Another fantastic example of mad in it's prime, the young era of Kurtzman and crew. So young in fact that this was when they were an actual comic book(and in color), before the shift to b&w magazine to avoid the comic code. Nonetheless this is a fantastic example of funny writing and wonderful details in each panel. From 1953, issue #5, a sharp parody of the radio serial The inner sanctum. Enjoy.
Showing posts with label Will Elder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Will Elder. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Conflict of Pages
Harvey Kurtzman was a man who loved the daily strips, but couldn't resist making fun of the inherent ridiculous elements in many of them. But rather than snarkily just mention it and moving on, he took the joke much further.
George McManus's BRINGING UP FATHER (example above)was primarily about Irish Immigrant Jiggs who loved to drink, gamble, and eat. His wife on the other hand wanted to climb up the social ladder, and when Jiggs attempted too weasel out of situations--parties, events-- to do so she would beat the crap out of him(she was twice his size).
Herein lies Kurtman's humor, in Mad magazine #17 he make a parody story where he would have the great Will Elder draw odd numbered pages in starkly close mimicry of McManus's art style. [Looks pretty similar to the one above doesn't it? Elder was exceedingly good at duplicating many styles.]
George McManus's BRINGING UP FATHER (example above)was primarily about Irish Immigrant Jiggs who loved to drink, gamble, and eat. His wife on the other hand wanted to climb up the social ladder, and when Jiggs attempted too weasel out of situations--parties, events-- to do so she would beat the crap out of him(she was twice his size).
Herein lies Kurtman's humor, in Mad magazine #17 he make a parody story where he would have the great Will Elder draw odd numbered pages in starkly close mimicry of McManus's art style. [Looks pretty similar to the one above doesn't it? Elder was exceedingly good at duplicating many styles.]
[Enlarge Here]
Now for the sucker punch; every even page would be drawn by Bernie Krigstein, who had a more heavy joyfully depressing style. Quite a contrast, no?
[Enlarge Here]
[Enlarge Here]I think this not only proves the great talent of all involved, but a perfect example of how representation of subject matter can creat totally different tone. Also puts succinctly the duality of many holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas included.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Goodman Goes Playboy (by Kurtzman and Elder)
I'm a little late on this, but Will Elder, a great cartoonist, died a few days ago. I wish I could say more, but I think this rare comic would help.Why is it rare? Well. . .
"During Will Elder’s run on the ill-fated Help! Magazine — one of three such publications upon which Elder collaborated with Mad founder Harvey Kurtzman following the latter’s exodus from the magazine that made him famous — a story starring Kurtzman and Elder’s naïve leading man Goodman Beaver attracted the ire of Archie Comics for taking their signature characters and grafting Hugh Hefner’s “Playboy Philosophy” onto them. That story was “Goodman Goes Playboy,” and it resulted in waves of lawyers raining upon the strip’s creators, ultimately leading to Kurtzman and Elder handing the copyright to the story over to Archie and signing an agreement promising never to reproduce it again."
---Comics Journal
There you have it. Enjoy this rarity.
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