Comic books were a major part of my literary education, as it was for so many of my fellow Baby Boomers. Most enjoyable for me were Classics Illustrated. Whimsical Wanderings is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
As a girl growing up in the 1950's. strangely enough I read my father's and grandfather's favorite books My grandfather was a WW1 Army vet and spoke French and English, He taught school in a one room school house in Wyoming. and was a revenue agent with Elliot Ness, my Dad was a ww2 navy tail gunner just home from the war. I read all the Tom Swift, John Carter of Mars, the Buffalo Bill Bathtub, King Arthur, all of Zane Grey, the whole Count of Monte Christo series, all Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Conan the Barbarian series, the iliad, Lord of the rings all, the odyssey, Twilight of the Gods, Tanglewood Tales, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, the three Musketeers series, Lorna Doone, Treasure Island, H. G. Wells all, Jules Verne all of them, Little Women series, Ben Hur, Little House on the Prairie all, The Secret Garden, Nathaniel Hawthorne's, House of the Seven Gables. and more classics from my father and grandfather's library. Curled up in my small doll house (looked like a proper house, except kid size, apples, a coca cola in a small green glass bottle with real sugar in it, Charles Chips in a yellow can. A pillow and a blanket. I was in heaven listening to the birds and the sigh of the Lake Michigan wind whistling through the tree branches.Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving. I also used to ride my bike to the library and carry home all the books that would fit in a wire basket. My first adult card that just with my signature I could invade this vast treasure of knowledge. My parents let me read any book my heart desired. When I ran out of books I vowed to read every book in the our local neighborhood library, fiction, and non-fiction. I achieved my goal one summer before sixth grade. I even read banned books from the Catholic Church newsletter, and I wondered what the fuss was about. My Dad worked for the Milwaukee Sentinel and was president of the Typographical Union. He fought Germany and Japan in WW2 and he thought the very idea of book bans was horrible and a affront to the freedom he fought for. My brain is just fine, it didn't rot, and I turned out just fine. I still read whatever I pleased and no one will ever stop me. Thousands of books over 70 years, catch me if you can, mwahaha. I even read younger my brother's Mad Magazine. too funny especially black spy vs white spy.
My older bro (by 13 months) had stacks of comic books in his room, carefully hidden from his sisters. Maybe someday I'll tell him how many times I hacked into his space and looked at them . . . Back when hacking involved opening a smelly boy's closet and brushing dust away. Those were the days!
I had no idea that MAD had such a literary / cultural legacy. Never read it, and only encountered mentions of it when I was in a sheltered house that stayed away from "worldly" things. Didn't know what I was missing, and now it's neat to hear your take on it!
Oh yeah. For those of us who read it back then, it was our wellspring, our education, and the root of our humor. There are many books that are collections from Mad. Maybe a local library. Worth a peruse!
Summers were comic book time. My sisters and I would catch frogs along the shoreline of our summer camp and sell them to our next-door fisherman for a nickel apiece for bait (some of them were way too big but he kindly paid us anyway and set those free). We’d then beg a ride into town to peruse our favorite 15-cent options: Spiderman, Superman, Archie, Richie Rich, Millie the Model, and the occasional investment in Mad. We still have them all in well-worn condition, but who needs a comic when you have portable video games.
Ah yes, comic book summers. Loved 'em! But when I think how I roughed up those comics, I shudder. Wish I'd had a little bit of "collector" in me then. Still, the pleasure was priceless.
What a great way to start the day! Spy versus Spy was my first stop in each issue. We weren’t allowed to have Mad magazine in the house, but my best friend had a subscription… so, problem solved.
At the time it seemed MM was aiming at a juvenile audience. Yet, in retrospect, the social and political satire was more sophisticated than most current day commentators can offer.
