American humor magazine Mad was launched in 1952 with the October – November edition that included the tagline “Humor in a jugular view.” Mad was founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines as a comic book series before rebranding it as a humor magazine.

Mad has been widely imitated and influential in satirical media, helping define the cultural landscape of the late 20th century. Editor Al Feldstein increased readership to more than two million during its 1973–1974 circulation peak.

Mad publishes satire on all aspects of life, popular culture, politics, entertainment and public figures. Its format includes TV and movie parodies, as well as satire articles about everyday occurrences that are made humorous. The magazine’s mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, is usually on the cover, with his face replacing that of the celebrity or character who is being lampooned.

Between 1952 to 2018, Mad published 550 regular magazine issues, along with scores of reprint special editions, original paperbacks, compilation books, and other print projects. After AT&T merged with DC Comic’s then-owner Time Warner in June of 2018, Mad ended newsstand distribution, but continued in comic-book shops and via direct mail subscription.

As of 2025, Mad Magazine continues to be published by DC Comics, which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery.

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