List of Mad Magazine issues

The humor magazine "Mad" has had a consecutive run for well over half a century, making a transition over the years from color comic book to black-and-white magazine to color magazine, presenting a constant parade of parodies.

Cultural impact

When Harvey Kurtzman began editing "Mad" in 1952, his intention was simply to satirize comic book genres. He had no idea that his comic book was destined to become a publishing phenomenon that would reach a circulation of 2,132,655 by 1974, be reprinted in slick, full-color hardcover slipcased editions and transform the culture of the 20th Century.Cochran, Russ. "Mad", volumes one, two, three and four. West Plains, MIssouri: Russ Cochran, Publisher, 1986.] The cultural significance of Kurtzman and his creation were noted by the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman::Kurtzman's "Mad" held a mirror up to American society, exposing the hypocrisies and distortions of mass media with jazzy grace and elegance. He's our first post-modern humorist, laying the groundwork for such contemporary humor and satire as "Saturday Night Live", Monty Python and "Naked Gun". [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0D9173AF930A15751C0A965958260&scp=2&sq=%22harvey+kurtzman%22&st=nyt "Harvey Kurtzman Is Dead at 68; Cartoonists Was Creator of Mad," "The New York Times", February 23, 1993.] ]

Only three years after it began, "Mad" was cataloged in Harvard's Houghton Library. ["A Science Fiction Collection for Harvard." "Harvard Library Bulletin", Vol. IX, No. 3, 1955.]

Evolution and expansion

Kurtzman's expansion to parodies of radio, films and television was a step-by-step evolution, and not all readers were familiar with all the satirical sources and references, including some drawn from contemporary and classical literature. Readers could have enjoyed the first issue of "Mad" without being aware that it featured a lampoon of an E. M. Forster short story, and a reference to the sound effects in James Thurber's short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

Forgotten and obscure sources

A baseball story in the second issue is a twist on Stephen Vincent Benét's "The Devil and Daniel Webster." In the fifth issue, the "Renfrew of the Royal Mounted" source could remain just as obscure for many readers today as it was in 1953. There are subtle distinctions not readily apparent in reading the material. For instance, "Dragged Net" in the third issue is a satire of the "Dragnet" radio show, but "Dragged Net" in issue 11 satirized the "Dragnet" television series. [Stewart, Bhob. "Tuning in Mad," "Comic Book Marketplace" no. 119, January 2005.]

Such sources are illuminated in the following sequential listing of all "Mad" issues. [ [http://www.thelooniverse.com/strips/thegreatest/MAD.html#issue Index to "Mad"] ] It also includes the debuts of notable contributors. As with all parodies, a knowledge of the subjects being satirized in necessary for a full understanding of the humor. However, the early "Mad" poetry satires were an exception to this rule, since they used precise original wording of famed classic poems in a comic book format but added exaggerated, extreme cartoon illustrations.

Such references, numbering in the tens of thousands, become more obscure as the decades pass, making annotations of the main sources a necessity. A scholarly and academic approach would be akin to a study of the literary references punctuating T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".

"Mad" in the 1950s: 1952-1959

"Mad" in the 1980s: 1980-1989

"Mad" in the 1990s: 1990-1999

"Mad" in the 2000s: 2000-2009

{| class="wikitable sortable"
-!#!!width="80"|Issue !! width="230"|Date !! width="300"|Movie/TV Show spoofs
-
389.
Mad #389
January 2000|
* "The Supremos" (TV Satire)
* "The Sick Sense"

-
390.
Mad #390
February 2000|
* "Double Jerkery"
* "Wilt & Craze" (TV Satire)

-
391.
Mad #391
March 2000|
* "7th Heaving" (TV Satire)

-
392.
Mad #392
April 2000|
* "Dudson's Geeks" (TV Satire)
* "Boobs Want To Be A Millionaire" (TV Satire)

-
393.
Mad #393
May 2000|
* "The Yellow Mile"

