Illustration by Richard Williams
The Cincinnati Art Museum’s upcoming feature exhibit gives viewers a chance to explore the history and impact of the beloved American humor magazine, MAD, through a vast display of original covers, illustrations, featured stories, and interactive galleries.
What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine comes to Cincinnati from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and will be on view at the CAM beginning November 21, exploring the beloved publication’s history and genesis.
MAD began as a satirical comic book in 1952 that made fun of other comic books. After receiving backlash just a couple of years later from the Comics Code Authority, which was formed to censor content deemed inappropriate for children, who it claimed were the main audience for comic books, the publication switched to its magazine format in 1955. Since then, MAD Magazine has published satirical commentary on everything from politicians to feature films.
Illustration by Johnny Sampson
What, Me Worry? showcases MAD‘s development into one of the most influential magazines in the U.S. and invites viewers to reflect on its recent history and culture through the uniquely irreverent style of humor popularized by the publication’s writers and illustrators, who call themselves MAD’s “Usual Gang of Idiots.”
Exhibition curator Emily Agricola Holtrop, the CAM’s director of learning and interpretation, was excited to bring such an impactful and widely appealing exhibition to Cincinnati.
“I hope that people who are not familiar with MAD become more familiar with MAD and really respect the artistry of both the writers and the artists that contributed to MAD,” she says. “I want people who have read MAD their entire life to have a wonderful nostalgic walk down memory lane and really spend time with the works.”
The exhibition will include displays of original artwork, interactive features such as a design-your-own-cover gallery and photo-ops, fan letters, a special documentary screening, and copies of the magazines for guests to browse.
Illustration by CF Payne
“The first few galleries all walk you through the evolution of MAD,” says Holtrop, noting that the exhibition covers everything from the very first MAD comic book publication to MAD‘s most recent issues.
Other galleries in the exhibition focus on the individual facets of MAD that have made it such a standout publication. “There are thematic sections based off different themes you see through every single MAD issue,” says Holtrop. These sections include dedications to MAD mascot Alfred E. Newman, the fold-ins found in the back of each magazine, comics and cartoons, wordless MAD comic strip Spy vs. Spy, and spoofs of famous works of art. Holtrop says the art section will feature a spoof of a Norman Rockwell painting, as well as the original Rockwell piece for viewers to compare.
Comic by Antonio Prohias
The traveling exhibition was curated by Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Plunkett and acclaimed satirical illustrator and journalist Steve Brodner. With the help of researchers, historians, past and present MAD writers, and award-winning illustrators including former MAD Magazine Art Director Sam Viviano, the team sourced original artwork, created interactive elements, and pieced together a history of MAD to accurately depicts the publication’s artistic and cultural impact.
“I think that’s the beauty of MAD, that there are so many different styles and approaches to drawing and to humor, and we tried to reflect that in the exhibition,” says Plunkett of the magazine, which has inspired shows including South Park, The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, and The Daily Show.
“We actually had a rotating series of clips in the exhibition here at the [Norman Rockwell Museum] that pointed out some very direct references,” says Plunkett. “I think MAD was that kind of a mind-changing, mind-bending, publication that filtered down to all aspects of our society.”
MAD gave readers an outlet to critique anything from blockbuster films to Fortune 500 companies, offering a perspective that defied traditional media. Now, 73 years after MAD‘s debut, the publication still focuses on addressing politics and pop culture through its witty and irreverent storytelling.
Illustration by Norman Mingo
“I want people to laugh, to have a good time, this world is very serious right now,” Holtrop says. “I really love the fact that yes, some of the topics that are going to be addressed in the show are historical issues that we’ve dealt with, but that if we can have humor in our lives that’s really important.”
What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine will be on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Western & Southern Galleries from November 21 to March 1, 2026.
Facebook Comments