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Humbug
Harvey Kurtzman changed the face of American humor when he created the legendary MAD comic. As editor and chief writer from its inception in 1952, through its transformation into a slick magazine, and until he left MAD in 1956, he influenced an entire generation of cartoonists, comedians, and filmmakers. In 1962, he co-created the long-running Little Annie Fanny with his l...more
Boxed Set, 476 pages
Published
January 5th 2009
by Fantagraphics
(first published 2009)
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What do Terry Gilliam, Robert Crumb, Gloria Steinum, Woody Allen, Al Jaffee and John Cleese all have in common? When they were completely unknown to the public, each of these was hired by magazine mogul Harvey Kurtzman to write (or draw) for one of his publications. Best known as the founder of MAD magazine in 1952, Kurzman had an eye for talent, and a great business sense. When MAD became a runaway hit, Kurzman looked to expand the franchise, by offering a slightly more sophisticated version fo...more
Humbug will be a crusading magazine. We will tackle important important national issues such as Should the Mayflower Replica be Allowed to Land in the U.S., and Fluoridation — the Red Conspiracy.
Humbug will be a responsible magazine. We won’t write for morons. We won’t do anything just to get laughs. We won’t be dirty. We won’t be grotesque. We won’t be in bad taste. We won’t sell any magazines.
— Harvey Kurtzman in Humbug No. 1, August 1957
Following the 1956 d...more
Frederick
marked it as to-read
I spotted this in a bookstore the other day. Get a first edition while you can. This is going to be a valuable book. On top of that, this slipcased, double-volume set looks as if it will be very funny.
It's essentially fifties-era MAD Magazine with all the stops pulled out. Most of the people involved were MAD artists. Al Jaffee, of course, does the MAD fold-out to this day.
It's sixty bucks, but remember, a year ago that only got you a tank and a half of gas.
It's essentially fifties-era MAD Magazine with all the stops pulled out. Most of the people involved were MAD artists. Al Jaffee, of course, does the MAD fold-out to this day.
It's sixty bucks, but remember, a year ago that only got you a tank and a half of gas.
This is an amazing collection. I had no idea this magazine existed, but given the roster I'm not surprised at the quality. However, the subtlety of much of the humor is a refreshing change of pace from its cousin MAD (not to take anything away from Gaines et al). Highly recommended for fans of MAD and fifties nostalgia. In fact, it's probably a good primer for watching Mad Men. On top of all that, the packaging and reproduction is top shelf all the way.
Good stuff, not as great as Mad magazine, but overall way above average collection. The design of this 2 volume set is what stands out. Great year for Kurtzman.
Beautiful packaging and artwork but the jokes are pretty corny and don't hold up well.
I was anticipating this compilation for some time. And while it features some American cartooning greats working at the top of their game it never quite reaches the highs of Kurtzman's Mad and Panic. Maybe it's the typed text balloons or the dual color. The humor isn't as sophisticated as the jump out of the comics ghetto would have you suspect nor is it as sophisticated as some of Kurtzman's War comics which were directed at a much younger audience. The design of this edition and of the orgi...more
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All those involved were genius artists, but with the exception of Jack Davis they were lousy businessmen!
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