tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post6707191921787301672..comments2023-10-23T00:04:35.356-04:00Comments on The Vault of Buncheness: GREAT (?) MOMENTS IN COMICS HISTORY: "MAD'S PUNK ROCK GROUP OF THE YEAR" (1978)Bunche (pop culture ronin)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11831085937894725459noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post-47201856111938828922013-05-20T11:54:32.468-04:002013-05-20T11:54:32.468-04:00It's always fun to see people playing the &quo...It's always fun to see people playing the "when did MAD peak?" game. Seems to me that it peaked and ebbed article by article, rather than in one particular era. <br /><br />I wonder what it is that makes people obsess on this topic, when you almost never hear anyone arguing about when the golden age of Time Magazine was, or which stretch of Sports Illustrated was most influential, or what year Ladies Home Journal really started to go downhill. <br /><br />They're still producing new MAD Magazines today... and some of it is still great!Jerry Greenblattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post-66167390421000688082013-05-18T17:11:19.206-04:002013-05-18T17:11:19.206-04:00Thank you for posting this. This comic, back in &#...Thank you for posting this. This comic, back in '78 was the first time I'd heard of the existence of punk rock. Very cool time (music-wise) to be a young teen. <br /><br />I found this article because I googled Johnny Turd & the Commodes, by the way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post-12118116943090291312008-10-16T13:54:00.000-04:002008-10-16T13:54:00.000-04:00And I would argue that old school Mad - meaning Ma...And I would argue that old school Mad - meaning Mad from the beginning until the early to mid 60's - has not aged as well as the stuff from '65 (or thereabouts) to 1980...<BR/><BR/>The humor seems far more dated to me and less universal (though it was still fairly sophisticated for it's "target" audience of 10 year old idiots).<BR/><BR/>But you could write a year worth of blogs on that...<BR/><BR/>What? Me Worry?John Blighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06543592173944572738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post-39897026586015657342008-10-16T08:41:00.000-04:002008-10-16T08:41:00.000-04:00I remember reading this when it first came out and...I remember reading this when it first came out and loving it, of course. <BR/><BR/>It's amusing that even though everyone involved with that parody was obviously middle-aged and really didn't "get" punk, they still made my 10-year old self curious as hell about it... I guess a snotty attitude and gross out humor crosses generational lines better than anything.<BR/><BR/>For my money, the 70's was the height of Mad Magazine... Of course, that's when I was coming of age. Those who grew up in the 50's and 60's might disagree, but it seems to me that most of the Usual Gang of Idiots all reached their creative primes around that time.John Blighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06543592173944572738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post-11502955983043395852008-10-15T11:05:00.000-04:002008-10-15T11:05:00.000-04:00Mr. Parker-I did not characterize the 1950's MAD a...Mr. Parker-<BR/><BR/>I did not characterize the 1950's MAD as a "vile screed" of all things wholesome and American, but was referring to its rep as such. I fucking love old school MAD and don't let anyone tell you different.Bunche (pop culture ronin)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11831085937894725459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415178.post-52749329080532043472008-10-15T10:14:00.000-04:002008-10-15T10:14:00.000-04:00Mr. Bunche--As one who was "there", I don't think ...Mr. Bunche--As one who was "there", I don't think it's entirely accurate to characterize the 1950's version of Mad as a "vile screed" of all things wholesome and American. To my adolescent mind, it was a remarkably-well illustrated humor magazine which held up so-called American institutions, pop culture, social mores of the time, advertising, and "American values" to scrutiny in a new light. It was eye-opening and mind-expanding (before drugs). To my knowledge, there had never before been, and there has not been anything like it (except maybe The National Lampoon). MAD used to be funny, clever, well done, well written, well drawn without being overly gross, disgusting, violet or "in bad taste". It upset parents and teachers alike, but we kids loved it. We owe the editors, writers and artists a debt we cannot repay for all the kicks we got, and especially for how MAD helped us see through much of the hipocracy and bullshit of the fifties and early sixties and see the other side of things-- the Mad Side--which was far more sane than the real side.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com