As a girl growing up in the 1950's. strangely enough I read my father's and grandfather's favorite books My grandfather was a WW1 Army vet and spoke French and English, He taught school in a one room school house in Wyoming. and was a revenue agent with Elliot Ness, my Dad was a ww2 navy tail gunner just home from the war. I read all the Tom Swift, John Carter of Mars, the Buffalo Bill Bathtub, King Arthur, all of Zane Grey, the whole Count of Monte Christo series, all Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Conan the Barbarian series, the iliad, Lord of the rings all, the odyssey, Twilight of the Gods, Tanglewood Tales, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, the three Musketeers series, Lorna Doone, Treasure Island, H. G. Wells all, Jules Verne all of them, Little Women series, Ben Hur, Little House on the Prairie all, The Secret Garden, Nathaniel Hawthorne's, House of the Seven Gables. and more classics from my father and grandfather's library. Curled up in my small doll house (looked like a proper house, except kid size, apples, a coca cola in a small green glass bottle with real sugar in it, Charles Chips in a yellow can. A pillow and a blanket. I was in heaven listening to the birds and the sigh of the Lake Michigan wind whistling through the tree branches.Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving. I also used to ride my bike to the library and carry home all the books that would fit in a wire basket. My first adult card that just with my signature I could invade this vast treasure of knowledge. My parents let me read any book my heart desired. When I ran out of books I vowed to read every book in the our local neighborhood library, fiction, and non-fiction. I achieved my goal one summer before sixth grade. I even read banned books from the Catholic Church newsletter, and I wondered what the fuss was about. My Dad worked for the Milwaukee Sentinel and was president of the Typographical Union. He fought Germany and Japan in WW2 and he thought the very idea of book bans was horrible and a affront to the freedom he fought for. My brain is just fine, it didn't rot, and I turned out just fine. I still read whatever I pleased and no one will ever stop me. Thousands of books over 70 years, catch me if you can, mwahaha. I even read younger my brother's Mad Magazine. too funny especially black spy vs white spy.
Wow, what a legacy. What a reading list. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing that.
My older bro (by 13 months) had stacks of comic books in his room, carefully hidden from his sisters. Maybe someday I'll tell him how many times I hacked into his space and looked at them . . . Back when hacking involved opening a smelly boy's closet and brushing dust away. Those were the days!
Ha!
Thanks for the many fond memories of my days with Mad. I liked the back cover fold-ins. Tried to guess what they'd be before I folded.
Yes, by the great artist Dave Berg. Mad's devious answer to Playboy's fold OUT.
I had no idea that MAD had such a literary / cultural legacy. Never read it, and only encountered mentions of it when I was in a sheltered house that stayed away from "worldly" things. Didn't know what I was missing, and now it's neat to hear your take on it!
Oh yeah. For those of us who read it back then, it was our wellspring, our education, and the root of our humor. There are many books that are collections from Mad. Maybe a local library. Worth a peruse!
Oh yes. There has never been a better satire mag than Mad.
100%
Summers were comic book time. My sisters and I would catch frogs along the shoreline of our summer camp and sell them to our next-door fisherman for a nickel apiece for bait (some of them were way too big but he kindly paid us anyway and set those free). We’d then beg a ride into town to peruse our favorite 15-cent options: Spiderman, Superman, Archie, Richie Rich, Millie the Model, and the occasional investment in Mad. We still have them all in well-worn condition, but who needs a comic when you have portable video games.
Ah yes, comic book summers. Loved 'em! But when I think how I roughed up those comics, I shudder. Wish I'd had a little bit of "collector" in me then. Still, the pleasure was priceless.
What a great way to start the day! Spy versus Spy was my first stop in each issue. We weren’t allowed to have Mad magazine in the house, but my best friend had a subscription… so, problem solved.
At the time it seemed MM was aiming at a juvenile audience. Yet, in retrospect, the social and political satire was more sophisticated than most current day commentators can offer.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.
Ah yes, Spy vs. Spy. By a Cuban artist who fled Fidel after being accused of being spy. Fitting!