-
394.
Mad #394
June 2000|
* "The Malpractice" (TV Satire)

-
395.
Mad #395
July 2000|
* "Errant Bra-on-Bitch"

-
396.
Mad #396
August 2000|
* "Angle" (TV Satire)

-
397.
Mad #397
September 2000|
* "Gatorador"

-
398.
Mad #398
October 2000|
* "The Perfect Snore"
* "Survivoyeur" (TV Satire)

-
399.
Mad #399
November 2000|
* "$-MEN"
* "Totally Repulsed Live" (TV Satire)

-
400.
Mad #400
December 2000


-
401.
Mad #401
January 2001|

-
402.
Mad #402
February 2001|
* "The Worst Wing" (TV Satire)
* "Meek With the Parents"

-
403.
Mad #403
March 2001|
* "Malcontent in the Muddle" (TV Satire)
* "Unbearable"
* "Cheesy Angles"

-
404.
Mad #404
April 2001|
* "Passed Away"

-
405.
Mad #405
May 2001|
* "Traff-eccch!"
* "C.S.OY" (TV Satire)

-
406.
Mad #406
June 2001|
* "Cannibal"

-
407.
Mad #407
July 2001|
* "Sluts in the City" (TV Satire)

-
408.
Mad #408
August 2001|
* "The King-size of Queens" (TV Satire)
* "Bicker" (TV Satire)

-
409.
Mad #409
September 2001|
* "Hurl Horror"
* "The Wicked Link" (TV Satire)

-
410.
Mad #410
October 2001|
* "Lotta Crotch: Bazoom Raider"
* "A.I.: Absolute Idiocy"

-
411.
Mad #411
November 2001|
* "Planet of the Remakes"

-
412.
Mad #412
December 2001|
* "Harry Plodder and the Sorry-Ass Story"
* "The Ugghers"

-
413.
Mad #413
January 2002|
* "Boston Pubic" (TV Satire)

-
414.
Mad #414
February 2002

* "America's Most Wanton!" (TV Satire)
* "Eh!" (TV Satire)

-
415.
Mad #415
March 2002|
* "Smellville" (TV Satire)
* "Behind Empty Lines"

-
416.
Mad #416
April 2002|
* "Bored of the Rings: The Feeble Schtick of Ka-Ching!"
* "No Emotions Eleven"

-
417.
Mad #417
May 2002|
* "A Booty-Full Mind"
* "The Royal Paininthebums"

-
418.
Mad #418
June 2002|
* "Spider-Sham"
* "Six Feet Blunder" (TV Satire)

-
419.
Mad #419
July 2002|
* "Panic Ruined"

-
420.
Mad #420
August 2002|
* "The Scorpion Ka-Ching!"
* "Endless-Prize" (TV Satire)

-
421.
Mad #421
September 2002|
* "Star Bores Epic Load II: Attack of the Clowns"

-
422.
Mad #422
October 2002|
* "The Dumb of All Films"

-
423.
Mad #423
November 2002|
* "Road to Sedation"
* "Minority Retort"

-
424.
Mad #424
December 2002|
* "Harry Plodder and the Lamest of Sequels"
* "Designs"

-
425.
Mad #425
January 2003|
* "Satirize That"

-
426.
Mad #426
February 2003|
* "Schlubs"

-
427.
Mad #427
March 2003

* "8:Mild"

-
428.
Mad #428
April 2003|
* "Bored of the Rings - The Two+ Hours"

-
429.
Mad #429
May 2003|
* "24 Viewers" (TV Satire)

-
430.
Mad #430
June 2003|
* "$-MEN2"

-
431.
Mad #431
July 2003|
* "C.S.Oy: Miami" (TV Satire)

-
432.
Mad #432
August 2003|
* "Interminable 3 -- Rise of the Bad Scenes"

-
433.
Mad #433
September 2003|
* "The Faketrix Retarded"

