MAD - Cover to Cover: 48 Years, 6 Months, & 3 Days of MAD Magazine Covers

Book Description

Collected here for the first time in one easy-to-dispose-of volume is an inside look at the outside of Mad. Launched in 1952 as a ten-cent comic book, Mad was transformed three years later into a twenty-five cent (cheap!) magazine. Over the years one thing remained constant: Every issue had a cover. And here they are, complete with running commentary by Mad's poet laureate, Frank Jacobs. Join idiot cover boy Alfred E. Neuman as he's depicted by the magazine's greatest cover artists, including Norman Mingo, Kelly Freas, Richard Williams, Mort Drucker, chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs, and Leonardo da Vinci. Including rare, never-before-seen art, photos, and sketches, Mad: Cover to Cover is a fifty-year roundup of Mad humor from its humble inception right up to the present as it celebrates its 400th issue as the world's foremost satire magazine. Hoohah!

Customer Reviews:

Five Stars Plus.......2006-07-23

Among the most enjoyable books of my experience. Just the high quality reproduction of the covers would make this a great book. Add to that a fantastic presentation! Amazingly done.
A richly savory festival of imagination, creativity, insight(cultural, sociological, philosophical, etc.) and, of course, delightful humor and splendiferous transcendental artwork. Lots of charming tidbits including photos, extra art reproductions, etc.
Thanks Frank and The Usual Gang for this inundation of funshine and good cheer!

Best sight gags ever, although some background needed.......2005-03-26

If there are better sight gags than those on the cover of Mad magazine, then I have yet to see them. This book is a collection of the first 400 covers and some of them had me hysterical with laughter. My favorite was the one where Alfred is holding a hard taco shell behind a Mexican dog that is straining mightily. Others were just as funny, although some did require explanation. The producers of the magazine were not above applying a little duplicity when creating the covers.
The only drawback for younger readers will be that knowledge of the current events of the time is a precondition if you are to get the joke. For example, some covers feature political figures, and if you don't know anything about them, the joke is lost. Other covers are spoofs of hit movies of the time, so the explanatory captions are a welcome addition. Having lived through those times, I understood most of them, but there were a few times when I didn't understand the joke until I read the caption.
This book is very funny and you cannot help but be impressed by the quality of the artwork and the zany intelligence that went into the covers of Mad. The producers of Mad constantly lampooned themselves as idiots, but they were without question geniuses.

a must have book for mad readers.......2004-10-13

this book is well designd and gives all the information about the covers over the years, including notes about the spacial covers.
i highly recomand this book to any mad reader.

How the 'usual gang of idiots' spent forty-eight years........2002-11-24

The first copy of Mad I saw was issue 29 in September 1956 (still got it too) and I was hooked. How could a magazine be so funny and be so spot-on with its satire? Easy, just employ the `usual gang of idiots' that's how. I kind of grew out of it when I discovered the National Lampoon, how could a magazine be so funny etc, etc. But I have always had a soft spot for Mad and this book of covers is a super addition to my back issues and other Mad books.

All 399 (up to November 2000) covers are in this well designed and printed book Mostly one or two covers to a page sometimes with Frank Jacobs' commentary and with a lot of the latter covers you get to see the preliminary cover roughs. As the years go by you can see how the covers changed from simple visual gags into ones that are much more graphic and busy because they have to work harder on the newsstand. The ideas are still very funny after all these years though. My favorite is issue 35 (October 1957) a wraparound that celebrated the fifth anniversary with a great painting from Norman Mingo showing a few dozen very famous American merchandising characters seated round a dining table, Alfred's at one end grinning. I would love this as a poster.

I think it is worth mentioning for Mad fans the seven CD-ROM `Totally Mad' set, every page from the issue one thru to December 1998, the interface is very user friendly and the discs have a lot of additional aural and visual surprises.

BTW, Robert Silver's photmosaic book cover, made up from the magazines covers, is stunning.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

BEST BOOK EVER.......2001-08-17

I loved this book , mostly because Im a mad magazine FAN!!! BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! GREAT BOOK

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Gripping
DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! A TRUE TREASURE!!!!!
a touching, tender story
supermarket pasta salad.
Quick, compelling read

A Year and a Day: A Novel
Leslie Pietrzyk
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060554665
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Book Description

Fifteen-year-old Alice dreams of her first kiss, has sleepovers, auditions for Our Town, and tries to pass high school biology. It's 1975, and at first look, her life would seem to be normal and unexceptional. But in the world that Leslie Pietrzyk paints, every moment she chronicles is revealed through the kaleidoscope of loss, stained by the fact that Alice's mother, without warning, note, or apology, deliberately parks her car on the railroad tracks, in the path of an oncoming train.

