puts out ("Absolute Kingdom Come") then you'll be familiar with how this is laid out. It's pricey, but holding 30 years worth of comics by one of the funniest cartoonists around makes it worth the expense.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Bretzky
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I pre-ordered this set and it finally came today. I was going nuts waiting for this collection. Like another reviewer mentioned, the first thing I noticed was that these are some heavy books. Pages are printed on pristine archival paper which has some heft and reproduces the black & white comics fairly well. Besides all of his art, most of the "usual gang of idiots" - the core of MAD artists & writers during it's heyday - provide commentary throughout. I especially enjoyed Dick DeBartolo's pieces, as he seems to have been the closest of Don's friends from the magazine. Sergio Aragones also has a nice two-page tribute.
Another nice touch is all of the comics (which are in chronological order) have a legend at the bottom with the issue and publication date.
As great as this set is, I do have a few gripes - some of the color pages (particularly a few of the back cover gags and the different stickers from Super Specials) were poorly reproduced with colors being "off", muted, or slightly blurry. It's possible that only some copies (including mine) were part of a bad printing run, I don't know. I drop my rating by a star for this and also because some of the B&W art is not as crisp as it was in the magazine, but even this problem is not enough to spoil the overall presentation and uniqueness of having all of Martin's MAD work in one place. It's a bargain at this price.
Another nice touch is all of the comics (which are in chronological order) have a legend at the bottom with the issue and publication date.
As great as this set is, I do have a few gripes - some of the color pages (particularly a few of the back cover gags and the different stickers from Super Specials) were poorly reproduced with colors being "off", muted, or slightly blurry. It's possible that only some copies (including mine) were part of a bad printing run, I don't know. I drop my rating by a star for this and also because some of the B&W art is not as crisp as it was in the magazine, but even this problem is not enough to spoil the overall presentation and uniqueness of having all of Martin's MAD work in one place. It's a bargain at this price.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you love Don Martin, Mad Magazine, or just the comic art, this book deserves your attention. A classy trophy like package of all of Martin's work for Mad Magazine, in one larger than life, heavy stock page after another. It won't take long to get through, which makes the price a bit steep for an average laugh seeker, but for those of us that can laugh time and time again looking at our favorite Don Martin 'toon we've seen a thousand times, this is a feel good investment.
Alternately a cheaper and more technology savy solution to see Don's work is the Absolutely MAD DVD, which has 600+ issues of Mad Magazine - Don Martin and all - veiwable on your computer through Acrobat.Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years
Alternately a cheaper and more technology savy solution to see Don's work is the Absolutely MAD DVD, which has 600+ issues of Mad Magazine - Don Martin and all - veiwable on your computer through Acrobat.Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you need a good laugh, you need this boxed set!
Mad's Greatest Artists is a great collection of the best Mad art/comics. This set is packed full of witty sarcasm and humor. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kristina Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much More than expected
This is real everything DMartin has ever done. Much nicer than the recent collage pages used for Mad compilation 60 Years of Mad where the works are shrunk and difficult to read. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Larry West
5.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest
If Don Martin wasn't the greatest and funniest cartoonist who ever lived, I'd sure as hell like to know who was. Read more
Published 16 months ago by tr fan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ploobadoof!
It's big and sturdy, so you can stress test your book shelves and coffee tables. Seriously folks, if you read this book, by the end you will have great arms. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Matthew D Svien
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best of Fester Bestertester! (Well, some of it...)
A dream come true! I absolutely LOVED Don Martin's work in Mad as a kid in the '60s and '70s, and to have all of it reproduced so perfectly in two huge tomes is heaven. Read more
Published 23 months ago by K. Swanson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recognize Anyone?
Don Martin has to have the MOST recognizable characters anywhere. These books are a masterpiece showcasing a master cartoonist at his best. Read more
Published on May 2, 2011 by Timothy J Walburg
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don Martin is the Greatest
To the one who loves Don Martin it's a greate present. The books binding is splendid. it's a respectable sight on your home library.
Published on April 26, 2011 by Moshe Ashkenazy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mad Mag
Don Martin is a genius. Brilliant to see all his work in a beautiful set, not dog-eared magazines scattered across the house.
Published on January 8, 2011 by Kay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don Martin is back in my Bibliothek
I was very happy to find what i was readind for 30 Years ago and this special sort of humor and absurd is what we need in this world were we are living this last Years
Published on December 15, 2010 by padjedo
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Don Martin? Can't Help It, Had To Shell Out The Dough!
I'm sure like every other reviewer here who has left reviews for this great edition of Don Martin's COMPLETE Mad Magazine history what we all share in common is fond memories of... Read more
Published on December 9, 2010 by HARKONNEN... Forever
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