Totally MAD: 60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity and Stupidity

I’m currently in San Diego for Comic-Con, and will post some reports from San Diego in the next few days. MAD just announced this upcoming book, which it is debuting at Comic-Con (I am not sure what that means . . . maybe they have an advanced copy or some other sneak peek . . . I’ll let you know). I am told I have a fair number of pieces in it:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Time Home Entertainment Inc. and 

MAD Magazine Announce
Totally MAD:
60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity and Stupidity

Foreword by Stephen Colbert and Eric Drysdale 

Includes “The Soul of MAD,”A Removable Set of 12 Classic MAD Cover Prints ¬¨‚Ć

On Sale October 30 at Retailers Nationwide

Totally MAD to Premiere at Comic-Con on July 14 

New York, NY, July 10, 2012 – To celebrate MAD Magazine‘s 60^th anniversary, Time Home Entertainment Inc. is foolishly teaming up with MAD Magazine on 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.

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:

• Spy vs. Spy
• Al Jaffee’s MAD Fold-in
• Sergio Aragon?¬©s’ A MAD Look At…
• David Berg’s The Lighter Side of…
• Outrageous artwork of Don Martin and Tom Bunk
• Movie and TV satires by Mort Drucker, Jack Davis and Tom Richmond
• The MAD Strip Club
• The Fundalini Pages
• And much more

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!

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 Aragon?¬©s. Fans can find out what’s happening with America’s most famous humor magazine¬¨‚Ćand 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. Media is invited to attend.

Press Contact: Sabrina Strauss – (212) 576-2700 / sstrauss@goodmanmedia.com

Totally MAD
From Time Home Entertainment Inc. and MAD Magazine
Publication date: October 30, 2012
$34.95
Hardcover

About MAD Magazine:
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, MAD Magazine is America’s longest-running humor publication with that title. MAD has entertained, inspired and occasionally revolted generations of readers by satirizing politicians, celebrities, sports and pop culture. Whether in print, on television, the web or the iPad, MAD remains a cultural touchstone. MAD Magazine is part of DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, though they frequently deny it.