Mad #2 -- October 20, 2014

www.coverbrowser.com

The December 1952-January 1953 issue of Mad, probably published in October, was the second issue of a great American tradition. EC, famous up to that time for horror comics, had moved in a new direction. Published by Bill Gaines and edited by Harvey Kurtzman, Mad introduced sharp satire (Humor in a Jugular Vein) to comic books. Mad became a magazine in 1955. Legend said it was because of the growing controversy about comic books, but it was done to satisfy Kurtzman's ambition. I read Mad for many years and it certainly influenced my sense of humor. I know some movies better through having read the Mad parodies rather than seeing the movies themselves.