In the emotional year that follows, Alice and her older brother find themselves in the care of their great aunt, forced to cope and move forward. Lonely and confused, Alice absorbs herself in her mother Annette's familiar rituals, trying to recapture their connection -- only to be stunned by the sound of her mother's voice speaking to her, engaging Alice in "conversations" and offering some insight into the life that she had led, beyond her role as Alice's mother.

Customer Reviews:

Gripping.......2006-12-07

A few days after her mother's suicide, 15-year-old Alice begins hearing her voice. Not only does Annette speak to her, but allows Alice to hold two-sided conversations, asking and answering questions.

As crazy as Alice fears she's become, she's more than happy to have her mother present...if only her mother will answer two important questions. Why would she park her car on train tracks right before the whistle blew? And who is the father of Alice and her older brother Will?

Annette won't give up the whole truth, though, dispensing it in bits and pieces along with advice Alice sometimes heeds, but more often, ignores. In her grief, Alice can't seem to keep away from the school bad boy, Joe Fry; while Will ignores his girlfriend and takes part in a little rebelling himself. Meanwhile, their great-aunt Aggy copes by turning herself into an "artiste," much to the teens' dismay.

Someone told Alice she'd be fine a year after her mother's death; but all she finds is that everyone is full of secrets, many of which she'll never know the answers to.

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! A TRUE TREASURE!!!!!.......2006-11-13

A YEAR AND A DAY deals with the loss - through suicide - of Alice and Will's mother. The story is narrated by 15 year-old Alice and is set in rural Iowa during the 70's. Great memories there if you were a young adult during that era!!!!!!!!!!!!

The kicker is this -- Alice hears her Mom's voice from beyond -- and has almost daily conversations with her. Sound crazy? It is NOT. This book is so unique and very, very good.

After Alice's mom kills herself, the family is devasted. Alice and her older, much adored brother, Will, live with their great Aunt Aggy. Confused, lonely, grief-stricken, they try to pick up their lives and attempt to get through the FIRST YEAR of grief. Alice has been assured by her high school principal that she will be OK after that first year. Anyone who has ever lost somebody they love truly knows this is NOT the case.

With her mom talking to her, Alice attempts to get through her days. Her friends treat her differently now that her mom has killed herself, her aunt seems to have gone off the deep end, her brother, dealing with his own grief, has started to hang out with the town's bad boy, Joe Fry. Alice has never felt so alone in her life.

Through her Mom's "chats", Alice finds things out about her Mom that she never knew or realized. She now understands that her Mom was a PERSON too -- had loves, hopes, dreams, hates, and was also once a young teenage girl and not just always her MOM. She also learns things about her never known father and her mother's life with him. Plus, her mom is there to guide Alice through some rough situations.

Alice takes us through her days at school, life in small-town rural Iowa, and her first major love, bad boy, Joe Fry. Joe, while being considered the bad boy of the town, is not. He wears his hair too long, goes to class when he feels like it, drives too fast, drinks too much, has no curfew or rules; he is a free soul. Yet, he is very supportive of Alice and wow, I fell for him myself. He is kind, caring, considerate, wise, and romantic. He plays baseball with Alice's brother Will and the two boys are good friends. He helps Alice deal with many things that happen during this first year.

You will meet a great cast of characters -- Alice's good friends, Linda and Becky, her teachers, her aunt's reluctant boyfriend, mothers in the neighborhood, and the town tramp, Paula Elam, who becomes Alice's friend and much, much more. While Paula is the town's bad girl, she and Alice have more in common than they realize and their lives will become intertwined.

This was a great book. From the reviews I have read it seems not to have been read or enjoyed much for the past two to three years. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE -- read this book. It was magnificent!!!!

For anyone who has lost somebody, this book is a must. For me, that first year was tough and I was relieved when it was OVER. It seemed to be a milestone and an accomplishment that I could make it through that first year. To quote from the book -- "Mr. Rhinehart had told me I would be fine after one year. Like something magic was supposed to happen right after that 365th day ended and you were on to the 366th. But it didn't work that way, not for Mrs. Elam, not for Mama, not for me or for anyone."

This book is NOT sad, it is funny, has a great story-line, wonderful characters, and should not be missed.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!

