Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wood Chips 33: Mad Strikes Back!
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In Mad #17 (November 1954), Harvey Kurtzman decided to fight back at the many imitators of Mad. In other words, a parody of parodies, cleverly incorporating the logos of the other comic books and employing Julius Caesar as the springboard. The Joseph Mankiewicz film with Marlon Brando had been released 15 months earlier. Brando must have liked the way he was depicted by Kurtzman and Wood, as he actually did sometimes refer to himself as "Marlon Branflakes".
None of these imitations had a handle on what Kurtzman had created, although Flip, Get Lost and Panic all had a certain appeal. Craig Yoe has a forthcoming book collecting Archie's Madhouse (not Madhouse, as I mistakenly had it here before). Madhouse and Eh! were two of the worst. Also forthcoming (in December) is John Benson's The Sincerest Form of Parody: The Best 1950s Mad Inspired Satirical Comics, with an introduction by Jay Lynch. This selection of 30 stories from the Mad imitators includes art by Jack Davis, Will Elder, Norman Maurer, Carl Hubbell, William Overgard, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Bill Everett, Al Hartley, Ross Andru & Mike Esposito, Hy Fleischman, Jay Disbrow, Howard Nostrand and Bob Powell.
In Mad #17 (November 1954), Harvey Kurtzman decided to fight back at the many imitators of Mad. In other words, a parody of parodies, cleverly incorporating the logos of the other comic books and employing Julius Caesar as the springboard. The Joseph Mankiewicz film with Marlon Brando had been released 15 months earlier. Brando must have liked the way he was depicted by Kurtzman and Wood, as he actually did sometimes refer to himself as "Marlon Branflakes".
None of these imitations had a handle on what Kurtzman had created, although Flip, Get Lost and Panic all had a certain appeal. Craig Yoe has a forthcoming book collecting Archie's Madhouse (not Madhouse, as I mistakenly had it here before). Madhouse and Eh! were two of the worst. Also forthcoming (in December) is John Benson's The Sincerest Form of Parody: The Best 1950s Mad Inspired Satirical Comics, with an introduction by Jay Lynch. This selection of 30 stories from the Mad imitators includes art by Jack Davis, Will Elder, Norman Maurer, Carl Hubbell, William Overgard, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Bill Everett, Al Hartley, Ross Andru & Mike Esposito, Hy Fleischman, Jay Disbrow, Howard Nostrand and Bob Powell.
Labels: brando, harvey kurtzman, mad, wood chips, yoe
¶ 9:38 AM
Comments:
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Unless Yoe has 2 books, and considering how many good books he has out, I wouldn't be surprised - his Madhouse book is on Archie's Madhouse, so a different Madhouse. Rumor mill says that a wood story might show up.
Actually, I think that the Yoe book is a collection of Archie's Mad House. Which doesn't mean that he might have a collection of this Madhouse too... he does a lot of books (too many, debatably, but I'll be polite.)
Have you seen this guy's Wally Wood 22 Panels sleeve? Amazing http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/03/31/wally-woods-22-panels-tattoo-sleeve-completed/
# posted by 
: 11:51 AM
: 11:51 AM
Thanks. I finally figured it out before reading your notes. Yoe kept calling the book "Madhouse". I read "Madhouse", but I never read "Archie's Madhouse".
Craig even got confused when we were working on his book. At one time or another the title was called--either in the indicia or on the cover--Archie's Madhouse 1-3
Archie's Mad House 4-60
Mad House 61-65
Madhouse Ma-ad Jokes 66
Mad House Ma-ad-Jokes 67-70
Mad House Ma-ad Freakout 71, 72
The Mad House Glads 73-94
Mad House (horror) 95-97
Mad House Comics 98-130
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Archie's Mad House 4-60
Mad House 61-65
Madhouse Ma-ad Jokes 66
Mad House Ma-ad-Jokes 67-70
Mad House Ma-ad Freakout 71, 72
The Mad House Glads 73-94
Mad House (horror) 95-97
Mad House Comics 98-130
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