History Magazine / MAD

* EmbarrassingHobby: Deconstructed. In one "A Mad Look At..." strip, a pair of jocks mock one of their peers for joining the cheer squad instead of the football team. Cut to them noticing that not only is he the only guy on the squad, not only is he [[AllGuysWantCheerleaders surrounded by pretty girls]], he's not only allowed but encouraged to lay hands on them in a way that would get the other guys slapped, if not expelled/criminally charged (he's holding one up in the air by way of her sitting on one of his hands) as part of the cheerleading routine.

* EndingFatigue:[[invoked]] Movie parodies often make fun of the film continuing even though it doesn't make any sense to do so. For instance, their parody of ''Film/TheGreenMile'' ends with a complaint that it was "long winded" despite the parody being a scant four pages.

On July 3rd, 2019, it was announced ''MAD'' would be ceasing publication of new material after 67 years. The magazine continued to produce scant new material alongside reprinted material until October 2020, confirmed by Tom Richmond to be the last with new content, barring only [[BookEnds the cover and Fold-in]]. The magazine would briefly return to publishing new material in late 2022 [[MilestoneCelebration to celebrate its 70th anniversary]].

* ChristmasCake: Exaggerated in one article, which tells any woman who's still 46 and living at home, waiting for their special someone to show up, to "GIVE IT UP!" Of course, the woman's age is less of an issue of how long they've been continuing their passive pursuit of their soulmate, and how little hope they have after going so long without success.

On July 3rd, 2019, it was announced ''MAD'' would be ceasing publication of new material after 67 years. The magazine continued to produce scant new material alongside reprinted material until October 2020, confirmed by Tom Richmond to be the last with new content, barring only [[BookEnds the cover and Fold-in]]. The magazine would briefly return to publishing new material in late 2022 to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, ''MAD'' began to take on its most familiar (and commercially successful) form, with Al Feldstein as editor and a long-lasting team of core writers dubbed "The Usual Gang of Idiots" (Jerry [=DeFuccio=], Dick [=DeBartolo=], Frank Jacobs, Arnie Kogen, Stan Hart) and artists (Don Martin, Al Jaffee, Dave Berg, Mort Drucker, Angelo Torres, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker Jr. Don "Duck" Edwing, Norman Mingo, George Woodbridge, [[ComicStrip/SpyVsSpy Antonio Prohías]], Creator/SergioAragones) [[EqualOpportunityOffender and a willingness to take on]] [[AcceptableTargets any target it felt it could get away with]]. Many other defining artists and writers have joined since, including artists Tom Bunk, Sam Viviano, Rick Tulka, James Warhola, Hermann Mejía, Peter Kuper, Scott Bricher, and Tom Richmond, and writers Desmond Devlin, Michael Gallagher[[note]]the same one known for writing ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''[[/note]], Mike Snider, Charlie Kadau, Joe Raiola, and Dave Croatto.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, ''MAD'' began to take on its most familiar (and commercially successful) form, with Al Feldstein as editor and a long-lasting team of core writers (Jerry [=DeFuccio=], Dick [=DeBartolo=], Frank Jacobs, Arnie Kogen, Stan Hart) and artists (Don Martin, Al Jaffee, Dave Berg, Mort Drucker, Angelo Torres, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker Jr. Don "Duck" Edwing, Norman Mingo, George Woodbridge, [[ComicStrip/SpyVsSpy Antonio Prohías]], Creator/SergioAragones) [[EqualOpportunityOffender and a willingness to take on]] [[AcceptableTargets any target it felt it could get away with]]. Many other defining artists and writers have joined since, including artists Tom Bunk, Sam Viviano, Rick Tulka, James Warhola, Hermann Mejía, Peter Kuper, Scott Bricher, and Tom Richmond, and writers Desmond Devlin, Michael Gallagher[[note]]the same one known for writing ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''[[/note]], Mike Snider, Charlie Kadau, Joe Raiola, and Dave Croatto.

For decades a key influence on {{parod|y}}ists and satirists in all entertainment media, ''[[http://madmagazine.com MAD]]'' began in 1952 as a full-color ComicBook, ''Tales Calculated to Drive You MAD'', published by Creator/ECComics. Creator/HarveyKurtzman, the founding editor and writer, started it when he complained how other artists got more money with more page counts, especially when he was so meticulous with his war comics. His publisher, William Gaines, suggested that he do a humor book on top of his present work since that material came easily for him.