Pam

a touching, tender story.......2004-07-14

A Year and a Day provides a chronicle of one person's search for answers to the questions that accompany an untimely death. Although the death in the book is a suicide, the same chorus of "why, why, why?" accompanies any unexpected death. The questions in this book are asked by 15-year old Alice as she tries to restore her life after it has been turned topsy-turvy by her mother's suicide.

Alice's world--1975 small-town Iowa--is lovingly and deftly created. Midwestern readers of a certain age can enjoy reliving their days of small-town rhythms, slumber parties, detasseling corn, and Jell-o salads. (Iowa still leads the nation in per capita Jell-o consumption.) Readers can also note that some things have changed-e.g., a pregnancy out of wedlock being such a social stigma that Paula Eland has to be sent out of town during her pregnancy. And, coming of age, realizing that things are not always as they seem, that there are no easy answers are experiences common to humankind.

It is frustrating to never learn the reasons for Mamma's suicide, but Alice comes to realize that there are not only no easy answers, sometimes there are no answers at all. Throughout the book Alice asks the unanswerable questions. Readers who have experienced such a loss will relate to Alice and may even hope that she finds the answers she is seeking. Yet we know in our hearts that the asking is part of healing and the echoes of the unanswered questions will last a lifetime.

supermarket pasta salad........2004-07-07

A Year and a Day is the typical, if not tired renditon of a coming of age teenage daugter and her coming of age brother dealing with the inexplicable suicide of their mother. Said mother 'speaks' to the daughter, espousing superficial, mostly, irrevalent insight and Hallmark-isms that she seemingly was unable to produce when alive. The genuineness of the book would have been enhanced by deleting the deceased mothers verbage, which was trite and poorly developed, and extremely sacchrine. I read to the end only to find out why the mother was in such despair and I was sorely disappointed.

Quick, compelling read.......2004-05-16

I got up early this morning to finish reading this book. It was engrossing, and well-written. Leslie Pietrzyk's writing is smooth and enjoyable, without any annoying snags or plot deviations. As a reader, you have to accept the voice of the dead mother as possible, but because Mama interjects into Alice's thoughts so seamlessly, I didn't question it.

Customer Reviews:

great!.......2006-02-21

i love this cartoonist and this compendium is really great. highly recommended.

i am not much of a reviewer, but the cartoons are endearing and lovely, with all sorts of little details to make you laugh again upon rereading. quirky things about growing up in MN in the 70's/ 80's or whenever. i love it.

Best in Books : Elephant Hill (complete novel)/ Steps in Time / The Golden Coast / the Last Nine Days of the Bismark (complete book)/ the Shanghi Item / a Year in Paradise / Too Near the Throne (complete novel)

Average customer rating:

Best in Books : Elephant Hill (complete novel)/ Steps in Time / The Golden Coast / the Last Nine Days of the Bismark (complete book)/ the Shanghi Item / a Year in Paradise / Too Near the Throne (complete novel)
Robin / Astaire, Fred / Kane, Harnett T./ F White
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O06W5S

Dame Curtsey's book of novel entertainments for every day in the year

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Dame Curtsey's book of novel entertainments for every day in the year
Ellye Howell Glover
Manufacturer: A.C. McClurg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B0008B1GOU

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"Dame Curtsey's" book of novel entertainments for every day in the year,
Ellye Howell Glover
Manufacturer: A.C. McClurg & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000869YHQ

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The Days Between the Years: A Novel
Sherry Austin
Manufacturer: Overmountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

A heartwarming story of a widow who rediscovers her distant past, this historical novel centers on Trixie Goforth as she revisits her former life. Trixie and her family are decorating the Christmas tree when she stumbles upon an old ornament and is reminded of a forgotten history. Through her memories, she reveals the sacrifices and compromises she made as a young woman to please her family, and her children discover she had a wild and reckless romantic nature that she had kept hidden for years. In the midst of the Great Depression and World War II, Trixie found warmth, family, and a first love; these cherished memories rewarm her present life, as she learns she may be celebrating her last Christmas.

