SUNDAY FUNNIES!!

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Today Sunday Funnies looks at the second issue of MAD comicbook, which is appropriately numbered MAD #2.

Again, we are just looking at the introductory splash pages of each story.


The cover was drawn by Jack Davis. Jack also illustrated the first story HEX! which is about witchcraft, false promises, and baseball. I think Jack Davis (a Georgian) is an excellent illustration of sport actions. His ability to demonstrate body language is – well, very good.


The next story GOOKUM is illustrated by Wally Wood. Wally could draw little critters and science fiction better than anyone. When he drew a future gizmo with its shiny metallic look, with dials and wires, you would almost think it was a photograph of the real non-existant thing.



The next story MELVIN! was really MELVIN OF THE APES… which was the first target satire or lampoon that MAD did of an real subject… in this case, TARZAN OF THE APES. Up until now MAD’s satires were of vague subjects that couldn’t sue such as gangsters, ball players, Voodoo, haunted houses, and so on.

MELVIN! was drawn by John Severin. His sister Marie Severin did the coloring for EC comics. John was an uniform expert in EC war comic line. I thought he was a good artist. Harvey Kurtzman the editor admitted John was good. But evidently Harvey thought John wasn’t good enough for MAD, he didn’t last many issues.



MOLE! illustrated by Will Elder was really MELVIN MOLE, a low life human who could dig himself in or out of anything for devious reasons. Will Elder specialized in inner-city action.

After-note: After I already posted this I went on a blog stroll checking on the blogs I like to read and saw that Bhob Stewart's Potrzebrie also had MELVIN MOLE. Bhob related Melvin Mole to a character in Dick Tracy named MOLE. I didn't realize that or I would have mentioned it. See how just a little knowledge can be dangerous?