Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/06/17/alfred-e-heffner.html
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And here’s my contribution.
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This isn’t really anachronistic, is it? It’s satirizing the seizure of the Suez Canal by Nassar, which is an important event in world history.
The illustration of “Nosker” on the other hand is a bit of an anachronism. It’s a combination of Nassar’s face and the mascot for Steeplechase Park.
Off topic, but the main illustration is a bit odd. It’s as if the illustrator had never seen the Gowanus Canal and confused it with the East River.
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This is true. Also its about the entire limit of this set. $16 is a good price for those interested in this bit of history but dont buy it expecting the humor of same era MAD. I did once own both issues of TRUMP, probably got them either at a flea market or at the Strand bookstore for really cheap (they were later stolen by a “friend”) since I knew this bit of history, I was kinda shocked how not funny they were considering the people involved.
Even I dont have space for buying art books, for $16 I might just get this anyway to go with the old issues of MAD I still have.
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So I have an idea for a time machine.
Causality question: Do I still need to build it if we know a future me has already played the prank I was planning?
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Causality answer: In theory you don’t have to do anything, events should transpire in such a way that you will find yourself in the past playing the prank no matter what you do.
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great video!
Thanks for sharing it!
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The smiling face is currently the ad hock mascot for the whole of Coney Island. A variation is used by Coney Island USA, the non profit that’s largely responsible for bringing Coney Island back from the brink. And no end of smiling face merchandise is available through them and at nearly every vendor in Coney. Asbury park NJ has likewise adopted Tillie, their local equivalent, as a go to logo and mascot.
So if anything that image is more current and recognizable now than at any point since Steeple Chase park closed in the 60’s and Coney Island shit the bed in the 70’s.
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Yes, but people living outside the area, or those who haven’t seen Ric Burn’s documentary, might not get it.
HEFNER, not Heffner.
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How would you rate the artwork?
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Dont remember well enough to comment honestly.
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Get used to it–Cory is one of those arrogant “BIG PICTURE!” guys who can’t be bothered with mere petty details. I bet he misspells his own name routinely. Gotta feel sorry for his book-publisher’s copy editor.
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His books are edited?
I’ve always spelled it “Heffffner.”
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Never having been to Coney Island and not being familiar with the Steeplechase Park mascot until I Googled it just now, I got a strong Flattop (Dick Tracy villain) vibe from the Nasser caricature as well.
I think you nailed it with the Steeplechase Park guy though, especially with the other Coney Island references. Chester Gould may have drawn inspiration from that image in creating his villain. I’ve just read that the Steeplechase Park guy was a partial inspiration for Batman’s Joker, as well.
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I never thought about a Flattop connection. But I bet that’s what it is.
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It’s pretty gorgeous - I’ve never seen the original issues in the wild, but the production on this reprint (2nd in a series of Kurtzman ‘essentials’ by Dark Horse) is top-notch.
As a kid who grew up with the MAD of the 70s (along with a lot of reprints in super specials with material from long past the Kurtzman era), his type of humor was a lot less slapdash and took a lot more thinking to appreciate. Definitely for a more contemporary adult audience. A lot of the references fall flat due to time, or become more like historical curiosities rather than biting satire.
But good gravy, the artwork is beautiful. I’m a big fan of all of the folks represented in these issues, and I can really understand why they were over budget and had difficulty with deadlines. Probably some of Will Elder’s finest work, to be certain.
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