The sign in the 60's that a thing was indeed worthy of serious consideration was whether it made it into the black and white pages of MAD Magazine. If Alfred E. Neuman found it interesting, then I knew I should also. In fact most of what passed for popular culture in the 60's and early 70's was filtered to me through the "Usual Gang of Idiots". And so it was with Batman the TV show. It hit like a shooting star onto the streets of America and blazed out almost as quickly but not before MAD took a crack at it. It rates a spot-on cover by Norman Mingo.
The story is called "Bats-Man" and it was written by Lou Silverstone and drawn magnificently by Mort Drucker. It makes a glancing blow at the premise of the show by sowing discord between "Bats-Man" and "Sparrow the Boy Wonderful". It seems all that crimefighting is crimping poor Sparrow's love life so he plots to end the partnership in some mighty ferocious ways. To read this blast from the past check out this handy Bat-Link to Crivens! Comics & Stuff operated by Kid a longtime reader and responder of this here Dojo.
I personally read this story this time in MAD About Super Heroes from a few decades back. It sports a delightful Alex Ross cover but inside are all the Batman parodies done to that point along with Superman and others as well. It features an introduction by Batman himself, the late great Adam West.
Rip Off
Thanks for the plug, RJ. That Batman parody is one of my very favourite MAD strips, as is 8 "James Bomb" Bomb Movies - also on my blog at "The Name's Bomb... James Bomb..." I have several reprints of the Bats-Man strip, but I've still to see the Bomb one reprinted.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. I'm going to read that James Bomb piece. I did find reference that it's been reprinted at least once in 1978 in MAD Super Special #27, though that does us little good these days. Curious as to why it doesn't rate repeats, certainly it's recognizable. Now that MAD is almost all reprint maybe they will get around to it.
DeleteIt's a pity that Mad has gone over to almost all reprint but the newer stuff ( for the most part) just isn't in the same league as that of Drucker, Jack Davis, Wood etc etc.
ReplyDeleteI think it was the context of the society which made MAD pop. Satire of all kinds is readily available in a society that has trended toward liberal attitudes despite relapses.
DeleteI meant to add this very take is reprinted along with some newer Batman parodies in the new issue of Mad (issue 23).
ReplyDeleteThat's the new issue due in the shops today actually. I had no idea my Bat coverage was so very timely. Thanks for the heads up.
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