I feel kinda sorry for kids these days. They missed-out on the thrill of playing with toys specifically designed to maim them, dropping the needle on that new Rush album just purchased with hard-earned lawn mowing money, and grabbing the latest issue of MAD magazine while grocery shopping with Mom.
Being of a certain age, I enjoyed all those things, and had the good fortune to discover MAD during its glory years.
For many of us coming-of-age during the mid-seventies, traditional comic books were kids’ stuff. As we hit our early teens, MAD became sort of a rite of passage into young adulthood. Just subversive enough that we sorta felt like we were getting away with something, the magazine was sometimes racy, threw in the occasional mild expletive and simply seemed more adult. MAD was a baby step into a more grown-up world, and our first introduction to the concept of satire.
As adolescents, we didn't always "get" some of the adult subject matter they poked fun at, but that was part of its appeal. MAD was a kids' magazine that never felt like a kids' magazine. As an avid monthly reader throughout my teens, I sometimes judged the worth of a film or TV show based on its treatment by “The Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD.
But the magazine’s history extends far beyond my personal experience, which is affectionately chronicled in the documentary, When We Went Mad. Beginning with founder William F. Gaines reluctantly taking the reins at his estranged father’s struggling company, EC Publications, we see how MAD began life as a comic book in 1952 and eventually became EC’s lone surviving publication after switching to a magazine format (and therefore wasn’t required to adhere to new Comics Code regulations).
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| Did you bring enough gum for everybody? |
MAD’s eventual forays into games, television and movies are discussed, as is the origins of its iconic mascot, Alfred E. Newman (who’s been kicking around a lot longer than you think). And of course, the magazine’s slow decline in popularity (largely due to changing times) adds a somewhat bittersweet tone towards the end, but along the way, there are plenty of testimonials to its massive cultural and personal impact, offered by the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Gilbert Gottfried, Howie Mandel, Bryan Cranston and David Zucker (whose classic, Airplane!, was heavily inspired by MAD.
If you grew up on the magazine, When We Were Mad is a can’t-miss documentary. Fascinating, fun and even boasting a bit of the irreverence MAD was renowned for, the film works as both a cultural history lesson and endearing slice of nostalgia. And for those born too late for MAD to help shape your view of the world, here’s what you missed out on.
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