Mad Magazine
As fast as popular culture could erect wholesome depictions of American life in comics, television, or movies, Mad was there to tear them all down. A near-instant success for EC Comics upon its debut in 1952, the magazine has inspired generations of comedians for its pioneering satirical attitude and tasteful booger jokes. To fill the gaps in your knowledge, take a look at these facts about the Usual Gang of Idiots.
1. NO ONE KNOWS WHO CAME UP WITH ALFRED E. NEUMAN.
Jamie, Flickr (L) // Boston Public Library, Flickr (R) // CC BY 2.0
Mad creator Harvey Kurtzman was in the offices of a Ballantine Books editor discussing reprints for the fledging publication when he noticed a grinning, gap-toothed imbecile staring back at him from a bulletin board. The unnamed figure was ubiquitous in the early 20thcentury, appearing in everything from dentistry ads to depictions of diseases. A charmed Kurtzman adopted him as Mad’s mascot beginning in 1954. Neuman later become so recognizable that a letter was delivered from New Zealand to Mad’s New York offices without an address: the envelope simply had a drawing of Alfred.
2. THEY HAD TO APOLOGIZE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
Mad was conceived during a particularly sensitive time for the comics industry, with parents and watchdog groups concerned over content. (It didn’t switch to a magazine format until issue #24.) Kurtzman usually knew where the line was, but when he was laid up with acute hepatitis in 1952, publisher William Gaines and others had to step in for him. Gaines thought it would be funny to offer a fictional biography of himself that detailed his father’s Communist leanings, his past as a dope dealer “near nursery schools,” and bouts of pyromania. When wholesalers were shocked at the content and threatened to boycott all of his titles, Gaines was forced to write a letter of apology.
3. THEY PREDICTED JOHN F. KENNEDY’S ELECTION IN 1960.
But it was a cheat. In the run-up to the 1960 Presidential election, Mad printed a cover that featured Neuman congratulating Kennedy on his victory with a caption that read, “We were with you all the way, Jack!” But the issue was shipped long before votes had been tabulated. The secret? It was a dual cover. Flip it over and Neuman is celebrating Richard Nixon’s appointment to office. Stores were told to display the “right” side of the magazine depending on the outcome.
4. ALFRED BRIEFLY HAD A GIRLFRIEND.
Mad Magazine
A character named Moxie Cowznofski was introduced in the late 1950s as a female companion for Alfred. She made only a handful of cover appearances, possibly due to the fact she looked alarmingly like her significant other.
5. THEY DIDN’T RUN ANY (REAL) ADS FOR 44 YEARS.
From the beginning, Gaines felt that printing actual advertisements next to the products they were lampooning would not only dilute their edge but seem more than a little hypocritical. After some back-and-forth, Mad cut ads starting in 1957. The decision was a costly one—most print publications survive on such revenue—but led to the magazine’s keeping a sharp knife against the throat of seductive advertising, including cigarettes. Faced with dwindling circulation in 2001, Mad finally relented and began taking ads to help pay for a switch to color printing.
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