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Revision as of 17:56, 26 August 2009 by R.G. (talk | contribs) (→Background)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Crazy Magazine was an illustrated satire and humor magazine, and was published by Marvel Comics from 1973 to 1983 for a total of 94 regular issues (and one "Super Special", Summer 1975). It was preceded by a standard-size comic book titled Crazy, which lasted only three issues.
Background
Marv Wolfman edited the first 10 issues from 1973-1975 and the first "Super Special", and created the magazine's first mascot. a short, bug-eyed mascot with a large black hat and draped in a black cape, called Irving Nebbish. the nebbish was replaced with the belligerent Obnoxio the Clown, who made his first appearance in issue #63, June 1980, the first regular issue edited by Larry Hama, who also edited super special issue #61, April 1980.
Many of the features involved recurring characters such as "The Kinetic Kids" (where when you flipped the two pages they were on back and forth an illusion of motion was created), The Teen Hulk (a teenager who becomes a Hulk-like character played for laughs), Retread Funnies (classic Marvel Comics stories presented with new dialogue) amongst others. What it did not have was Marvel's traditional comic artists and writers, and so eventually became marginalized by the Marvel fanbase.
The magazine's last issue, number 94, published on April 1983, featured the banner "So long, chumps!"
In 1982 a Dutch version of Crazy was published by Juniorpress. The only editor, translator and contributor of the four issues was Ger Apeldoorn.
Contributors
Many comic book artists and writers contributed to the effort in the early years. These included Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Vaughn Bodé, Frank Kelly Freas, Harvey Kurtzman, Mike Carlin, editor Marv Wolfman and executive editor Roy Thomas. Mainstream writers like Harlan Ellison and Art Buchwald also contributed.
Steve Gerber, who served as editor from issues #11-14 and wanted it to be distinctive from the archteypal Mad, said that the goal was to present work that implied the creators were themselves insane. Gerber's own contributions were often prose stories with a handful of illustrations, such as the "Just Plain Folks" series of bizarre biographies. The last issue of his run as editor included a darkly comic short story he wrote in college, "...And the Birds Hummed Dirges!", about high-school kids who make a suicide pact. Lee Marrs supplied a few pictures. In addition to drawn art, Crazy experimented with fumetti.
Paul Lamont edited issue #15, January 1976 and Paul Laikin edited #16-60 and #62, May 1980.
Cultural references
The publication was referenced in The Simpsons episode "Separate Vocations". Principal Skinner shows Bart some of the confiscated contraband in a storeroom at Springfield Elementary: "Complete collections of Mad, Cracked, and even the occasional Crazy!"
A previous 'Crazy' magazine existed running concurrently with Mad in the 1950s. Published by Charlton and running for at least 4 years (Copies are notoriously difficult to find) the magazine attempted to offer an alternative humour to that of Mad, and was often more akin to Ballyhoo magazine.
See also
References
- Crazy Magazine comics from The Big Comic Book Database Retrieved August 2008.