What me worry?
February 17, 2015 11:38 AM Subscribe
Most of the early ads were painted by Kelly Freas.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:53 AM on February 17, 2015
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:53 AM on February 17, 2015
Those guys were geniuses.
posted by marxchivist at 11:58 AM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by marxchivist at 11:58 AM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I looked at these in scrolling mode, which was interrupted from time to time by real ads. It was often hard to tell the difference!
posted by ubiquity at 11:58 AM on February 17, 2015
posted by ubiquity at 11:58 AM on February 17, 2015
Freas was incredibly prolific. Also represented in this album: Frank Frazetta.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 11:59 AM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by overeducated_alligator at 11:59 AM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Such great art.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:00 PM on February 17, 2015
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:00 PM on February 17, 2015
One thing to note is that MAD was one of the first periodicals of any sort to be aggressively antitobacco - they routinely skewered print tobacco ads over health issues.
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:04 PM on February 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:04 PM on February 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
I looked at these in scrolling mode, which was interrupted from time to time by real ads. It was often hard to tell the difference!
Several of their artists actually worked as mad men in addition to being MAD men.
(That reminds me - I should really check out MADvertizing from the library again.)
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:07 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Several of their artists actually worked as mad men in addition to being MAD men.
(That reminds me - I should really check out MADvertizing from the library again.)
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:07 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
These are brilliant. I remember some of them, as well as the original real ads they were take-offs of, like this Canadian Club ad -- compare to the "Canadian Clubbed" one in the OP. Amazing how accurate the parodies were.
posted by Fnarf at 12:11 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Fnarf at 12:11 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Millions of dollars in research went in to the creation of this drug. But it was peanuts compared to the really expensive part - Advertising it!"
Oh how some things never change!
But Flickr on the other hand, when did Flickr become so unpleasant to use?
Anyway, this is brilliant. Thank you for sharing.
posted by The Legit Republic of Blanketsburg at 12:12 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh how some things never change!
But Flickr on the other hand, when did Flickr become so unpleasant to use?
Anyway, this is brilliant. Thank you for sharing.
posted by The Legit Republic of Blanketsburg at 12:12 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
These are brilliant. I remember some of them, as well as the original real ads they were take-offs of, like this Canadian Club ad -- compare to the "Canadian Clubbed" one in the OP. Amazing how accurate the parodies were.
That's one of the reasons MADvertizing is fun to read - they actually put the original ads on the page with the parodies, so you can see the way they spoofed the ad.
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:16 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
That's one of the reasons MADvertizing is fun to read - they actually put the original ads on the page with the parodies, so you can see the way they spoofed the ad.
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:16 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
...when did Flickr become so unpleasant to use?
Taken over by Yahoo.
Another sad story in a long line of sad stories.
posted by freakazoid at 12:22 PM on February 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Taken over by Yahoo.
Another sad story in a long line of sad stories.
posted by freakazoid at 12:22 PM on February 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
MAD's got an interesting format these days. There's lots of cool stuff from web-based and alternative cartoonists. It's full-color throughout. Unfortunately, it became dead to me the second they started accepting money from advertisers. It was just never the same after Bill Gaines died.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 12:27 PM on February 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by overeducated_alligator at 12:27 PM on February 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
yes Flickr is now a total pain in the face.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 1:25 PM on February 17, 2015
posted by GallonOfAlan at 1:25 PM on February 17, 2015
My grandparents had a big box of old MAD magazines from the 60s and early 70s, and I'd read them whenever I went to visit as a teenager in the late 90s. It was amazing how funny they still were, and how little they'd dated. It was only after reading a few issues that I realized the ads were jokes, too; I'd just gotten used to tuning out whatever looked like a print ad in a magazine.
As a kid, I was never able to get into the contemporary MADs that were still being published, but I spent hours poring over the 30 year old ones. Most satire doesn't translate that well between generations.
posted by kingoftonga86 at 2:00 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
As a kid, I was never able to get into the contemporary MADs that were still being published, but I spent hours poring over the 30 year old ones. Most satire doesn't translate that well between generations.
posted by kingoftonga86 at 2:00 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
These are great! You know, I could really go for a Moxie right now...
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:15 PM on February 17, 2015
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:15 PM on February 17, 2015
It was just never the same after Bill Gaines died.
Truer words never spoken. I adored MAD. So much to chew on, every issue. Repeatedly, & down to the little margin cartoons.
Ads & commercials ruin everything.
posted by yoga at 3:54 PM on February 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
Truer words never spoken. I adored MAD. So much to chew on, every issue. Repeatedly, & down to the little margin cartoons.
Ads & commercials ruin everything.
posted by yoga at 3:54 PM on February 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
In addition to the majority of these being by the awesome Kelly Freas (and one, as noted, Frank Frazetta) most of the later ads in this group, and the majority of later 1960s, 70s and early 80s ads were by the highly underrated Bob Clarke. Clarke came to Mad directly from a Madison Ave ad agency where he illustrated real ads and product illustration for a living - including designing the famous Cutty Sark label.
posted by acroyear at 5:28 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by acroyear at 5:28 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
As a kid, I'd buy used MADs from the comic store for a quarter apiece. Mostly 60s and early 70s...that's how I learned about the era.
Since they made fun of all sides of the issues, I got a pretty good history lesson--and a pretty fucked up sense of humor!
Thanks for these.
posted by notsnot at 7:15 PM on February 17, 2015
Since they made fun of all sides of the issues, I got a pretty good history lesson--and a pretty fucked up sense of humor!
Thanks for these.
posted by notsnot at 7:15 PM on February 17, 2015
Reminds me of the time we visited New York and 13 yr old me had the bright idea to show up at the MAD offices, unannounced. Met William M. Gaines, got a tour of the office, and he and my dad talked business. For me at that age, it was like meeting one of the Beatles. I was awe-struck. I wanted to talk to him about his biography and all the amazing stories, but I just didn't know what to say. He was an adult and I was a shy kid.
My fantasy world of where MAD came from didn't quite match up to the reality of him running the place from his small, dark office. (surprisingly small and cluttered for the top guy, I realize 40 years later!) He was super nice to all of us, said people drop by all the time with no warning. Then he signed a poster for me that had drawings from all the MAD artists and my slightly confused dad decided that we had annoyed these poor people enough, so it was time to go.
Like many things in life, it was amazing, but it all happened so fast and didn't turn out how I expected at all, but it was still pretty great to meet him.
I still have that poster somewhere.
posted by freakazoid at 7:31 PM on February 17, 2015 [10 favorites]
My fantasy world of where MAD came from didn't quite match up to the reality of him running the place from his small, dark office. (surprisingly small and cluttered for the top guy, I realize 40 years later!) He was super nice to all of us, said people drop by all the time with no warning. Then he signed a poster for me that had drawings from all the MAD artists and my slightly confused dad decided that we had annoyed these poor people enough, so it was time to go.
Like many things in life, it was amazing, but it all happened so fast and didn't turn out how I expected at all, but it was still pretty great to meet him.
I still have that poster somewhere.
posted by freakazoid at 7:31 PM on February 17, 2015 [10 favorites]
I thought this one was gonna have some coy references to good old mara-gee-wanna but upon careful reading, Imma not so sure.
posted by telstar at 1:48 AM on February 18, 2015
posted by telstar at 1:48 AM on February 18, 2015
The very idea of Potrzebie High School fills me with joy.
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 5:57 AM on February 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 5:57 AM on February 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by Going To Maine at 11:41 AM on February 17, 2015