What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine
June 8, 2024 through October 27, 2024
This exhibition explores the unforgettable art and satire of MAD, from its beginnings in 1952 as a popular humor comic book to its emergence as a beloved magazine that spoke truth to power and attracted generations of devoted readers through the decades. MAD’s influence and cultural impact will be explored in this landmark installation, which features iconic original illustrations and cartoons created by the magazine’s Usual Gang of Idiots—the many artists and writers who have been the publication’s mainstays for decades. These include Sergio Aragonés, David Berg, John Caldwell, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Will Elder, Duck Edwing, Frank Frazetta, Kelly Freas, Al Jaffee, Bob Jones, Harvey Kurtzman, Don Martin, Norman Mingo, Harry North, Paul Peter Porges, Antonio Prohías, Jack Rickard, Irving Schild, Charles Schulz, John Severin, Marie Severin, Angelo Torres, Basil Wolverton, Wally Wood, and George Woodbridge. The art of next generation visual humorists will also be on view, including Emily Flake, Mark Fredrickson, Drew Friedman, Rick Geary, Keith Knight, Peter Kuper, Liz Lomax, Dave Manak, Hermann Mejia, Rick Meyerowitz, Teresa Burns Parkhurst, C.F. Payne, Roberto Parada, Tom Richmond, Johnny Sampson, Dale Stephanos, Mark Stutzman, Rick Tulka, P.C. Vey, Sam Viviano, James Warhola, and Richard Williams.
Richard Williams
Alfred E. Neuman and Norman Rockwell, 2002
Cover illustration for Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of MAD Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It (Watson Guptill, 2002)
Oil on canvas
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
It is difficult to imagine a time when satirical, irreverent humor was not common across media, but in the 1950s, anti-establishment humor was not the cultural norm. An iconic illustrated humor magazine that has been surreptitiously enjoyed by millions for more than seventy years, MAD was the first to ironically and humorously poke holes in all aspects of American life—from movies, television, music, art, and advertising to superheroes, celebrity culture, and the political scene of the day. Special features like Spy vs. Spy, MAD Fold-Ins, MAD’s Maddest Artists, and MAD’s Marginals, which have been longtime favorites, continue to delight.
First published in 1952, MAD originally launched as an EC comic book series founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines, with its inaugural issue titled Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad. In 1955, with MAD No. 24, the comic was reimagined as an illustrated magazine, releasing it from the censure of the Comics Code Authority. The publication’s now legendary parodies of Superduperman and Starchie, takeoffs on the classic DC superhero and Archie comics, respectively, launched MAD into the stratosphere. Between 1952 and 2018, five-hundred-fifty magazine issues were published, along with a multitude of special issues, paperbacks, and compilation projects.
More than 150 original works of art will be on view, including a special highlight gallery devoted to the art of Mort Drucker, the award-winning caricaturist and illustrator who contributed to MAD for more than five decades. Paintings, drawings, cartoons, ephemera, artifacts, and media will tell MAD’s indelible story and explore the impact of this venerable publication on American humor, media, culture, and society.
This exhibition was made possible in part by generous support from
The Halperin Foundation
The Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation
Andrew J. Sordoni III
Media sponsor:
MAD MAGAZINE EXHIBITION ADVISORY
Steve Brodner, Exhibition Co-Curator
Steve Brodner is today’s foremost satirical illustrator and caricaturist. Acclaimed in the fields of journalism and the graphic arts as a master of the editorial idiom, he is a regular contributor to The Nation, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. Brodner’s art journalism has appeared in most major magazines and newspapers in the United States, such as Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Esquire, Time, Mother Jones, Harper’s, and The Atlantic. His newsletter, This Week, can be found daily at stevebrodner.substack.com and weekly in The Nation. Norman Rockwell Museum presented an exhibition of his work in 2008 titled Raw Nerve: The Political Art of Steve Brodner.
Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, Exhibition Co-Curator
Stephanie Haboush Plunkett is the Chief Curator of the Norman Rockwell Museum and the organizing curator of many exhibitions relating to the art of Norman Rockwell and the field of illustration. She leads the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the first scholarly institute devoted to the study of illustration. Her recent publications include Leo Lionni: Storyteller, Artist, Designer; Tony Sarg: Genius at Play; Drawing Lessons from the Famous Artists School; and Norman Rockwell: Drawings, 1911 to 1973.
Sam Viviano, Lead Advisor
Sam Viviano is an award-winning humorous illustrator specializing in caricature and cartooning for magazines, books, and advertising. His first cover illustration for MAD appeared in issue # 223, in June, 1981, and he went on to become Art Director of MAD—a position that he held for nineteen years, from 1999 to December 2017. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Family Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Institutional Investor, HITS, Scholastic’s Dynamite, and Bananas, among others.
IMAGES
Kelly Freas (1922-2005)
Alfred E. Neuman as Scarecrow, 1958
Cover illustration for MAD #43 (EC, 1958)
Acrylic on board
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Sam Viviano
Alfred E. Neuman for President, 2008
Cover illustration for MAD No. 495, November 2008
Digital
Design Director: Ryan Flanders
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Kelly Freas (1922-2005)
Quid, Me Vexari? (What, Me Worry?), 1959
Cover illustration for MAD #51 (EC, 1959)
Ink and gouache on illustration board
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Bill Elder (as “Eldder” in tribute to Charles Addams) (1921-2008)
It’s so funny the way Poppa’s eyes bug out because he doesn’t have the Sanofranized label, 1955
Illustration for MAD #26 (EC, 1955)
Ink and ink wash on paper
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Jack Davis (1924-2016)
Beware of Imitations, 1954
Illustration for MAD #11, (EC, 1954)
Pen and ink
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Norman Mingo (1896-1980)
Jack in the Box, 1967
Cover illustration for MAD #113, (EC, 1967)
Opaque watercolor over graphite
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Don Martin (1931-2000)
Pay Toll Fifty Feet, 1980
Back cover illustration for MAD #213, (EC, 1980)
India and colored inks on Bristol board
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Al Jaffee (1921-2023)
What Simple Pastime is Becoming a Luxury that Many Americans Can No Longer Afford? 1979
Fold-In illustration for MAD #172, (EC, 1979)
Ink and gouache on board
Collection of Dr. Lewis Kaminester
MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
PANEL OF ADVISORS
PRESS
Norman Rockwell Museum’s Summer Exhibition Goes MAD!
February 8, 2024—Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to announce this summer's landmark exhibition exploring the art, satire, and cultural impact of MAD Magazine, one of the longest-running humor publications in America. Opening June 8 and running through October 27, What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine presents iconic original illustrations and cartoons from MAD's longtime regular contributors, dubbed the "Usual Gang of Idiots," as well as next-generation visual satirists.
MEDIA
Growing Up Mad
Published: June 27, 2024
What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine
Published: June 4, 2024
MAD: Making a Magazine
Published: June 4, 2024
Take A Tour Of MAD Magazine With Their Idiot-In-Chief
Published: May 18, 2016
Mad Magazine: Inside Look Behind the Scenes (1987)
Published: October 24, 2017
Mort Drucker & John Reiner – The NCS Masters Collection
Published: © 2015 NCSF ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Who is Jack Davis – MAD Magazine
Published: © 2003 Nowhere Productions Athens, GA
VENUE(S)
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA June 8, 2024 through October 27, 2024
This exhibition is available to be hosted at your venue. For more information, please contact travelingexhibitions@nrm.org.
DIRECTIONS
Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Glendale Road Route 183
Stockbridge, MA 01262
413-931-2221
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