-
434.
Mad #434
October 2003|
* "8 Simple Rules for Writing a Mad Spoof of a Dopey ABC-TV Sitcom"

-
435.
Mad #435
November 2003|
* "Trashing Places" (TV Satire)
* "Seebrisket"

-
436.
Mad #436
December 2003

* We Destroy "The Matrix"

-
437.
Mad #437
January 2004|
* "The Blue Shield" (TV Satire)

-
438.
Mad #438
February 2004|
* "Fools of Rock"
* "Absurd, Their Enthusiasm" (TV Satire)

-
439.
Mad #439
March 2004|
* "Masochist Commander: On the Farce Side of the World"

-
440.
Mad #440
April 2004|
* "Bored of the Rings: Rehash of the Thing"
* "Joan of Archaic" (TV Satire)

-
441.
Mad #441
May 2004|
* "Ailing-Us" (TV Satire)
* "Everwooden" (TV Satire)

-
442.
Mad #442
June 2004|
* "The O.D." (TV Satire)
* "The Prize is Slight!" (TV Satire)

-
443.
Mad #443
July 2004|
* "Harry Plodder and the Pre-Teen Nerds are Actin' Bad"

-
444.
Mad #444
August 2004|
* "Las Vaguest" (TV Satire)

-
445.
Mad #445
September 2004|
* "Van Helstink"
* "Troy-Vey!"

-
446.
Mad #446
October 2004|
* "Spider-Sham Too"

-
447.
Mad #447
November 2004|
* "The Burning Mad Show" (TV Satire)

-
448.
Mad #448
December 2004|
* "The Incredibles"

-
449.
Mad #449
January 2005|
* "Lewd & Disorder: Criminal Malcontent" (TV Satire)

-
450.
Mad #450
February 2005|
* "Two and a Half Wits" (TV Satire)

-
451.
Mad #451
March 2005|
* "Constant-Theme"

-
452.
Mad #452
April 2005|
* "Limited Thickwit's A Series of Uneventful Misfortunes"
* "Repeat the Fock-Ups"
* "Dreadwood" (TV Satire)

-
453.
Mad #453
May 2005|
* "Lots" (TV Satire)
* "Disparate No-Lives" (TV Satire)

-
454.
Mad #454
June 2005|
* "Tedium" (TV Satire)

-
455.
Mad #455
July 2005|
* "Battyman, Begone!"

-
456.
Mad #456
August 2005|
* "Star Bores Epic Load III - Retread of the Sh*t!"
* "Dump My Ride" (TV Satire)

-
457.
Mad #457
September 2005|
* 50 Worst Things About Video Games

-
458.
Mad #458
October 2005|
* "Bore of the Worlds"

-
459.
Mad #459
November 2005|
* "C.S.Oy: NY" (TV Satire)

-
460.
Mad #460
December 2005|
* "Harry Plodder Has Gotta Retire"
* "Extreme Once-Over Home Repetition" (TV Satire)

-
461.
Mad #461
January 2006


-
462.
Mad #462
February 2006|
* "Louse"

-
463.
Mad #463
March 2006|
* "Everybody Berates Chris"

-
464.
Mad #464
April 2006|
* "King Korn" (Movie Satire), The Hurl(E) Show |
-
465.
Mad #465
May 2006|
* "Barebutt Mountain"
* "Prison Fake"

-
466.
Mad #466
June 2006|
* "Dull or Not Dull?"

-
467.
Mad #467
July 2006|
* We Flatten "Cars"
* "24"'s Jack Bauer

-
468.
Mad #468
August 2006|
* "Stuporman Reruns!"

