MAD magazine and Censorship
MAD magazine, established in 1952 by William Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman, is a renowned satirical publication that emerged in response to societal concerns about the impact of comic books on youth. The controversy began with Fredric Wertham's 1954 book, *Seduction of the Innocent*, which argued that horror and pulp comics contributed to juvenile delinquency. This led to a Senate subcommittee investigation that resulted in the creation of the Comics Code Authority (CCA), imposing strict censorship on the comic book industry. In a strategic move to avoid CCA regulations, MAD was transformed from a comic book into a magazine format in 1955.
As a satirical outlet, MAD addresses a wide range of topics, from trivial humor to critical social issues like racism and substance abuse, often reflecting the complexities faced by teenagers. Critics have noted that MAD offered a rare platform for young readers to engage with topics typically deemed inappropriate for their age. Throughout its history, the magazine has faced numerous attempts at censorship in educational settings due to its provocative content. MAD magazine continues to challenge societal norms and the limits of acceptable satire, maintaining its relevance in discussions about freedom of expression and censorship in media.
Subject Terms
MAD magazine and Censorship
Type of work: Periodical
Founded: October, 1952
Creators: William Gaines (1922-1992) and Harvey Kurtzman (1924-1993)
Subject matter: Satirical cartoons and features and mock advertisements
Significance: By defying the censorial efforts of the Comics Code Authority, MAD has broached a variety of controversial topics rarely available to average comic book readers
MAD magazine was founded in 1952 by William Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman as a satirical comic book. The next year a doctor named Fredric Wertham wrote a book entitled Seduction of the Innocent, excerpts of which appeared in Ladies Home Journal, claiming that horror and pulp comics contributed to juvenile delinquency. In 1954 a Senate subcommittee led by Estes Kefauver came to a similar conclusion, leading to the formation of the Comics Code Authority (CCA). William Gaines, who at that time published such comic books as The Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt as well as MAD, testified before the subcommittee, opposing efforts to censor comic books. However, the CCA immediately began to censor the comic book industry, banning words such as “horror” from the comic book format. The CCA seal of approval was required by all the major comic book distributors of the day. In 1955 Gaines and Kurtzman responded to the CCA by transforming the comic book MAD into MAD magazine, thereby allowing the publication to escape the CCA’s authority.
In the decades since, MAD has made a name for itself in the world of satirical literature. By depicting comic scenes that satirize the hypocrisies of the adult world, the publication created an outlet for the repressed, natural hostilities of children toward their parents. Topics satirized within the pages of MAD range from sophomoric depictions of vomit and mucus to such highly charged issues as racism, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual experimentation among college students. The teenagers who read MAD in the 1950’s and 1960’s were being exposed to the same issues that faced their parents and elder siblings. According to Maria Riedelbach, author of the book Completely Mad, a history of the magazine, MAD was “the only semi-sanctioned place where kids could read about sex, divorce, alcoholism, drugs, corruption, other religions, and lifestyles then considered over the head of and therefore off-limits to healthy children.”
While the magazine’s format has changed little since the mid-1950’s, its continued satire of adult hypocrisies has led to many attempts to ban the publication from school libraries and campuses throughout the United States. A child of censorship, born from the efforts of the CCA, MAD magazine has continued to challenge the boundaries of socially acceptable satirical expression.