I Shall Never Speak: A Novel (A Novel in the "Days & Years" Series)

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I Shall Never Speak: A Novel (A Novel in the "Days & Years" Series)
Gina V. Kaiper
Manufacturer: Days & Years Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Domestic Life | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964520621

Customer Reviews:

one of the best daredevil storys ever made .......2007-07-27

As far as superhero origin's stories are concerned, there's an infinite number of ways to skin the cat. In Daredevil: Yellow, the fan-favorite creative team of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale (of Batman: Long Halloween and Dark Victory fame) tell their version of Matt Murdock's origin and early career, using his brief stint in that atrocious yellow costume as the overriding concept of the miniseries. The story is framed by Matt Murdock's grief-laden letters to the deceased Karen Page, and while the narration gets a bit melodramatic and heavy-handed at times, the story is somehow able to maintain a fun, light-hearted tone. Loeb doesn't exactly introduce anything new to the Daredevil mythos, but he does an enjoyable and commendable job visiting some crucial moments in Matt Murdock's life while perfectly capturing the voices and personalities of Daredevil's supporting cast. The star of this show is Sale, who provides more of his unique style of art and keen eye for storytelling.

Loeb & Sale re-tell Daredevil.......2007-06-24

Daredevil: Yellow is a sort of re-telling of the origins of the blind superhero, with longtime partners Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale in the driver's seat. Ignoring the gritty re-telling of Frank Miller with The Man Without Fear, Yellow is instead a poignant tale in which Matt Murdock reminisces of the lost love that was Karen Page. It also gives a further detail into the changing of the Daredevil costume from the original yellow to the beloved red one we all know today. While Loeb's touching story is a nice surprise given the ultra gritty track record of the character, cynical readers of Yellow will probably dismiss it as a whole. That aside, Loeb spins a good and heart filled yarn, while Tim Sale provides his usual beautiful artwork. In terms of origin stories, I still prefer Miller's, as many do, but Yellow is a welcome change of pace regardless, and definitely worth adding to your Daredevil collection whether your a fan of the character or the works of Loeb and Sale.

One word.......Beautiful.......2005-12-03

Yet another masterpiece by the team of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale(Batman: A Long Halloween, Superman: For All Seasons, Hulk: Gray). When these two work together, magic happens.

This, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful, and possibly THE most beautiful Daredevil story ever written. This TPB is about Matt Murdock remembering his humble beginnings as Daredevil, and his first love, Karen Page. By the way, the book is called Daredevil: Yellow because the original Daredevil actually had a mainly yellow costume, later changed to all red. Anyways, this book tells of DD's origins, his boxer father, his run-ins with several villians like the Owl and Electro, and of course, his love for Karen Page. With guest appearance by the Fantastic Four, just a short cameo appearance though. This story is so touching and beautiful, you'll find yourself reading it again and again. I, for one, read the book in one sitting. Jeph Loeb did a superb job here writing this masterpiece story.

Now let's not forget the beautiful art by Tim Sale. His art in here is soft and beatiful, and works so well with the touching storyline by Jeph Loeb. The illustrations really put you right there with Matt and Karen in the comic book.

A must-have, especially if you are a Daredevil fan, beautiful, touching, and definitely a masterpeice. Other Marvel books by this team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are Spider-man: Blue, and Hulk: Gray, both are also beautiful and touching, just like DD: Yellow. If you like this, I suggest you get a copy of the other two books. Enjoy!

Best.......2005-08-14

This is the Daredevil comic too buy
Most of it isn't supposed to be tragic because it is about how Daredevil recollects some of the times about his humble beginnings as a super hero and district attorney Besides it is tragic because karen is dead and his father dies The plot they use to introduce the story is very intriguing
The artwork is too good for words
The blend of fighting with his earliest foes as Daredevil and the life he starts and shares after college with Foggy and Karen as Matt Murdock and Daredevil is great
The romantic comedy fits in perfectly with the way the plot was done and was enjoyingly refreshing and the good thing was that there was still just the right amount of action

Daredevil ; Yellow.......2004-02-09

Well I've just got round to reading it and thoroughly enjoyed it . DD has probably been , over the years , my favourite solo Marvel character . From his launch , through the glorious Colan years , and then the revitalisation under McKenzie , Miller and laterly Smith and Bendis.

I think Frank Miller did the definitive origin of his version in the Man Without Fear book but for us old-timers this is the origin of the character we were first introduced to by Stan , Bill and Wally which would later lead us to the swashbuckling Romita and Colan version.

Going back and expanding on Stan's origin , and the artwork too , especially , turned back the clock to those days I'd cycle round looking for tha latest issues in the local newsagents.

I don't think there's too many heroes out there who have had two such great books written in recent years re-telling their origin as DD.

Terry

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Deceptive Refugees

That was good...

This could make a sci-fi fan out of anyone

The Sails of Tau Ceti
Michael McCollum
Manufacturer: Sci Fi-Arizona
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Procyon's Promise

Antares Victory

Antares Dawn

Life Probe

A Greater Infinity

ASIN: 192938114X

Book Description

Trade paperback version of science fiction novel. Originally published by Del Rey.

