Norman Rockwell Museum presents a landmark exhibition exploring the art, satire, and cultural impact of MAD Magazine, one of the longest-running humor publications in America. A counter-cultural touchstone and a venue for some of the nation’s best satirical art and writing, MAD rapidly evolved from a comic book series into a smash-hit magazine that spoke truth to power for seven decades. What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine presents a selection of 150 iconic original illustrations and cartoons from MAD’s longtime regular contributors, dubbed the ‘Usual Gang of Idiots,’ as well as next-generation visual satirists who found a home within the magazine’s zany zeitgeist.

“MAD was a groundbreaking magazine that influenced generations of readers and set the bar, and the tone, for contemporary humor and satire. We are delighted to present original selections from the magazine’s brilliant, irreverent artwork that captured and lampooned nearly all aspects of American life, and we are grateful to the collectors and artists who have made originals available for the exciting installation,” said Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett.

“MAD was much more than a magazine to my generation. It represented a portal to adulthood,” reflected exhibition co-curator Steve Brodner, widely considered among today’s foremost satirical illustrators and caricaturists. “MAD was a heat-seeking missile designed to blow open the hypocritical core of most things. In so doing, it engendered in readers an ability to come closer to what might today be called critical thinking.” Brodner continued, “This exhibition distills that time in print when MAD stood alone in publishing: smart, snappy, current, and bravely idiotic. Its mission connected with us every issue. MAD gradually changed the world, one kid at a time.”

“During recent eras in American society, MAD Magazine was a crucial venue for cultural commentary and norm-busting humor delivered through predominantly visual media. Its popularity, controversial nature, and overall impact together affirm the profound potency of illustration and visual communication,” said Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt.

Norton Moffatt continued, “Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to present this exhibition in the spirit of our mission to present, inform, and inspire new conversations about the role and relevance of illustration art in society and culture. As we do this, we are keenly aware that MAD Magazine raised issues—often presciently—that continue to drive contemporary debates and struggles over power, privilege, social justice, and the many social divisions that remain to be worked through.”

The exhibition is co-curated by acclaimed illustrator and art journalist Steve Brodner and Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, in collaboration with an eleven-member advisory group led by former MAD art director Sam Viviano. The advisory group consists of MAD contributors and other leading illustrators, humorists, writers, and scholars.

Images courtesy Norman Rockwell Museum.