IT'S A MAD, MAD WORLD...OR IS IT?



Cover art by Don Martin

One day I'll no doubt learn the reason why there's no longer a British edition of the long-running MAD MAGAZINE, but, up until its inexplicable and sudden disappearance, for quite a number of years it managed to hold its own amongst the myriad of other publications on newsagents' shelves and spinner-racks across the length and breadth of the country. Let's now take a look at a couple of my personal favourites of this classic and iconic magazine.



Art by Mort Drucker

 Back in the early '70s, "8 JAMES BOMB BOMB MOVIES" appeared in issue #146, affectionately ripping the p*ss out of DR. NO to LIVE AND LET DIE. I might be wrong, but I think this may have been the first time that Mad parodied the JAMES BOND movies, and with superb art from the magnificent MORT DRUCKER, they couldn't fail to strike comedy gold.



Cover art by Norman Mingo

 Another copy of Mad I got in the early '70s was issue #59, although this comic was actually published in the '60s. I only got my grubby paws on it because one of my art teachers (Mr. BOB BELL) brought it into school one day amongst a box of other comics. Good bloke that he was, he let me keep it when I mentioned how much I liked it. This one features a parody of the ADAM WEST/BURT WARD BATMAN TV show, and once again features the superlative art of Mort Drucker.



Art by Mort Drucker

  I can't remember the last time I saw a copy of the US edition of Mad outside of FORBIDDEN PLANET, and I've certainly never seen one in years in my local W.H. SMITH'S - which makes me wonder why this magazine isn't more readily available in Britain? And why, after so many presumably successful years, did the UK edition cease to be published?

Anyone know the answers?

FOOTNOTE: Yup - the mighty DEZ SKINN knows the answers. Read what he has to say in the comments section.

The first British edition, 1959