MAD Magazine, one of the most widely circulated satirical magazines in the United States, will cease selling at the end of this year.
MAD's DC Entertainment company (yes, Batman and Superman) announced that the magazine will be updated to its 10th issue this year, and that it will no longer appear in newsstands by the end of the year.
This means that MAD Magazine's nearly seven decades of humorous satire will come to an end at the end of the year.
We talk about it today, of course, because it occupies an important position in the media world. In the 50s and 70s, when censorship culture was prevalent in the United States, MAD's "teen" magazine filled the void of political satire. Through it, adolescents expand different areas of knowledge, understand different social perspectives and build political leanings.
Surveys estimate that 43 percent of high school students and 58 percent of college students read the magazine in the 1960s, and it became one of the most widely read countercultural publications. Although ostensibly a magazine for teenagers, the sharp cultural output appeals to readers of all ages, and the voice of irony makes it easy for readers to find resonance in life.
Foreign language version
Just as many major magazines had a glorious past, MAD magazine has sold more than 400 million copies since 1960 and more than 100,000 readers in 1969, an achievement that other comic book journals of the same period cannot match. In 1974, there was a spike in average sales of more than 2.13 million copies per issue of the magazine, which was most popular in 13 foreign languages.
MAD Magazine, which occupies a major position in the newsstand market, although more "safe" than other comic book publications, has not escaped the fate of declining overall sales. In the late 1990s, magazine sales fell to less than 300,000 copies, and by 2002 it had sold fewer than 250,000 copies.
Average magazine sales figures
Judging from the content of the statement, DC did not indicate the specific reason for the suspension. The media believes that the internet "killed" it. For readers, they are both a source of inspiration for satirical creation and an audience, and such a closed loop may be better able to play a humorous effect, but the backward speed of the magazine compared to the Internet may greatly weaken the power of humor - by the time it reaches the reader, these otherwise funny comedic effects will be "outdated".
The cover of the April 1959 issue is also very suitable for today
Sales of less than 140,000 copies in 2017 were clearly unable to support the team's operations, and MAD was briefly suspended after the publication of the 550th issue at the end of that year, and then restarted in April 2018. Foreign editions such as Sweden and Italy have also been suspended many times.
Cover of Issue 550
If you search for the magazine on Facebook or Twitter, you'll see a lot of Big V fans lamenting the news.
Jake Tapper, chief correspondent for ANews
American cartoonist and television writer Judd Winick
The BBC, abcNEWS, CNN, almost all of the foreign media you know about reported it. The Washington Post defined it as a precursor to modern satire.
The Washington Post headlined: "MAD, a pioneer of modern satire, will stop publishing new content."
Journalist David Von Drehle's column headline is more direct: "The demise of MAD is part of the end of the world."
The DAILY BEAST, titled "MAD taught us to ridicule, but now we laugh at it in reverse," illustrates that MAD seems superfluous to today's younger generation.
But the magazine's impact is clearly more far-reaching. If you look closely at the subtitle, it says: Without the magazine, there would be no popular comedy show Saturday Night Live, and no great talk show host like David Letterman.
The famous comic book website comicsbeat.com regards the discontinuation of MAD as "the real tragic end of an era" as "the real tragic end of an era."
The comic book website comicsbeat.com title reads: "MAD is over, this is the real tragic end of an era".
In the United States, people born between 1946 and 1964 are known as "baby boomers," a time when MAD was founded and became wildly popular. The New York Times report headlined: "The Anti-Baby Boomer Humor Bible MAD is Dying."
Well, let's see what kind of magazine is about to say goodbye— though it's too late.
1. A boy named Newman
Few magazines are indistinguishable as indie, and MAD is one of them. Even if you haven't read this magazine, you'll be impressed by this little boy with freckles on his face and a grin that lacks one front tooth.
Originally MAD editor Harvey Kurtzman saw a picture of a grinning boy on a bulletin board in his office and decided to use him as an image for MAD magazine. Prior to this, the image of this little boy had appeared on the promotional pages of dental advertisements several times.
