Mad

Before it became the iconic magazine, Mad began as a six-issue comic book from Superior, running from 1952 to 1953. Under the guiding hand of writer and artist Harvey Kurtzman, and featuring the indelible artwork of Bill Elder and Jack Davis, this series pioneered a new kind of savage, satirical humor in comics. It gleefully parodied popular culture—from comic strips to movies—with a chaotic, loving irreverence that set the template for the satire to come. This brief but influential run matters as the raw, unpolished birthplace of a satirical institution.