Marvel Goes Mad Or Dies Trying!

Soon after the cancellation of Not Brand Echh, Marvel published a completely brand new satire comic dubbed Spoof in 1970. This one was much more like MAD magazine and not MAD the comic book, or at least that was the impression since this comic eschewed the use of superheroes in the parodies of current TV shows and movies. As you can tell from the debut infinite cover the debut issue took on Dark Shadows, The Mod Squad, and the movie Marooned. I picked this comic up on the stands, attracted by the exceedingly handsome Marie Severin cover and remembering enjoying it. For many years I wondered slightly why I didn't get anymore issues, but when I filled the blanks in my Marvel collection in the 80's I discovered that the reason that they didn't do any new Spoofs for a few years, the second issue being dated November 1972. 

Beneath what I'm confident is a Severin sibling cover (Marie inked by John) the second issue offers up spoofs of All in the Family, Tarzan of the Apes, and Tales from the Crypt. 

Under an outstanding satire cover loaded with timely celebrities (including the then current president and vice-president) by Marie Severin the third issue gave us parodies of the movie Frogs and the TV show The Partridge Family. In addition one feature speculated on the incredible possibility of celebrities becoming president. Yikes we are living that nightmare. 

The fourth issue lampooned Blacula (which is really hard to do) and Marcus Welby M.D. as well as giving a satiric take on celbrities as Santa. 

 The Spoof series came to an abrupt halt with issue five which took on Rod Serling's creepy Night Gallery and the movie 1776. Also more celebrity jokes speculating how said celebrities might endure the end of the world. 

The talent on Spoof was not unimpressive with the aforementioned Severins as well as Henry Scarpelli, Win Mortimer, Warren Satler, and Stu Schwartzburg. Inks on many of Marie's covers and stories were done often by Herb Trimpe and the likes of Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt. Marv Wolfman and Len Wein did a great deal of the writing as well as Steve Gerber. 

At the same time that Spoof was coming out, Not Brand Echh stories were being reprinted in a comic called Crazy, a title from Marvel's Atlas past. We are treated to a few new Marie covers during this short run. 

Arrgh! was a 1974 attempt in color comic form with more great Marie Severin on covers and a story here and there and featuring the return of NBE stalwart Tom Sutton. The highlight of the run is a parody of Night Stalker with art by Jerry Grandenetti. These comics were a blend of old and new with repritns from the 1950's Crazy and the later Ross Andru and Mike Esposito effort Get Lost!

Marvel would make another stab at the MAD market with a another rag called Crazy, this time magazine sized and black white like its inspiration, and that would find some success for many years.

A few decades later Marvel revived Not Brand Echh under a fresh new title What The..?! which played off another title What If? I suppose. It was a dandy effort using some of the better talent of its time. 

 

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