In 1954, the kid became a fictionalist for the magazine, which was later named Alfred E. Neuman by the second editor-in-chief, AI Feldstein. In the decades that followed, Newman's image appeared on more than 500 covers of MAD magazine, and was frequently quoted in the outside media, appearing in political cartoons.
2. The Simpsons
MAD magazine debuted in 1952 and was originally presented as a comic book, published by DC Comics, which published famous comics such as Superman and Batman. It was transformed into a magazine form three years later, and magazine comic plots were often featured in movies and TV shows. Among them, "Saturday Night Live", "The Simpsons" and "South Park" have become the magazine's TV representative programs.
Mad magazine appeared on "The Simpsons."
3. Editor-in-chief of GQ
MAD has influenced a generation of comedians and cartoonists, from late-night host Stephen Colbert to comic book writer Spiegelman, and it was also the enlightenment magazine for former GQ editor-in-chief Jim Nelson.
Jim Nelson
Before becoming an editor at GQ, he worked at CNN to study current affairs and news, and later began to work as an assistant screenwriter, responsible for recording and sorting out comedy memes, and MAD as a comedy template gave him a lot of inspiration.
Jim Nelson worked for GQ AMERICA magazine, a men's fashion magazine full of American humor and visual creativity, and he has made it clear on many occasions that he was influenced by MAD.
4. "No ads" strategy
MAD had no ad layout for 44 years, and publisher Gaines thought that printing ads in a satirical context would weaken its power and seem hypocritical. The magazine survived on the cost of publication until its circulation was reduced in 2001, when the magazine was soft on advertising to pay for color printing. 5. Kennedy
The Comics News Site points out that MAD has had two great periods in its long publishing history.
The first was in the 1950s, when it was known for its satires of authority figures, a comic book domination full of politics and pop culture, with politicians (especially the president) becoming the main object of magazine satire.
Before the 1960 presidential election, MAD printed a cover of Newman congratulating Kennedy on his victory, with the headline "We've Always Been with You, Jack [Kennedy]," and was printed long before the results were made public.
Could it be that the magazine got the news in advance? In fact, when you turn the magazine over, you will find that another cover is Newman celebrating Nixon's appointment. (That is, they tell the store to place the "right" cover of the magazine based on the result.) ）
So, the magazine's double cover operation was played by MAD as early as the 70s!
In the early '70s, publisher Gaines participated in magazine promotions
6. Release miracle
The 1970s were another golden age, when the magazine's newsstand sales and circulation data made MAD a bellwether for a generation of pop culture.
Its circulation of 2.8 million in 1974 is a good example of this. Although the declining sales volume has forced them to start thinking of more commercial countermeasures, the achievements of the past are still dazzling today.
Editors of the magazine, ©Jerry Mosey
7, the audience is elsewhere - the Internet
When the Internet wasn't developed and people couldn't learn funny stories and passages from Facebook or Twitter, MAD brought these natural comedians together. They spawned a generation of humorists with unbridled satire and self-deprecation, and then brought these sensitive and funny ideas to movies, television, and the Internet.
American free humor illustrator Tom Richmond said in an interview: "The new generation has accepted the ironic influence of new media, but does not know the source (in MAD), and finally MAD is still doing sharp satirical works, and the audience is elsewhere." ”
©The Advertising Archives
Although the Internet is now very developed and mad is less influential than before, it is still widely distributed. The magazine that once defined American satire inspired many enthusiastic young people, including the famous American political activist Thomas Hayden, whose radical journey began with MAD magazine.
Imitation of the movie Poseidon's Adventures
Imitation of the movie "Ghostbusters"
8. Cartoonist's "Military Academy"
As an output channel for satirical humor, MAD provides a good platform for many painters and artists.
Disruptive mainstream humor media were uncommon at the time, and MAD regularly streamed great cartoonists like Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis. Cartoonist and illustrator Drew Friedman has been a contributor to MAD since 1994.
December 1957 issue cover theme: "Can't see evil, can't hear evil, can't say evil"
9. MAD's mission
While it sounds a bit "hilarious," this hilarious magazine has a serious mission: to encourage readers to think carefully and remain skeptical. The idea that the magazine team wants to convey is that everyone is not real, and that magazines can also deceive you and let readers know how to discern and judge. 10. History of popular culture in the United States
Almost every social boom and pop trend can not escape its bitter satire, and the cover of this magazine over the years is almost a complete history of the development of American pop culture. On the road to hilarity and sarcasm, there is nothing they dare not do.