On July 3rd, 2019, it was announced ''MAD'' would be ceasing publication of new material after 67 years. The magazine continued to produce scant new material alongside reprinted material until October 2020, confirmed by Tom Richmond to be the last with new content, barring only [[BookEnds the cover and Fold-in]]. The magazine would briefly return to publishing new material in November 2022 to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

On July 3rd, 2019, it was announced ''MAD'' would be ceasing publication of new material after 67 years. The magazine continued to produce scant new material alongside reprinted material until October 2020, confirmed by Tom Richmond to be the last with new content, barring only [[BookEnds the cover and Fold-in]].

On July 3rd, 2019, it was announced ''MAD'' would be ceasing publication of new material after 67 years. The magazine continued to produce scant new material alongside reprinted material until October 2020, confirmed by Tom Richmond to be the last with new content, bar only [[BookEnds the cover and Fold-in]].

* ParodyNames: Notably averted in the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' parody (and with Ripley - but only Ripley - in the ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' parody), but usually played straight.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, ''MAD'' began to take on its most familiar (and commercially successful) form, with a long-lasting team of core writers (Jerry [=DeFuccio=], Dick [=DeBartolo=], Frank Jacobs, Arnie Kogen, Stan Hart) and artists (Don Martin, Al Jaffee, Dave Berg, Mort Drucker, Angelo Torres, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker Jr. Don "Duck" Edwing, Norman Mingo, George Woodbridge, [[ComicStrip/SpyVsSpy Antonio Prohías]], Creator/SergioAragones) [[EqualOpportunityOffender and a willingness to take on]] [[AcceptableTargets any target it felt it could get away with]]. Many other defining artists and writers have joined since, including artists Tom Bunk, Sam Viviano, Rick Tulka, James Warhola, Hermann Mejía, Peter Kuper, Scott Bricher, and Tom Richmond, and writers Desmond Devlin, Michael Gallagher[[note]]the same one known for writing ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''[[/note]], Mike Snider, Charlie Kadau, Joe Raiola, and Dave Croatto.

* BoldInflation: '''Dialogue''' in the magazine tends to have '''several words''' bolded for '''no particular reason''', particularly '''the majority of the nouns''', and '''almost every sentence''' that '''isn't a question''' ends in an '''[[EmphasizeEverything exclamation point]]'''!

* PoliceAreUseless: In one article, a slasher film director explains that his LEO character "can't be too bright, or he'd [[IdiotPlot figure out the whole thing in a second]], and where would that leave us?"

* ''The Lighter Side of...'' A series of gags written and drawn by Dave Berg, with a comedic look at SliceOfLife topics. Initially, the installment would focus on one topic, but in later years the installments would have one gag each on several different topics. Ended in 2002 after Berg's death, but revived in 2018 with writer Tammy Golden and artist Jon Adams.

* FakeBand: In 1959, a novelty record was released with the credit "[[http://www.discogs.com/Alfred-E-Neuman-And-His-Furshlugginer-Five-What-Me-Worry-Potrzebie/release/1977279 Alfred E. Neuman and his Furshlugginer Five]]", a series of uncredited musicians. The A-side is a novelty song titled "What, Me Worry?", with an uncredited man singing in the role of Alfred, and the B-side is an instrumental piece called [[GagWords "Potrzebie"]].

* GagWords: "Fershlugginer" and "potrzebie" top the list.

* CasualDangerDialog: In movie parodies, heroes and villains will often converse amongst themselves or with each other in the middle of battle or chase scenes.

* ''MAD'' Fold-In: Drawn and written by Al Jaffee, these have occurred in almost every issue since the 1960s. The art poses a question to the reader, with the answer and a concealed image both being revealed upon folding the image inward.

* TestesTest: One cartoon shows the transformation from Bruce Banner into the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk. The Hulk then looks down his pants and appears pleased by what he sees.

** UpToEleven in the 2020 reprints, where it's rare for even the old material to take up more than three pages. The Letter to the Editor takes up '''half of one.''' The long-form ''Potzrebie Comics'' of 2018 were confirmed to be cancelled for this reason.

* SillySimian:One recurring sketch in the "Fundalini Pages" involves randomly adding monkeys to certain famous photos. Taken UpToEleven with an ''issue'' featuring nothing ''but'' monkeys.

** Taken UpToEleven in the ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' parody; one of the robbers gives the other flowers instead of a gun (originally intended to be concealed in a box of flowers), which he [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments put in a vase of water on the kitchen table.]]

* ClicheStorm: {{Invoked}}; in the ''Film/DirtyDancing'' parody, every single panel except the introduction has a footnote describing the cliche in it, such as "[[UptownGirl Rich girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks]]..." Used again in the ''Film/DetroitRockCity'' parody.

* SadistShow: ''Monroe and...'', where something bad ''always'' happened to the title character.

* OnlySaneMan: The dog in the FatalAttraction parody.