Well, this was an unexpected email to land here at The Rock Father: MAD Magazine’s 60th anniversary is here, and Time Home Entertainment Inc. has “foolishly teamed up with MAD Magazine for Totally MAD, a new collection of the legendary humor magazine’s high-quality idiocy that is so widely un-anticipated, this overblown press release is needed to call attention to it.” It was, indeed un-anticipated, so let’s hear more from that overblown press release, shall we? As a matter of fact, I’m curious where to buy a book here in town these days, but lets see that PR…
“Totally MAD (Time Home Entertainment Inc.; $34.95) goes on sale on October 30, 2012 and will be available at retailers nationwide. (The date when booksellers start slapping that giant “75% Off” sticker on the front cover obscuring the book’s title has not yet been determined.)
Organized by decade, this oversized 256-page book features some of the world’s best comedy writers, cartoonists and humorous illustrators – “The Usual Gang of Idiots” – as they have long called themselves. In addition, the book includes numbered pages for maximum reader convenience.
Totally MAD features a special foreword by long-time MAD fans Stephen Colbert and Eric Drysdale, plus five exclusive essays about MAD’s cultural impact, the origin of Alfred E. Neuman and the magazine’s history, including its landmark Supreme Court win against Irving Berlin, establishing the right to publish satirical lyrics.
As a bonus, the book features a removable set of 12 classic front covers, dubbed “The Soul of MAD” by MAD Founder and Publisher William M. Gaines. Each print was selected for its uniqueness, artistic achievement and classic timelessness, and is suitable for framing or wrapping fish.
Speaking from MAD’s international headquarters in midtown Manhattan, MAD Editor John Ficarra said, “I’m on the other line ordering Chinese food. I’ll call you back.” (Ficarra never returned the call.)
Totally MAD includes such favorites as:
Totally MAD is the perfect gift, not just for MAD fans, but for anyone interested in pop culture, comedy, music, politics, entertainment, sports or history. In other words, absolutely everyone should buy this book. No exceptions will be tolerated!”
And if you’re going to Comic-Con…
MAD at Comic-Con: Saturday, July 14
John Ficarra and “The Usual Gang of Idiots” will host a MAD panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Saturday, July 14 (Room 9, 2-3 PM). Panelists will include MAD art directors Sam Viviano and Ryan Flanders, MAD movie and TV satire artists Tom Richmond and Angelo Torres, “Spy vs. Spy” artist/writer Peter Kuper and the legendary MAD cartoonist Sergio Aragonés. Fans can find out what’s happening with America’s most famous humor magazine and get a preview of the never-before-seen pages of the upcoming book Totally MAD. There will also be an audience Q&A, with prizes for the best questions.
