By this time MAD was no longer an awkward new comic, it was developing a style and reputation of being a hard hitting nothing-sacred satirical kind of mag that took no prisoners – among pre-teens, anyway.
I don’t think they realized they were molding impressionable minds and changing people’s life directions. The comic definite had a personality of its own.
The Cover above was drawn by Will Elder which reflects the last story KANE KEEN, which was drawn by Will Elder.
At that time EC publications a Know Your Artist, usually on every comic to tell a little more about the one who drew one of the stories in the comic, although one time in one of their science fiction titles they featured writer Ray Badbury*. I think the plan was to build a following and maybe even a fan club. Below is a tongue-in-cheek version of that made about EC and MAD’s publisher William M. Gaines. Which goes to show you, they even made fun of themselves.
Here are the first and last pages of the stories in MAD #5:
OUTER SANCTON draw by Will Elder is poking at a radio show back then named INNER SANCTON. I remember it was scary and they opened each week by an imaginary door squeaking opened to get to the host, who had a cruel laugh, which may have been Vincent Price, I forgot.
BLACK and BLUE HAWKS was about the comic aviator freedom fighter heroes THE BLACK HAWK. I used to love that comic. It is illustrated by Wally Wood.
MILTIE OF THE ROYAL MOUNTIES by John Severin is about a certain hero of the Royal Mounties – I can’t think of his name at the moment….it wasn’t Miltie.
KANE KEEN, PRIVATE EYE by Jack Davis covered a bunch of one office private eyes that were in pulp fiction, radio, and movies – I THE JURY by Mickey Spillane comes to mind.
*I think they printed the Ray Bradbury article after he caught them stealing some of his stories and they came to an agreement for them to “adopt” some more – for a fee this time.
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