Book is large format, printed on bright white paper, perfect bound, with full color, plastic laminated covers. Books are autographed by the author.

Customer Reviews:

Deceptive Refugees.......2007-08-09

Humanity is delighted when it discovers an artifact heading towards Earth from Tau Ceti, especially since that star recently became a nova rather unexpectedly. They are thrilled when they realize that the artifact is a ship carrying refugees. Some are xenophobic but most are eager to get their hands on some first class alien technology. An expedition is dispatched to meet the ship and all goes well...almost too well.

The aliens seem to know a lot about humanity. In fact, their knowledge seems uncanny and even frightening at times as they try to mimic their hosts. One person, though, learns the reason for this. They are not a simple group of refugees. They have much bigger plans and the survival of humanity depends upon treason and deception.

This is a well written and crafted story for most of its extent. The end is a bit draggy but it is worth reading.

That was good..........2002-05-13

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great combination of real science and a fictional story. It really grabbed my interest and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

This could make a sci-fi fan out of anyone.......2000-10-12

What a pleasant surprise this book was! From the beginning I found the plot incredibly intriguing and the writing style engrossing. Less than halfway through the book one is confronted with a moral delimma I hope we never have to face as humans. In fact, it's one of the most unique and difficult choices imaginable. How it's resolved, as this remarkable story unfolds, is fascinating. Needless to say, I loved this book and recommend it highly.

Average customer rating:

The Sails of Tau Ceti
Michael A. McCollum
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVNUFM

Book Description

With eloquent simplicity, Bear Heart, a full-blooded and traditionally trained healer of the Muskogee Creek tribe, shares a lifetime of training. In sections titled "The Cure Lies Within You" and "Learning How To Live," Bear Heart weaves together anecdotes and philosophy to show how traditional tribal wisdom can help us maintain mental, spiritual and physical health in today's world. We journey with him from his initiation into the Muskogee Creek's "medicine ways" in 1938 (when he walked unharmed through a den of rattlesnakes) to his role as a respected elder and counselor whose gentle words spring from a lifetime of service. He describes the lessons learned in ceremonies conducted in the sweat lodge and the Native American Church; he explains why Native people pray with peyote and smoke the Sacred Pipe and how vision quests can bring clarity and personal revelation. Throughout, Bear Heart's teachings stress the importance of self-knowledge, integrity, and being open to the guidance of the Great Spirit. Through inspiring stories and examples, he teaches us how to live.

Customer Reviews:

The Wind Is My Mother.......2007-06-09

Bear Heart successfully links traditional beliefs to contemporary times to help the reader understand the Native American culture. The life lessons and principles that he shares can be applied by anyone interested in enriching his/her spiritual life. I selected as a reading for my book club (a diverse group of individuals) and it was well received and enjoyed by all.

The Wind is My Mother.......2007-05-12

Very insightful and honest. For those of you that like American Indian stories, this is the book for you.

Excellent Book !!.......2007-03-24

I realy enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it!
A must read!!

~~~~Treasures~~~~~

Honest and from the heart........2007-01-20

Having read many books and heard many teachers of shamaic and native american teachings my heart and spirit truely opened and felt at peace reading every word of this beautiful book. Such simple and heart felt wisdom for all of us. I truely feel that if we could all embrase this beautiful life and planet that we share so much of the worlds problems would no longer be. Thank you for writing such a simple and enlightening book Bear Heart, I will be sharing it with many and encouraging many to read it.
Tania "Little Hawk" Dawkins.

Bear Heart touched my heart.......2007-01-11

Over the past years, I have had several copies of this book. Each time I loan one out, it seems to get passed around in an ever wider circle. I have read this book many times thru the years, and each time find beauty in it's pages. For anyone who is open to the Wisdom of the Native Americans, this is a "must read". I teach spirituality classes for an inter-faith group, and this book is required reading. "The Wind Is My Mother" has great depth and range. It is a book that you can read, experience life, and read again. Read first the very last page of this book, and then read the book! May it help you to find more balance and peace in your life.

Wind Is My Mother - Life And Teachings Of A Native American Shaman

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Wind Is My Mother - Life And Teachings Of A Native American Shaman
Molly Bear Heart; Larkin
Manufacturer: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VXSA3U

THE WIND IS MY MOTHER - THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF A NATIVE AMERICAN SHAMAN

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THE WIND IS MY MOTHER - THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF A NATIVE AMERICAN SHAMAN

Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H13YQY

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