Mad Reader Book 1 (Bk. 1) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Mad (Author) "Faster than a speeding bullet!..." (more)
Key Phrases: Aunt Phyllus

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
These are the first four of five scheduled facsimile editions of the original MAD paperbacks from the 1950s written by "the usual gang of idiots," as the publication professed. Love it or hate it, MAD has been read by everyone, and Alfred E. Newman is one of the 20th century's most unlikely cultural icons. Some of the material might be a tad dated (parodies of long-gone comic strips and TV shows like Howdy Doody), but funny is funny and this is. The MAD reprints are great pieces of Americana and essential for pop culture collections. If you don't buy these, then you're.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Have you ever wondered why others get what they want out of life? MONEY! FAME! WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS! BIG MUSCLES! while you are still just a creep, a miserable failure, a regular no-goodnick? Have you?

Thousands of creeps and no-goodnicks have written to say that The MAD Reader has provided them with hours of instruction and hundreds of helpful suggestions, but they're lying. We've read the book ourselves and there isn't a line anywhere in here about how to LEARN SPEEDWRITING, get a start on HOTEL MANAGEMENT, remove unsightly skin blemishes, or any of the other of the important things you need to know to get ahead fast.

Look inside and what do you find: some foolishness about a thick-witted muscleman named Superduperman, a completely unjustified attack on our noble and truth-seeking daily press, various bits of buffoonery about television, comic characters and other trivia, the whole thing is laughable.

Actually the MAD reader won't do a thing for you...it does things to you. IF YOU HAVE NORMAL INTELLIGENCE OR LESS we guarantee that one reading of the MAD Reader will shake your hold on reality in six weeks or less and that reading it through twice will positively rot your mind.

How's that for an offer?

You too can be a mad reader. START NOW...buy a copy and try it out n the privacy of your own home. On second thought, buy two copies...they go fast.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: IBooks; 50th Ann edition (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743434919
• ISBN-13: 978-0743434911
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,077,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Potrzebie, April 3, 2002

By	Dave "babytoxie" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I never thought I would see reprints of the original MAD paperback collections, but now, thanks to ibooks, I'm a happy man. This particular book reprints the first paperback, which itself was reprinted material from the early issues of the MAD comic book (yep, it used to be a comic, and much more comic-oriented). It includes classic work by Kurtzman, Davis, Elder, Wood, et al., that holds up surprisingly well today and is much funnier than MAD will ever be again. Enjoy the parodies of Dragnet, Archie, The Lone Ranger, and Superman vs. Captain Marvel, as well as goofs on the Comics Code, the HUAC hearings, and much more. Sure, some of the humor may be dated... sure, some of it may be over people's heads... but that's part of the appeal of classic MAD: the historical and cultural aspects of the humor. The average joe won't pick this book up and instantly understand everything within, but with a little studying, plus reading the excellent introductions to this edition, you'll get a good idea of the prevailing attitudes of the time, as well as the changing face of humor in the media. It looks like ibooks intends to reprint a significant number of the MAD paperbacks, which can only be a good thing in today's humor market.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Warping Humor At It's Best!!!!!, November 1, 2003

By	M. B. RENTZLER (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had this paperback as a kid and loved it and still do. It makes me miss the days when Mad would advertise 100s of paperbacks by the letter pages.

The stuff looks best in black and white. The humor still rings true today even though the subject parodied may not be.

Part of the fun is that you can look for days at the art and still find new things hidden within.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed my life!, April 2, 2004

By	David Rolfe (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I dunno, maybe I should say "ruined my life". But it was worth it. I read this paperback, consisting of reprints of the earliest (mid-1950's) Mad Magazine articles, during my formative years. It is responsible for putting a lot of subversive, politically incorrect ideas into my head about the way the world worked -- you know, like how men pursue women with curves, and women pursue men with money; basically all that good stuff that mature people pretend isn't true. And, by the way, I'm not suggesting that we can't or shouldn't struggle to rise above our lowest animal inclinations; I'm merely insisting that we can't rise above those inclinations until we admit they exist. The world is such a serious place that only the clown is allowed to speak freely. And these clowns set my head spinning. I'm not alone in saying this: A surprising number of people will tell you that early Mad was a seminal influence. Oh, and one special detail, aside from everything else: The artwork of Bill Elder is simply brilliant. I can stare at a Bill Elder panel for hours, always finding yet another gag within a gag within a gag.

Buy this book! Give it to your kids!