The 25 Most Complex MAD Covers Of All Time

MAD Magazine is 500 issues deep, so we take a look back at how they shaped us. Pause.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Someone told us that today marked the 54th anniversary of Alfred E. Neuman's first appearance on the cover of MAD Magazine. Hard to say, since it's the July 1955 issue, but we'll buy it; more importantly, though, the granddaddy of all humor magazines (except maybe Prevention, but that's only because people walking proudly towards death is hilarious) just dropped its 500th issue. So recognize: Without MAD, there would be no Saturday Night Live, no Simpsons, no Apatow crew--hell, no Complex blog. Think we're wrong? MAD's had a number of Complex-friendly covers over the years...and yes, we've rounded them up as a way to say "Happy birthday, you usual gang of idiots." Blecccch!

ISSUE #25, JULY 1955 (ALFRED E. NEUMAN'S COVER DEBUT)

025jul55

ISSUE #111, JUNE 1967

111jun67

ISSUE #128, APRIL 1969

128apr69

ISSUE #159, JUNE 1973

159jun73

ISSUE #166, APRIL 1974

166apr74

 

ISSUE #196, JANUARY 1978

196jan78

ISSUE #230, APRIL 1982

230apr82

ISSUE #245, MARCH 1984

245march84

ISSUE #251, DECEMBER 1984

251dec84

ISSUE #265, SEPTEMBER 1986

265sept86

 

ISSUE #277, MARCH 1988

277mar88

ISSUE #278, APRIL 1988

278april88

ISSUE #292, JANUARY 1990

292jan90

ISSUE #302, APRIL 1991

302apr91

ISSUE #364, DECEMBER 1997

364dec97

 

ISSUE #371, JULY 1998

371jul98

ISSUE #395, JULY 2000

395july00

ISSUE #406, JUNE 2001

406june01

ISSUE #449, JANUARY 2005

449jan05

ISSUE #458, OCTOBER 2005

458oct05

 

ISSUE #465, MAY 2006

465may06

ISSUE #487, MARCH 2008

487march08_sm

ISSUE #493, SEPTEMBER 2008

493sept08

ISSUE #495, NOVEMBER 2008

495noc08

ISSUE #496, DECEMBER 2008

496dec08

The 25 Most Complex MAD Covers Of All Time

Not Available Interstitial

Someone told us that today marked the 54th anniversary of Alfred E. Neuman's first appearance on the cover of MAD Magazine. Hard to say, since it's the July 1955 issue, but we'll buy it; more importantly, though, the granddaddy of all humor magazines (except maybe Prevention, but that's only because people walking proudly towards death is hilarious) just dropped its 500th issue. So recognize: Without MAD, there would be no Saturday Night Live, no Simpsons, no Apatow crew--hell, no Complex blog. Think we're wrong? MAD's had a number of Complex-friendly covers over the years...and yes, we've rounded them up as a way to say "Happy birthday, you usual gang of idiots." Blecccch!

ISSUE #25, JULY 1955 (ALFRED E. NEUMAN'S COVER DEBUT)

025jul55

ISSUE #111, JUNE 1967

111jun67

ISSUE #128, APRIL 1969

128apr69

ISSUE #159, JUNE 1973

159jun73

ISSUE #166, APRIL 1974

166apr74

ISSUE #196, JANUARY 1978

196jan78

ISSUE #230, APRIL 1982

230apr82

ISSUE #245, MARCH 1984

245march84

ISSUE #251, DECEMBER 1984

251dec84

ISSUE #265, SEPTEMBER 1986

265sept86

ISSUE #277, MARCH 1988

277mar88

ISSUE #278, APRIL 1988

278april88

ISSUE #292, JANUARY 1990

292jan90

ISSUE #302, APRIL 1991

302apr91

ISSUE #364, DECEMBER 1997

364dec97

ISSUE #371, JULY 1998

371jul98

ISSUE #395, JULY 2000

395july00

ISSUE #406, JUNE 2001

406june01

ISSUE #449, JANUARY 2005

449jan05

ISSUE #458, OCTOBER 2005

458oct05

ISSUE #465, MAY 2006

465may06

ISSUE #487, MARCH 2008

487march08_sm

ISSUE #493, SEPTEMBER 2008

493sept08

ISSUE #495, NOVEMBER 2008

495noc08

ISSUE #496, DECEMBER 2008

496dec08

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