-
469.
Mad #469
September 2006|
* "Mission: Implausible 3" (Movie Satire)
* "The Da Vinci Coma"

-
470.
Mad #470
October 2006|
* "How Lame Is Earl?"
* "Yell's Kitchen" (TV Satire)

-
471.
Mad #471
November 2006|
* "We Stand By Our President!" (Political Satire)
* "18 Worst Things About Halloween"
* "A Mad Look At Pirates
* "2006's Hottest Halloween Costumes"
* "Honest Campaign Slogans We'd Like To Hear
* "When Video Games Become Religious"
* "Liberals And Conservatives Agree...And Disagree
-
472.
Mad #472
December 2006|
* "Groin's Monotony" (TV Satire)

-
473.
Mad #473
January 2007|
* "20 Dumbest People, Events & Things of 2006"

-
474.
Mad #474
February 2007|
* "Flash! We Cover Britney's Scandalous Photo!"
* "The Amazing Race" (TV Satire)|
-
475.
Mad #475
March 2007|
* "We Pick On Dane Cook" Dane Cook
* "Youtube" YouTube
* "Nanny 911" Nanny 911

-
476.
Mad #476
April 2007|
* "Gone With The Windbags"
* "Will "The Donald" And Rosie Kiss And Make Up? Frankly, We Don't Give A Damn!"
* "Borat Dolls"
* "Entourage"
* "Missing Scenes From "24"

-
477.
Mad #477
May 2007|
* "We Salute Global Warming!"
* "My Super Sweet 16" My Super Sweet 16
* "The Biggest Loser" The Biggest Loser
* "Heroes" |
-
478.
Mad #478
June 2007|
* "We Crack Wise On Spider-Man 3"
* "Law And Order:SVU"
* "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Dog the Bounty Hunter|
-
479.
Mad #479
July 2007|
* "Arrrhh! Pirates of the Caribbean"
* "WWE|" World Wrestling Entertainment
* "Star Wars" Star Wars
* "New Mad feature: "What the Heck is the Difference" (Issue used: #96)|
-
480.
Mad #480
August 2007|
* "Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix"
* "The Secret"
* "Chuck and Larry"
* "Issue used in W.t.H.i.t.D: Issue #43"|
-
481.
Mad #481
September 2007|
* "Harry Potter"
* "Mixed Martial Arts"
* "Yu-Gi-Oh cards "
* "The Simpsons Movie"
* "Issue used in W.t.H.i.t.D: Issue #106"|
-
482.
Mad #482
October 2007|
* "Ratatouille"
* "America's Next Top Mobster"
* "50 Worst Things About Advertising"|
-
483.
Mad #483
November 2007

* "Zombies"
* "Hillary Clinton"
* "1 vs. 100"|
-
484.
Mad #484
December 2007|
* "The Colbert Report"
* "Hot Topic"
* "The war on Terrorism"|
-
485.
Mad #485
January 2008|
* "20 Dumbest People, Events & Things of 2007"|
-
486.
Mad #486
February 2008|
* "Man vs. Wild"
* "Kid Nation"
* "When Fatties Go Bad"|
-
487.
Mad #487
March 2008|
* Heroes
* 10 Pulitzer-Winning Cartoonists take on Bush|
-
488.
Mad #488
April 2008|
* "Entire Issue written and drawn by Monkeys."|
-
489.
Mad #489
May 2008|
* TV's 24
* Samantha Who?
* Steroids busts|
-
490.
Mad #490
June 2008|
*Dexter
*Indiana Jones
*30 Rock
*Iron Man|
-
491.
Mad #491
July 2008|
*|
-
492.
Mad #492
August 2008|
*Super Heroes
*Ways to save Gas
*The Beijing Olympics|
-
493.
Mad #493
September 2008|
*Yes We Can't Obama '08
*Indiana Jones 4
*Chronicles of Narnia|
-
494.
Mad #494
October 2008|
*The 50 Worst Things About the Internet
*Family Guy
*Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions|
-
495.
Mad #495
November 2008|
*Presidential Electon
*The Dark Knight
*Questions We'd Ask Sarah Plain & Joe Biden|
-

ee also

*List of Entertaining Comics publications
*Mad magazine

References

External links

* [http://www.madmag.com Official "Mad" website]