After WWII the magazine industry was on a mission to "mock culture's pretense and test it's limits." MAD Magazine Founder, William M. Gaines, was always under attack for publishing grotesque horror comics. In 1952, MAD released the first comic books written by Harvey Kurtzman, who became known as "the godfather of underground comics." MAD Magazine was able to "show how zany comics could be." "Legions of young boys who would religiously read the magazine were encouraged to thumb their noses at authority." A staff writer believed that "MAD was more important than pot and LSD in shaping the generation that protested the Vietnam War." MAD was able to challenge everything. Because of its radical depictions, MAD "helped shape 1960's counterculture. By the late 1970's these notions of opposition had become mainstream." The artists at MAD attacked "all forms of politics [that] dissolve into a kind of comic nihilism."
Moving into the 21st century, MAD moved from the magazine to television, broadcasting an animated show in 2010. The goal of the show was to "bridge the gap that would give everyone, the kids, the feeling of something they shouldn't be watching." MAD Magazine became the pioneer of the notion of 'nutty' in the cartoon world. Kevin Schinick, a producer of the show said, "We come up with stuff that makes us laugh. If it doesn't make us laugh, I'm not gonna put it on the show." Although MAD's popularity has died significantly since the mid 60's, MAD has been an inspiration for many of the shows on air today. Some of the shows it inspired are Robot Chicken, The Simpsons and even Monty Python.
- "MAD Magazine." New York Times. TIME Topics, 13 Apr. 2009. Web. 11 Mar. 2015