For example, imitate famous movie characters. In the 1970s, imitation film covers were still relatively rare, and "Easy Rider", which tells the story of two young people riding a Harley off-road adventure, was one of the first models. Newman is different from other characters, and the picture of riding a tricycle is still humorous.
For example, in 2000, MAD first imitated Harry Potter's cover, which was 18 months before the first film was released.
Newman and Harry are riding together on a broom handle, the only time MAD has directly imitated one of the novels instead of the movie. Almost all of Harry Potter's follow-up films were also on the cover of the magazine.
11. Trump
Compared with imitation, satirizing presidential politicians is their highlight, and Trump has provided them with a lot of creative inspiration.
The cover, from MAD about Trump, a magazine specialty dedicated to "comedic attacks" on Trump, used readers' favorite imitations to borrow a 1960s Coppertone sunscreen ad to depict Trump grabbing Putin's swim trunks on the beach.
Putin's Newman tattoo and the slogan "Bright Humor In the Storm" make up a comical picture of Trump and the administration.
Trump, who likes to use nicknames to belittle political opponents, said when asked how he viewed Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg: "Alfred E. Neuman cannot be president of the United States", and was thus "retaliated" by the little boy. ↑
The theme of this issue is to take stock of the 20 stupidest things of 2018, and Trump's proposed Space Force plan has been selected, and MAD seems to be a platform for the satirical presidential race.
12. Obama
Obama's every move was also "cared for" by them.
Obama, who was on the cover with four cigarettes, looked stressed and had drugs on his table to treat his stomach. However, the tears in the corners of the eyes and the exaggerated expressions reveal a sense of joy, giving the reader a feeling of "I am relieved to see that you are also so difficult".
The cover cleverly turns Newman's face into Obama's, and President Newman's advice is to be calm when the dollar depreciates, credit declines, and the country's problems are serious. What can we do? The banner in your hand answers you: "We can't.".
When national security is in trouble, it's Obama who can still put out the fire. He slyly embraced the magazine's iconic spy role as a way to "solve" the NSA's espionage problem.
In 2018, U.S. telecom giant AT&T completed its acquisition of Warner Media, including MAD Magazine.
Since the acquisition, AT&T has focused on the lucrative entertainment industry, which seems like a helpless and awkward situation for the magazine. In July 2019, the company announced that it would no longer produce "new content" after MAD published its 10th issue of the year, which is a review of the previous 67 years of publication.
The current issue of MAD will also not be sold at newsstands, but will still be available in comic book stores.
MAD magazine and the surrounding ©Andrew Welsh-Huggins on display at the Ohio State University Library and Museum exhibition in 2018
Including MAD, the suspension of many magazines confirms that the cold winter of print media is still continuing, the development of the Internet has made it easy for readers to read and convert, and it is indeed a good experience for users who pursue efficiency at the same time, at the same time, the advantage of instant advertising has seriously hit traditional media - although the delivery is not necessarily so precise.
However, as an aggregator of massive amounts of information, the Internet also has problems: many information is hidden and folded, and the algorithm does not match user preferences. In the torrent of information, people are more inclined to browse biased news, and it is easy to ignore the source.
In an environment where the authenticity of content is diluted, the ability to think carefully and keep skeptical is more important than the capacity to learn, consider MAD's mission— "Encourage the reader to think carefully and remain skeptical."
Perhaps, today's Internet doesn't need it anymore.
More and more magazines are being suspended for various reasons. Some of them were fortunate to be able to resume publication, and some regrettably withdrew from the stage. But what is the same is that they have all influenced the aesthetics, thoughts and quality of life of a generation of readers.
Interview
The magazine, founded by Andy Warhol in 1969, was discontinued last May due to economic problems. Since its inception, Interview is one of the world's leading fashion magazines, and its cover has always been of a very high standard.
The magazine was rooted in New York, and established the tone of Andy Warhol's personal interviews from the beginning of its inception. Those real and interesting answers come from simple questions set up, such as "what to eat for breakfast" and "do you like to take a shower or a bath" and other daily conversations of ordinary people. These coolest and most talented movie stars, singers and artists intimately share their daily lives with readers, opening up a new mode of interviews. Including the well-known column "Q & Andy", which threw Warhol's classic questions to the stars, can still be seen in today's magazines.
Thankfully, in September last year, the acquired magazine announced the resumption of publication. The cover of the issue 521 was known as "the grandmother of the French New Wave", Agnes Varda, who was the first cover of Andy Warhol 49 years ago and her new book " Lion, Love, Lie" at the time.
Z!nk
With its bold makeup style and avant-garde styling, Z!nk magazine wins with creativity and personality while meeting the aesthetic tastes of the masses. In the United States, where there is no shortage of mainstream fashion magazines, it is a different kind.
Z!nk magazine, founded in 2002, announced its discontinuation in 2016, and like Interview, it has the good news of resuming publication in 2017.
Inventory magazine
Founded in 2009, the 7-year-old lifestyle magazine has only published 13 issues, and its slow pace hasn't dampened people's love for it. The small workshop temperament and loose street style are the main reasons why it remains unique in this era, and the lifestyle store in New York also meets the imagination of many readers for the "perfect lifestyle".
Unfortunately, after closing retail stores in New York and Vancouver, Inventory magazine has not escaped the fate of closure.
Holiday magazine
This travel magazine from the United States is called the International Travel Wish Book, and just looking at the cover can inspire readers' desire to travel. They invite famous writers to travel to their destinations for a week or two and produce articles about them, while photographers use their lenses to commemorate and tell stories for the world. In this magazine, they recorded a meal in London, a love affair in Paris, playing the piano in a silent cinema, and these light sounds like seeing a movie scene. Star editing and oversized magazine packaging have become an irreplaceable factor in Holiday.
Since its founding in 1946, the magazine has sold more than 10 million copies per issue, and by the 1950s it had earned more than 10 million a year. But that's not the most important thing for the magazine, editor Frank Zachary said in an interview, "We just want to make the best magazine." Although it was discontinued for 37 years, it was pleasantly surprised to be relaunched as a biennial in 2014 and is headquartered in an art studio in Paris.
the face magazine
Founded in 1980 by Nick Logan, a veteran British journalist, the popular culture magazine the face magazine, which mainly includes music, film, fashion and subculture, and its novel topic selection and unique typography style are sought after by young people, while also promoting the underground culture of non-mainstream markets, influencing the advertising and marketing industry in the 80s. The creative and diverse approach to photography still inspires photographers today, and it has also become the originator of niche independent magazines, and the more well-known niche magazines such as i-D and DAZED have only emerged since then.
After the turn of the millennium, due to multiculturalism and the development of new independent magazines, the face magazine continued to decline in sales, and finally ceased publication in June 2004.
Acne paper
Behind this semi-annual fashion magazine from Stockholm is the fashion brand acne studio. Their editorial team is a seasoned creator, and each issue of the magazine features a large introduction and discussion on a topic. The fields of culture, philosophy, art and fashion involved are all presented in different ways such as poetry, novels, interviews, etc., giving people a novel experience at the time.
Thomas Persson, editor-in-chief of the semi-annual magazine, said in an interview that he was tasked with "making a magazine that you think is the best", so there is this magazine "full of elegant temperament of life culture precipitation".
O:by Tank
In October 2005, The Observer, a newspaper owned by the British guardian newspaper, launched O:by Tank in partnership with the British independent magazine Tank.
Tank Magazine, considered one of the pioneering publications of boutique magazines, has founded the founding agency Tank Form, the Moving Image Gallery tank.tv and the cigarette book TankBooks, covering local culture, fashion art, architecture, technology and politics. The magazine is published in the spring and autumn of each year, with women's fashion specials and men's fashion specials.
A free app called Fashion Scan was also launched in 2012, which uses image recognition technology to correlate pages with online video content. The magazine then ceased publication in 2013.
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