Mad About the Fifties: The Best of the Decade [Paperback]

Usual Gang of Idiots (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

The 1950s were the buttoned up, Gray Flannel decade. However, when things look upright on the surface, there's sure to be some wicked humor bubbling underneath. Founded in 1952 as a comic book, MAD magazine quickly evolved into the premier showcase for America's most unabashedly irreverent and enduringly influential comic talent.

Besides hilarious comic strips from the murky inkwells of Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, Don Martin, and Al Jaffee, among others, MAD was the print-world stomping ground of the period's most revolutionary comic performers, such as Tom Lehrer. Also included are classic parodies like "Superduperman!", "Mickey Rodent!", and "Melvin of the Apes!", plus original satires like the brutally tunny "Scenes We'd Like to See" -- available at last to comic lovers and retro seekers who missed out the first time around as well as old-time MAD readers who want to relive the laughs.

Following in the bestselling tradition of MAD About the Sixties and MAD About the Seventies, this uproarious collection includes 96 full-color pages that reproduce rare early covers, classic ad parodies, and much more -- not to mention the real story of how Alfred E. Neuman was born. (Was his original name really Melvin Coznowski? Or was it Mel Haney?)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Of all the recent collections assembled from the archives of MAD magazine, this volume might be the most interesting. It shows the beginnings of the magazine as a comic book, its transformation into a "slick" three years later in 1955, and its settling down into a familiar format under the stewardship of Al Feldstein.

The early material, as tame as it is by today's standards, shows quite clearly what the hubbub was all about: Harvey Kurtzman, Willie Elder, Wally Wood, and the rest parody comic characters with a zany zest that is infectious. This book boasts color reproductions of MAD's comic book highlights, including "Starchie," "Superduperman," and "Batboy and Rubin." Many readers will remember these stories, if not from the first time around, then from the Ballantine paperback collections so ubiquitous in the 1960s and '70s. MAD About the Fifties shows MAD's tentative transformation into an American institution; this tentativeness, far from being a drawback, results in the only experimental period in the humor magazine's 45-year run (who knew that Stan Freberg, Bob and Ray, and Ernie Kovacs contributed?). Kurtzman's departure in 1956 brought in Al Feldstein, who would expand the magazine's appeal from the thousands to the millions. Purists are still debating whether this was a good idea or a sellout--MAD About the Fifties allows you to decide for yourself.

Aside from historical pop culture interest and the powerful desire among aficionados to complete the set, (MAD About the Sixties and MAD About the Seventies were released previously), MAD About the Fifties also includes some darn funny material. As usual, the art has aged better than the writing--but what art it is! Few have been better than Wood, Elder, Kurtzman, Davis, Jaffee, Martin, and all the rest. MAD About the Fifties contains more of their gems; it deserves a space in any MAD reader's library. --Michael Gerber

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (P); 1st edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316558087
• ISBN-13: 978-0316558082
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The original 50's Humor in a Jugular Vein of "Mad" magazine, August 13, 2002

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mad About the Fifties: The Best of the Decade (Paperback)

I have the complete "Mad" from the E.C. Collection, which is limited to just the original comic book from the Fifties, not to be confused with the black & white magazine that has been a rite of passage for adolescents for the past half century. "Mad" was the only title to survive the purge at E.C. in the wake of the adoption of the comics book code, which put an end to "Tales from the Crypt" and its cousins. To get something of a hint about what this was about, check out the article "Baseball is Ruining Our Children" by "Frederick Werthless, M.D." Obviously, this is as thinly veiled as you can get in going after Fredric Wertham, the infamous author of "Seduction of the Innocent."

Anyhow, "Mad About the Fifties" presents some of the best of both the original comic and the early magazine. The Foreword consists of a brief history of the origin of "Mad" and its early days. The first half is devoted to the comic book years (1952-55) features 18 of the first 22 covers (including the infamous Composition cover). Among the classic stories reprinted in color are "Lone Stranger," "Superduperman," "Melvin of the Apes," "Ping Pong," "Sherlock Shomes," "Bat Boy and Rubin," "Starchie," and "Mickey Rodent." No scared cows here, boys and girls, as everybody is fair game. You will notice that a lot of the subject comes from the comics and the movies, although one of the two black & white stories from this period is "Howdy Dooit."

When "Mad" became a black & white magazine (1955-59), the E.C. gang broadened their horizons. In addition to a couple dozen covers reproduced in color, there are some choice selections of some of the great magazine ad parodies from that period (e.g., "Great Moments in Medicine: Presenting the Bill" from "Park-David"). Another recurring gag from this period was the "Confidential Information Dept." which looks at coverups regarding George Washington, Capt. John Smith, and Snow White (separate articles, people, separate articles). Particularly timely now would be the feature on "Elvis Pelvis." Historical footnote: The most controversial thing in this magazine was apparently the "Bringing Up Bonnie Prince Charlie" from the "Comic Strip Heroes (Taken From Real Life)" feature, which was reprinted in a British tabloid where it caused a stir.

My biggest surprise in reading through the early "Mad" magazines was the use of celebrity writers, which included Stan Freberg, Ernie Kovacs, Tom Lehrer, Danny Kay, Bob and Ray, and Sid Caesar. However, most of us will remember the artists: Jack Davis, Wallace Wood, Kelly Freas, Joe Orlando, Harvey Kurtz man, and Don Martin. I was sort of surprised that the magazine provided less parodies than we would normally expect (they do takeoff on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Gunsmoke" and "Perry Mason").

I checked this out because I am working on a history of American popular culture for the 20th century going decade by decade for class and one of the best ways to find out what everybody was talking about is to see who was being made fun of by "Mad." But you definitely have to know a little bit about the time to enjoy the humor (e.g., who was married to Elizabeth Taylor at any given point in the decade, who was Hyman Rickover, what was Hi-Fi, etc.). There are companion volumes for the Sixties and Seventies, and one can assume "The Usual Gang of Idiots" will continue to turn out this volumes from time to time as the years go by.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historic Humor, December 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mad About the Fifties: The Best of the Decade (Paperback)

I would urge anyone interested in contemporary US history to buy this book or any other of the "MAD About The...." titles. MAD defined, reflected and revolted an era. There is so much more here than meets the F.B.I. It's fun, moves at a pretty good pace, aids digestion, calms jittery nerves and will shrink hemmorhoids without surgery!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peace and love, baby, Alfred's back!, October 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mad About the Fifties: The Best of the Decade (Paperback)

This book is a shagadelic romp through the pages of MAD magazine with reproductions of the most hilarious spoofs and parodies of the 60's. Movie takeoffs include "201 Minutes of a Space Idiocy", "East Side Story" and "Flawrence of Arabia". TV satires include "Star Blecch", "Bananaz", "The Man From A.U.N.T.I.E.", "The Pwgitive", "Lizzie", and "Hokum's Heroes".

I was a kid in the 60's and enjoyed the original magazines. But when we moved from Seattle to the thriving metropolis of Olympia, WA, the magazines were given away to neighborhood pals. If, like, me, MAD Magazine was a part of your life back then (and hopefully it still is), you'll rediscover your funnybone and stay home from work with a bad case of laughing sickness while you pore through this tome.

If not for you, give a copy as a gift. And if a buddy or relative is in the hospital convalescing, I guarantee that the gift of this book will lift their spirits!