THE CLASSICS GONE 'MAD'

Without a doubt, one of the most influential publications of the last 60 years has been Mad Magazine. It may seem surprising to a generation raised on blogs and digital comics, but the New York based satirical magazine defined parody and comic illustration since it's inception as a comic book in 1953. To circumvent the Comics Code Authority that was hammering down censorship on parent company EC for it's horror themed publications like Tales From The Crypt, Mad converted to a magazine in mid 1955, allowing it to continue it's biting commentary on American life, raunchy humor and subversive illustration. It was responsbile for spotlighting some of the greatest American illustrators of the 20th Century including Mort Drucker, Jack Rickard, Jack Davis, David Berg, Norman Mingo, Sergio Aragones, Al Jaffee and a list almost too numerous to continue.

In it's hey day, Mad created some wonderfully witty cover images for it's move spoofs, often pitting it's dim witted mascot Alfred E. Neuman in roles opposite that month's biggest movies stars. The gags were quick, and still offer a chuckle decades later. Below are our favorites;

'A Clockwork Orange', June 1973 by Norman Mingo

'Jaws 2', January 1979 by Jack Rickard.

'The Towering Inferno', September 1975 by Norman Mingo.

'Superman', July 1979 by Jack Rickard.

'The Godfather', December 1972 by Norman Mingo

'Return of the Jedi', October 1983 by Richard Williams.

'Batman Returns', October 1992 by Mort Drucker.

'Back to The Future', January 1986 by Jack Davis.

'Star Wars: A New Hope', January 1978 by Jack Rickard.

'Close Encounters of The Third Kind', July 1978 by Jack Rickard.

'Planet of the Apes (parts 1-5)', March 1973, by Norman Mingo.

'Jaws', January 1976 by Mort Künstler.

"War Games', January 1984 by Richard Williams.

'Rocky', October 1977 by Jack Rickard.

'The Empire Strikes Back', January 1981 by Jack Rickard.

'Gremlins', September 1984 by Richard Williams.

'The Addams Family' , June 1982 by Richard Williams

'Mars Attacks', January 1997 by Mark Friedrikson.

'Star Wars: Episode 1', July 1999 by Andres Parada

'Aliens', January 1987 by Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman.