The Must See Norman Rockwell Museum MAD Magazine Exhibit
My cartoonist colleague (and wife), Liza Donnelly and I traveled a short distance north on Sunday to see the truly fab MAD Magazine exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. A big round of applause to the co-curators, Stephanie Plunkett (Chief Curator of the NRM) and Steve Brodner as well as all the folks working behind the scenes.
On our day at the museum, the galleries were filled with visitors (it reminded me of a Cindy Sherman exhibit I saw in Manhattan long ago where you had to look around visitors to see the photographs). A definite buzz (a happy buzz!) pervaded the museum.
Such was the cross pollination of MAD and The New Yorker in recent years that there is work exhibited by a number of folks familiar to the latter’s readers. Of all these artists, I’ll single out Peter Porges, who was one of MAD’s veteran “Usual Gang Of Idiots”; Mr. Porges’ New Yorker contributions began in 1965.
My biggest take-away from the show, other than being impressed by the exhibit itself, was the size of much of the original art, both the covers and the interior pieces. This page by Don Martin, for instance, is, to my eyes, at least four times larger than it appeared in MAD.
It was great to see so many MAD covers by so many artists. I found myself looking up close to a number of pieces — they were so pristine they could’ve been prints, but they were not.
Was so happy to see, for the very first time, original work by MAD artist, Dave Berg. Although I was deep into the entire MAD ethos as a kid, it’s Berg’s work — especially in his “Lighter Side Of…” pieces — that left a lasting impression.
The display cases were a particular favorite: Alfred E. Neuman records, puzzles, a mask, several busts (you see them top of this post), a history of Mr. Neuman, a Spy vs. Spy display (there are, of course, a number of Spy panels hung on the wall). Great to see originals of my New Yorker colleague, Peter Kuper‘s Spy work.
A favorite wall is just a few feet from where one enters the exhibit: a number of the first issues of Mad are displayed.
With my knowledge of MAD history and its contributing characters so-so, I found the placards around the galleries particularly informative. The final section devoted to MAD as it is in this day and age, was, as it could only be, a bit of cold water in the face after such a wonderfully woozy ride through the previous eras of MAD. But such is publishing life. “What, me worry?”
–all photos by Spill photographer, Liza Donnelly
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Pub Day for Asher Perlman’s Well, This Is Me
Any day a cartoon collection by a New Yorker cartoonist is published is a good day. Today is one of those days.
Well, This Is Me, from Asher Perlman, a contributor to the magazine since June of 2021, is out today (Andrews McMeel is the publisher). A hearty congratulations from The Spill to Mr. Perlman.
You can order Well, This Is Me here, and/or likely can find it in your local bookstore.
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