Unused CRACKED art

These are 2 of many additional pieces that were rendered for CRACKED #361 that were to be part of the whole California gubernatorial issue when all the celebs were throwing their hat into the ring. As I have explained in earlier posts the issue was postponed many months which rendered a decent amount of the issue no longer viable. These 2 illustrations were done by artist Ben Boling. The 1st one is a nervous Gray Davis (the California Governor being recalled) and the second was CRACKED's answer to the whole mess, non other than our mascot Sylvester P. Smythe himself!

Humor Magazine listing

Here is a list that was initially compiled back in 2003 and appeared in THWAK #4/The Journal of MADness #15 double issue. I have since revised it slightly and although I am not claiming it to be a 100% complete listing of all MAD like American humor magazines I feel it comes pretty close.

For the purposes of trying to stay as concise to the MAD type magazine I chose not to include College magazines, general single panel gag magazines, National Lampoon types, genre specific ie CARtoons, CYCLEtoons etc. Enjoy and I hope this proves to be a good reference.


PUCK 1877 – 1912
Keppler & Schwarzmann

JUDGE 1881 – 1930’s
Judge Publishing Co.

BALLYHOO 1931 – 1954
Dell Publishing Co.

FOO May 1952
Monarch Publishing Co.

MAD Oct. 1952 – present
EC/Warner

SNAFU Nov. 1955 – Vol. 2 #2 1956 (3 issues)
Atlas Comics (RCM)

LUNATICLE Feb. 1956 - #2, April 1956
Whitstone Publications

CRAZY, MAN, CRAZY
Dec. 1955 Vol. 2 #1 - June 1956 Vol. 2 #2
Humor Magazines (Charlton)

TRUMP Jan. 1957 - #2 March 1957
HMH Publishing Co.

THIS MAGAZINE IS CRAZY
July 1957 Vol. 3 #2- Vol. 4 #8
March 1959
Charlton Publications

HUMBUG Aug. 1957 - #11 Oct. 1958
Humbug publications
(last 2 issues magazine size)

NUTS Feb. 1958 - #2 April 1958
Health Knowledge

CRACKED Feb. 1958 – #365 Nov 2004
Vol. 2 #1-#3 2006
Cracked Publications

FRENZY April 1958 - #6 March 1959
Bimfort Magazines Inc.

THIMK May 1958 - #6 May 1959
Counterpoint Inc.

PANIC July 1958 - #6 July 1959
Vol. 2 #10 Dec. 1965 – Vol. 2 #12 1966
Panic Publications

LOCO Aug. 1958 - #3 Jan. 1959
Satire Publications

ZANY Sept. 1958 - #4 May 1959
Candor Publishing Co.

FRANTIC Oct. 1958 – Vol. 2 #2 April 1959
Pierce Publishing Co.

SHOOK UP Nov. 1958 #1
Dodsworth Publishing Co.

SICK Aug. 1960- #134 Fall 1980
Charlton Publications

HELP Aug. 1960 - #26 Sept. 1965
General Promotions Co.
(Warren Publishing Co.)

FOOEY Feb. 1961 - #4 May 1961
Scott Publishing Co.

POW Aug. 1966 - #2 Feb. 1967
Humor – Vision

YELL April 1966 - ?
K-M-R Publications Inc.

WILD Jan. 1968 - #3 1968
Dell Publishing Co.

SPOOF Oct. 1970 - #5 May 1973
Marvel Comics Group

BLAST Feb. 1971 - #2 May 1971
G & D Publishing

UP YOUR NOSE (and out your ear)
April 1972 - #2 June 1972
Klevart Enterprises

GRIN Nov. 1972 - #3 April 1973
APAG House Publications

PLOP! Sept./Oct. 1973 - #24 Nov./Dec. 1976
National Periodical Publications

CRAZY Oct. 1973 - #94 April 1983
Marvel Comics Group

LOONY SPORTS 1975 #1
3 Strikes Publishing

THE NATIONAL CRUMB Aug. 1975 #1
Mayfair Publications

PARODY March 1977 - #3 Aug. 1977
Armour Publishing Co.

TRASH March 1978 - #4 Oct. 1978
Trash Publishing Co.

WACKO Sept. 1980 - #3 Oct. 1981
Ideal Publishing Co.

BARF April 1990 #1
Revolutionary Comics Inc.

WARPED June 1990 - #2 Oct./Nov. 1990
Empire Entertainment

JAB Spring 1993 - ?
Cummings Design Group

MEAN 1996 #1
Draculina Publishing

NUTS June 1997 -?
Nuts Magazine Inc.

THWAK Spring 2001 - #5 Winter 2003
Tool/Thwak Publications

GAG Sept. 2004 #1 -2
Barrister Publications

JOKESTER Jan. 2005 #1
Tool/Thwak/Jokester Publications

If anyone knows of any items not on this list please contact me.

New DON MARTIN website

I just received a postcard from the Don Martin Studio in Miami announcing the brand new Don Martin website http://donmartinwebsite.com/ hosted by Norma Martin. The site is rudimentary but does have a variety of his post MAD magazine work, including CRACKED pages, Don Martin Magazine as well as Nutheads strips. Also featured is Don Martin's Brain Games for Kids (see earlier post) as well as a new upcoming book "The Completely CRACKED Don Martin" an idea that I had talked to Norma about over 2 years ago. Anyway I sure hope that whoever puts this project together takes the time to get it right and uses a cover image other than the one shown above from the Don Martin Digs Deeper paperback, HONK #1, CRACKED special and poster and the Brain Games book. Can't wait for it to come out!

Unused THWAK art (Illustrated Lyrics) #2

Originally intended for inclusion in THWAK #3 the All Monster issue, this piece by artist Billy Genius (THWAK, CRACKED, JOKESTER) was part of 4 different illustrated lyrics. I am pleased to be able to share it now (6 years later).

For more on Billy's art check out posts from June.

Nick Cardy & Russ Heath

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have these two legends autograph some of their work when I met them both a few years back at Dragon Con here in Atlanta. Both artists have done plenty of work in a variety of genres.

As I've always focused on humor I was familiar with Nick Cardy's covers for CRAZY magazine, so it was natural for me to pick one of my favorites for him to sign.

Russ Heath worked on some of the early MAD comics back in the fifties. While perusing my CRACKED back issues I came across this excellent back cover of Smokey The Bear.

A couple more Gag cartoons

THWAK - Good for Indigestion?

Here's a series of pictures that were taken just after the 1st issue came out. We had been invited somewhere fancy (hence the rented Tux) and I figured it would be a while before I'd wear another one so ..... Anyway I was going to use it as an ad in THWAK #2 to encourage people with an air of sophistication about them to (dine) enjoy an issue of "America's favorite humor magazine-that they didn't even know existed yet". Anyhow I didn't use them, choosing instead to use illustrated spots. Just as well I suppose!