What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mad Book of Horror Stories, Yecchy Creatures, and Other Neat Stuff
What the horror experts are saying about The MAD Book of Horror Stories, Yecchy Creatures, and Other Neat "It sucks!"Dr. "Talk about monstrosities!" "I howled"Be an expert! MAD Book of Horror Stories, Yecchy Creatures, and Other Neat Stuff
- GenresHumor
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1986
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 9, 2019
Classic Mad Magazine satire on famous monster movie plots, throwing in progressive political and social jabs here and there. Still fun to read all of these years later.
November 1, 2009
The MAD Book of Horror Stories, Yecchy Creatures, and Other Neat Stuff threatens to flail out of control at any given time - and yet, somehow, doesn't. That is to say, it behaves badly enough, but never manages to get itself "expelled."
The book once again mingles the humour of Lou Silverstone with the cartoonist detail of Harry North, and as first glance appears to be an unusual comic/joke book for children. But it's not. Nor is it entirely for the adult crew, either - at least, not in the sense that the National Lampoon paperbacks ever were. Glancing through the pages shows a classic vampire attacking a helpless woman, who turns out to be an "Inflatable Swinger Doll." Or the hapless, hunchbacked Igor's mildly obscene rebuttal to the abusive, incarcerated Doctor Frankenstein. And other slightly questionable occurrences.
The MAD Book of Horror Stories... is violent. It's crass. It bludgeons with blunt satire, bodily functions, and grotesque caricature - and that's not even referring to the monsters in the book! Harry North's talent for celebrating the schlub shines brightly here.
But it isn't all "yellow stains" and "doodoo" jokes, either. For instance, the movie spoof "That House in Vomityville" manages to shock - not because of the paranormal occurrences which haunt and harass the family in their new home, but because of the unexpectedly honed social commentary which unfolds in the tale's denouement. And Silverstone devotes a lengthy portion of the book to parody The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, on its 100th-year anniversary, by emulating the writing style of Robert Louis Stevenson (with, of course, accompanying illustrations by North). Horror movies, from monster-flicks to slashers, are mocked derisively and mercilessly.
The trouble with this book, though, is that it simply has not aged well with the times. While there are no particularly topical elements within, the group to whom this book should appeal have... well, moved on to other pastures. Teens just aren't reading MAD-type humour en masse anymore, and those who do are primarily drawn in by the new MAD Magazine - the slick, full-colour publication which has essentially been reigned in from its earlier days of social delinquency (i.e. No more drawings of topless, large-breasted women, or language that flirts too closely with "gutter talk"). The old, wordy, black-and-white panels take too much effort for some, and the jejune jokes are too "immature" for others.
However, should The MAD Book of Horror Stories... ever claw its way back out of the grave, it will surely delight with its anomalous take on terror - both the uninitiated and the connoisseurs alike.
The book once again mingles the humour of Lou Silverstone with the cartoonist detail of Harry North, and as first glance appears to be an unusual comic/joke book for children. But it's not. Nor is it entirely for the adult crew, either - at least, not in the sense that the National Lampoon paperbacks ever were. Glancing through the pages shows a classic vampire attacking a helpless woman, who turns out to be an "Inflatable Swinger Doll." Or the hapless, hunchbacked Igor's mildly obscene rebuttal to the abusive, incarcerated Doctor Frankenstein. And other slightly questionable occurrences.
The MAD Book of Horror Stories... is violent. It's crass. It bludgeons with blunt satire, bodily functions, and grotesque caricature - and that's not even referring to the monsters in the book! Harry North's talent for celebrating the schlub shines brightly here.
But it isn't all "yellow stains" and "doodoo" jokes, either. For instance, the movie spoof "That House in Vomityville" manages to shock - not because of the paranormal occurrences which haunt and harass the family in their new home, but because of the unexpectedly honed social commentary which unfolds in the tale's denouement. And Silverstone devotes a lengthy portion of the book to parody The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, on its 100th-year anniversary, by emulating the writing style of Robert Louis Stevenson (with, of course, accompanying illustrations by North). Horror movies, from monster-flicks to slashers, are mocked derisively and mercilessly.
The trouble with this book, though, is that it simply has not aged well with the times. While there are no particularly topical elements within, the group to whom this book should appeal have... well, moved on to other pastures. Teens just aren't reading MAD-type humour en masse anymore, and those who do are primarily drawn in by the new MAD Magazine - the slick, full-colour publication which has essentially been reigned in from its earlier days of social delinquency (i.e. No more drawings of topless, large-breasted women, or language that flirts too closely with "gutter talk"). The old, wordy, black-and-white panels take too much effort for some, and the jejune jokes are too "immature" for others.
However, should The MAD Book of Horror Stories... ever claw its way back out of the grave, it will surely delight with its anomalous take on terror - both the uninitiated and the connoisseurs alike.
March 24, 2012
My favirote of all my paperbacks!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews