‘MAD’ Comes to Cartoon Network

Marc Alan Fishman

Marc Alan Fishman is a graphic designer, digital artist, writer, and most importantly a native born Chicagoan. When he's not making websites, drawing and writing for his indie company Unshaven Comics, or rooting for the Bears... he's a dedicated husband and father. When you're not enjoying his column here on ComicMix, feel free to catch his comic book reviews weekly at MichaelDavisWorld, and check out his books and cartoons at Unshaven Comics.

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28 Responses

  1. Brandon Barrows says:

    MADtv wasn’t all that bad, it just had little to nothing to do with the magazine.

    I loved MAD as a kid, and I DVRed the premiere of the cartoon on Monday and I wasn’t impressed at all. I love cartoons, I loved MAD, but I didn’t think that cartoon was particularly entertaining. Of course, I’m not the target audience either.

  2. mike weber says:

    The current MAD Magazine has little or nothing nothing to do with the classic MAD Magazine.

    • Chuck Williams says:

      Indeed….the modern MAD is a toothless shadow of its former self. I’m glad I still have all the issues from the 70s that my brother handed down to me, and the 80s issues I bought off the rack in my youth.

      • mike weber says:

        I started reading MAD with (what i didn’t know was) the ninth anniversary issue in 1961.

        By the end of the 1970s i was seeing a definite decline in the sophistication and range of the humour.

        If you can find a copy of “National Lampoon”‘s MAD parody, definitely check it out – particularly “Citizen Gaines”, a note-perfect parody of a MAD movie parody that also touches on why MAD was in decline.

  3. Brandon Barrows says:

    MADtv wasn't all that bad, it just had little to nothing to do with the magazine.I loved MAD as a kid, and I DVRed the premiere of the cartoon on Monday and I wasn't impressed at all. I love cartoons, I loved MAD, but I didn't think that cartoon was particularly entertaining. Of course, I'm not the target audience either.

  4. mike weber says:

    The current MAD Magazine has little or nothing nothing to do with the classic MAD Magazine.

    • Chuck Williams says:

      Indeed….the modern MAD is a toothless shadow of its former self. I'm glad I still have all the issues from the 70s that my brother handed down to me, and the 80s issues I bought off the rack in my youth.

      • mike weber says:

        I started reading MAD with (what i didn't know was) the ninth anniversary issue in 1961.By the end of the 1970s i was seeing a definite decline in the sophistication and range of the humour.If you can find a copy of "National Lampoon"'s MAD parody, definitely check it out – particularly "Citizen Gaines", a note-perfect parody of a MAD movie parody that also touches on why MAD was in decline.

  5. Vinnie Bartilucci says:

    I enjoyed it. It came off like Robot Chicken lite, with a couple classic Mad gags (the Don martin and Spy vs Spy were pulled the magazine) and some good parodies. CSIcarly was inspired, and worked well.

    The Regular Show kicked massive ass, and I look forward to more.

    • Mike Gold says:

      I’m with you, Vinnie. I enjoyed the first two episodes, although I had the feeling that if it had been a half hour instead of 12 minutes, I would have been bored. They’re as faithful to the spirit of the magazine as they could be, and I actually made it to the end of down episodes, something I haven’t been able to do with the magazine in decades.

      It’s not that I pine for the classic Mad Comics or the classic Mad Magazine. I pine for the attitude those publications had, an attitude that since moved over to Beavis and Butt-Head, The Simpsons, South Park, and Robot Chicken.

      Mad Magazine has become a comedy eunuch. It would be easy to fix, but they’d have to grow a pair of balls. Or several.

  6. Vinnie Bartilucci says:

    I enjoyed it. It came off like Robot Chicken lite, with a couple classic Mad gags (the Don martin and Spy vs Spy were pulled the magazine) and some good parodies. CSIcarly was inspired, and worked well.The Regular Show kicked massive ass, and I look forward to more.

    • Mike Gold says:

      I'm with you, Vinnie. I enjoyed the first two episodes, although I had the feeling that if it had been a half hour instead of 12 minutes, I would have been bored. They're as faithful to the spirit of the magazine as they could be, and I actually made it to the end of down episodes, something I haven't been able to do with the magazine in decades.It's not that I pine for the classic Mad Comics or the classic Mad Magazine. I pine for the attitude those publications had, an attitude that since moved over to Beavis and Butt-Head, The Simpsons, South Park, and Robot Chicken. Mad Magazine has become a comedy eunuch. It would be easy to fix, but they'd have to grow a pair of balls. Or several.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Mad is now my 9-year old son’s favorite show, and I (a former Mad magazine fanatic) love it too. Their inspired Avatar spoof “Avaturd” was vintage Mad-style, down to the inclusion of everything blue (Blues Clues, Papa Smurf, etc). As a Justin Beiber hater, he also loved the “Beiber Bowl” faux commercial. The spoofs are on target and brief enough to leave you wanting more. Will be watching a new episode tonight.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Mad is now my 9-year old son's favorite show, and I (a former Mad magazine fanatic) love it too. Their inspired Avatar spoof "Avaturd" was vintage Mad-style, down to the inclusion of everything blue (Blues Clues, Papa Smurf, etc). As a Justin Beiber hater, he also loved the "Beiber Bowl" faux commercial. The spoofs are on target and brief enough to leave you wanting more. Will be watching a new episode tonight.

  9. Anonymous says:

    this show is completely inappropiate for kids. the audience is mainly children around 10 years old, and you people are putting in bad language and crude situations kids shouldnt be exposed to.

  10. buzz says:

    i really want to see the humans that like that horse crap….DANG Some people r really nut jobs i hope cartoon network cancel it. i am praying for it to be removed

  11. Anonymous says:

    this show is completely inappropiate for kids. the audience is mainly children around 10 years old, and you people are putting in bad language and crude situations kids shouldnt be exposed to.

  12. buzz says:

    i really want to see the humans that like that horse crap….DANG Some people r really nut jobs i hope cartoon network cancel it. i am praying for it to be removed

  13. Anonymous says:

    this show is completely inappropiate for kids. the audience is mainly children around 10 years old, and you people are putting in bad language and crude situations kids shouldnt be exposed to.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Waaaah protect the kids!Stop being such moral crusaders.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Waaaah protect the kids!

    Stop being such moral crusaders.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Waaaah protect the kids!Stop being such moral crusaders.

  17. Anonymous says:

    I could care less about whether or not it’s appropriate for kids, but it is completely unforgivably unfunny. I am unable to coax out even a bemused chuckle at any point when this show comes on, and I wish nothing but unhappiness and boredom upon it’s creators.

  18. Anonymous says:

    I could care less about whether or not it's appropriate for kids, but it is completely unforgivably unfunny. I am unable to coax out even a bemused chuckle at any point when this show comes on, and I wish nothing but unhappiness and boredom upon it's creators.

  19. Anonymous says:

    I don’t have a problem with the show. I just don’t believe it should be aired in a time frame in which children under 14yrs of age would be watching Cartoon Newtwork. Now I will admit I am a fan of Adult Swim, yet When I’m watching tv with my 6yrs old niece she shouldn’t be exposed to a show like “MAD”.

  20. Anonymous says:

    I don’t have a problem with the show. I just don’t believe it should be aired in a time frame in which children under 14yrs of age would be watching Cartoon Newtwork. Now I will admit I am a fan of Adult Swim, yet When I’m watching tv with my 6yrs old niece she shouldn’t be exposed to a show like “MAD”.

  21. Anonymous says:

    I don't have a problem with the show. I just don't believe it should be aired in a time frame in which children under 14yrs of age would be watching Cartoon Newtwork. Now I will admit I am a fan of Adult Swim, yet When I'm watching tv with my 6yrs old niece she shouldn't be exposed to a show like "MAD".

  22. Anonymous says:

    Honestly, I loved the first couple of episodes.
    Don’t get me wrong, I love Spy and Spy, but the rest of it…
    but soon after, the Shorts beacame boring-er and boring-er, and after seeing the monstrocity spoofs they did of some of my old favorite shows – Pokemon and Naruto, I decided to stop watching.
    Lately the only amusing short has been the adventure time/Marvel crossover.