Founded in 1952 by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines, Mad Magazine has been a source of wonderfully subversive humor for generations. After 67 year they will be shutting down. Two new issues and then reprints until the current subscriptions run out.
My memories of Mad magazine go back to the late ’60s. I would see it on magazine racks at the store and paperback collections were everywhere. As of today, I have over 40 of the paperbacks in my possession and a huge box full of issues. Spy Vs Spy always made me laugh. The little comics doodeled along the sides of pages by Sergio Aragonés were funny as hell. The parodies were spot on. But more than just straight humor the satire and political angles also helped open my brain. As far back as I remember Mad magazine poked fun at society and things that were accepted by the masses. My favorite was always Dave Berg’s features. Dave Berg looks at *******. He was so damn funny. Everyone who read the magazine has their favorites.
I will miss Mad magazine and all it’s wonderful creators.
But why are they shutting down? Well, why does anything stop? My guess would be a consistent drop in sales. I still bought occasional issues of the magazine but the humor wasn’t the same for me. We can bemoan a generation of kids who get this type of entertainment on their phones but the truth is maybe the magazine just wasn’t as funny anymore? Or maybe it is funny but our sense of humor has changed? I don’t really have answers.
I will say this, people being upset about this but at the same time they haven’t bought Mad magazine in years is like being upset when you never shop at a local bookstore but get upset when they have to close.
Art is not free despite what the internet tells you. Music, books, comics, plays, movies paintings etc all have to be created. The people who create these things deserve to get paid, they have rent to pay and need to eat.
If you love something, or even just casually like something SUPPORT IT. And in the end, the best support is your spending money on it.
Meanwhile, thank you Mad Magazine for helping to make me the snarky smart ass I am.
