Mad: Cover to Cover, 48 Years, 6 Months and 3 Days of Mad Magazine Covers

Great book, cool to see all the covers through the years with some info on each.

NOT ANY NEW MATERIAL JUST COVERS FROM EACH ISSUE

有名な”馬鹿雑誌”のマッドマガジンのカバーイラスト集です。時代毎、その時々の流行などがネタになって、マッド坊やのコミカルな風刺画になっています。映画やＴＶネタが多く、スターウォーズや、スーパーマン、アメリンカンヒーロー（中）、ロッキー、ジョーズ、ポパイ、ＥＴ、などなど、日本人でもわかるジョーク満載。ブラックジョーク炸裂で、本当に笑えます。一見の価値あります。アメリカではプレイボーイ誌のカバーデザインとともに双璧となる、有名なものだけに、構図アイデアのネタ本としても使えます。ほとんど文章はないので、ユーモアを解する力さえあれば、英語力不要です。

Although outgrowing Mad in the early Sixties, I never abandoned the belief that its greatest asset was the ensemble of terrific artists that always graced the covers and inside pages. This volume spans the totality of Mad's artful covers, but is a bit disappointing. Why? Because the vast number of covers are reproduced at about 1/4 of the 8x10-1/2 size of the pages. Thus three or more covers make it to a single page, but with far less impact than had all the covers been printed larger, at one to a page. Be prepared to use a magnifying glass to scan much of this otherwise beautifully printed volume. Another issue that I've come to disdain is the use of the term, "idiot" that permeates Mad's entire history. Sadly the term is used here in a derogatory manner, since "idiot" originated as a scientific medical term for one who suffers from a born disability through no fault of his own. I hope we have advanced enough to realize that any form of mental or physical deficiency should be off-limits to ridicule. I bought the book because of the rich artistry that has always accompanied each issue, but NOT for its sometimes infantile "humor."

Ooh.. the FIRST customer review. Well as Alfred said on the cover of issue #100.. "Big Deal!" This wonderful book, beautifully depicts the cover of every issue of MAD since its 1952 inception as a comic right up to the December, 2000 (400th!) issue and is an absolute gem. Another gotta have it for MAD collectors and lovers everywhere. Very high quality glossy printing, high quality wraps with inner leafs featuring an hilarious family history of the lineage of the idiot gap-toothed boy, some covers are printed full page, some smaller, each documented as to the artist and the writer/designer, all in chronological order. Many with alternative designs that were rejected for one stupid reason or another, preliminary pencil sketches, and even a surprise on the bottom corner of each page that I won't reveal but you'll get a kick out of it if you buy the book. MAD is not just a cultural icon and the best satire magazine ever created, but also a nearly fifty year history of idiotic stuff that America and the world has produced. This book is a beautiful time capsule of all of it.The photomosaic cover by Robert Silvers is a masterpiece (see his site ... to see how he does it).Twelve thumbs up! If you feel like wasting even more money, get the seven CD set "Totally MAD" which has not only all the covers but every page of every issue up to 1998.