More on the MAD Exhibit at CAM

The Cartoon Art Museum has posted some more specific information about the upcoming MAD art show I mentioned a few days ago:

What, Me Worry? 60 Years of MAD

April 21 – September 16, 2012

Programming to be announced

¬¨‚ĆSan Francisco, CA: In 1952, editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines launched MAD, one of the most influential and imitated humor publications in the world. ¬¨‚ĆOriginally created to parody popular TV shows, movies and, inevitably, comic books, MAD soon expanded into a wide-ranging satire of modern American culture. Features like the MAD Fold-In, “Spy vs. Spy,” the wacky sound effects of “MAD’s Maddest Artist” Don Martin, the “marginal” cartoons of Sergio Aragones, and the motto “What, me worry?” have become indelible parts of popular culture, and the magazine’s mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, is one of the world’s most recognizable faces.

The Cartoon Art Museum’s latest exhibition, What, Me Worry? 60 Years of MAD celebrates the rich history of MAD from the original comic book through the black-and-white magazine to its latest incarnation as a full-color bi-monthly publication supplemented by online content. ¬¨‚ĆThis is the museum’s first exhibition to include both the MAD comic book and magazine.

The MAD creators, known affectionately as “The Usual Gang of Idiots,” are among the most highly regarded in the cartooning world, and works from nearly every major MAD contributor will be featured in this gallery. ¬¨‚ĆExhibition highlights include cover artwork by MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman; pages from the MAD comic book by Will Elder and John Severin; early magazine-era artwork by famed artists Mort Drucker, Don Martin, Wally Wood and George Woodbridge; MAD Fold-ins by Al Jaffee; painted covers by Sergio Aragon?¬©s, Jack Davis, Kelly Freas, Norman Mingo and Jack Rickard; The Ligher Side of… by Dave Berg; Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohias; a look at Tom Richmond’s creative process; the dazzling caricatures of Sam Viviano; comics from contemporary contributors Peter Kuper, Ted Rall, Keith Knight and Joey Allison Sayers; a look at MAD Magazine around the world; and much, much more!

Programming featuring MAD creators will be held through the duration of the exhibition.  Please stay tuned for announcements as special guests are confirmed.

This is a very exciting, and perhaps unprecedented, show of MAD artwork. Certainly not since the personal collection of Mark Cohen toured back in the 1990’s has this comprehensive a collection been exhibited. CAM curator Andrew Farago mentioned that he considers this one of, if not THE, greatest collection of artwork he’s ever assembled in his many years at the museum. I have no idea when, but will definitely be going out to San Francisco to see the show, and maybe some of that “programming” they mention above will take place then!

Oh, and if anyone is wondering, my “creative process” as mentioned refers to the fact that I sent them the preliminary pencil roughs, final inks and then a printout of the finished color art for two parody splash pages, which I presume they will be hanging together, so visitors will see some of the stages of a MAD job.