What? Me worry? Well, fans of Mad Magazine might have to start. The famous publication announced on July 4th that it will cease to create regular new content. It will also no longer be available for purchase on newsstands, much to the dismay of readers everywhere who call Mad a favorite past-time.
The magazine is the source of many memories for those that grew up with it firsthand, crafting some of the most lasting satirical relics to this day. Mad was not afraid to push the boundaries of humor, often diving into politics and pop culture for its material. If the shutdown of Mad leaves you feeling yecchy, take a look at this retrospective of iconic covers from its 67-year run!
Issue 533, 2015
“Weird Al” Yankovic was one of the most outspoken about Mad’s cancellation, and it’s no wonder why. Citing its influence on his comedic style, the musician commented that Mad was “pretty much the reason I turned out weird.”
He served as the magazine’s first guest editor in 2015, snagging a coveted cover spot with Alfred E. Neuman, who looks a bit afraid at the site of “Weird Al” missing a tooth!
Issue 24, 1955
This is the cover that started it all! When Mad moved into its now familiar magazine format in 1955, the publication was free from the rigid Comics Code Authority standards, allowing for more adventurous humor.
This is the first magazine appearance of icon Alfred E. Neuman, who appears in the top center with his signature phrase “What? Me worry?” underneath. This first issue also introduced readers to the tagline “Humor in a jugular vein,” which Mad used for many more issues to come. For the record, the special message from the editors was “Please buy this magazine!”
Issue 493, 2008
The election of 44th president Barack Obama was arguably one of the most important events of the 2000s. The presidential race that led up to the event was also so memorable that it produced phrases and iconography that have stayed firmly rooted in popular culture since.
This cover, like many others, includes an important celebrity in the likeness of Alfred. In this case, it is the then-newly elected Obama. And, in true Mad fashion, Alfred E. Obama brandishes a banner reading “Yes, we can’t,” his take on Obama’s famous campaign phrase, “Yes we can.”
Issue 154, 1972
After spoofing the 1972 presidential election in their previous September issue, Mad elected to return to less political fare in this cover display featuring Alfred E. Neuman and his missing tooth.
Many issues of the publication claimed to have “rare” photos of Alfred’s intact front tooth, usually replacing the space with the magazine bar-code or something else of the like. Not this time! Alfred enjoys a piece of corn-on-the-cob, leaving a single row of kernels untouched due to his unfortunate dental situation. It’s the kind of cover fans of the magazine love and showcases Mad’s more subtle, yet effective humor.
Issue 180, 1976
Considered one of the greatest films of all time, Jaws was the first film that truly encapsulated the modern definition of a Hollywood “blockbuster.” The highest grossing picture of all-time (until Star Wars, released only two years later) the film won many awards and is still positively regarded today.
Of course, the editors of Mad had to get in on the action. Though the killer shark in the film usually has no mercy for its victims, this shark on the cover of Issue 180 might think twice before eating up Alfred E. Neuman, who is happily swimming above. The shark utters a take on the famous “ecch” exclamation that Mad is known for.
Issue 60, 1961
Mad never shied away from politics, and this cover showcases one of the magazine’s finest gags. Printed up just in time for the 1960 Presidential election results, the magazine featured Alfred in front of a picture of newly-elected John F. Kennedy, with the text: “Mad congratulates John F. Kennedy upon his election as president. We were with you all the way Jack!”
If the adept reader flipped the issue, however, the same message was revealed alongside a rendering of Richard M. Nixon on the back cover. (Just in case!) The magazine was also printed half upside down, and could be read both ways until one reached the halfway point!
Issue 198, 1978
You might not be able to recall an era without barcodes, otherwise known as Universal Product Codes, if you’re a younger reader of Mad, but others with more years under their belt might have some memories. The first UPC was scanned at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio in 1974, and it was attached to a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum.
Mad was nonplussed with the technology, feeling that it interfered with the craftsmanship of their hand drawn covers, so they delivered this tongue in cheek message in 1978 when they were finally required to include a UPC on their cover for scanning purposes.
Issue 166, 1974
Though it might seem merely “edgy” today, this iconic cover of Mad was so hated by offended readers that publisher William Gaines publicly apologized. Featuring a realistically painted middle finger accompanied by the text “The Number One Ecch Magazine,” many readers probably believed that to be true after this cover!
Many outlets refused to sell the offending publication, so Mad allegedly had many copies in stock that remained unsold for years. So many, in fact, that they reportedly offered the 1974 issue free when you signed up for a Mad subscription 30 years later!
Issue 217, 1980
This cover was created in the midst of the 1980 Presidential election, in which Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter, taking 50.6% of the vote. However, as they did in elections prior, Mad urged you to vote for a different candidate: the one and only Alfred E. Neuman.
On this edition of the “Alfred E. Neuman for President” series of covers, Alfred’s trademark smile appears as a block of text, a section of which says, “Alfred E. Neuman for president?!? Why not? We could do a lot worse. For example, we could have Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy, George Bush, Ronald Reagan…” You get the picture. The real humor comes from some of the more ridiculous candidates listed later on, like King Kong and Alice Cooper.
Issue 26, 1969
1969 is one of the most important years in modern American history for a multitude of reasons. The Vietnam War was still raging overseas; music was becoming increasingly more political, experimental, and psychedelic; and the Woodstock Aquarian Exposition rocked on the Yasgur Farm in New York for three glorious days.
Mad released its own take on the war in April 1969, parodying the ever-popular and recognizable advertisements for the United States Army that circulated during world World War I and II. Alfred E. Neuman takes the place of the patriotic Uncle Sam, replacing the iconic “I want you” with “Who needs you.”
In that time, the cover was probably seen by many as unpatriotic. In retrospect. however, it was indicative of Mad’s gutsy irreverence and disregard for humor’s conventional boundaries that continued to be tested many years later!
