Emily Agricola Holtrop didn’t grow up a MAD reader, but the Cincinnati Art Museum’s director of learning & interpretation doesn’t view that as a prerequisite for getting something out of the institution’s latest exhibition.
On view at CAM through March 1, What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine dives into the decades-long history and impact of the iconic satirical magazine and explores the multilayered artistry behind it.
“If you like cartoons, if you like comics, if you like illustration, if you’re open-minded, if you like satire… if you like humor, I think you’re gonna get something out of it,” Holtrop says.
MAD Magazine — still in publication today — got its start as a comic book in 1952. In the seven decades since its founding, the humor magazine has become iconic for its illustration-based parodies, spoofs and pointed satire. With a team known to this day as the “Usual Gang of Idiots,” MAD Magazine has churned out iconic imagery likely recognizable to readers and non-readers alike.
The exhibition originates from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. What, Me Worry? was curated by the museum’s chief curator and Rockwell Center Director Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and satirical illustrator and caricaturist Steve Brodner. It found its way from New England to the Midwest following a visit by CAM Director Cameron Kitchin, who was impressed by the exhibition.
Holtrop, the onsite curator and project lead for What, Me Worry?, oversaw exhibition set-up and implementation at CAM.
“As a museum educator, my role at the museum is to tell stories and to bring out the stories the art tells,” Holtrop says. “The works in this exhibition tell so many interesting stories, not only about the history of MAD, but also the major historical moments and cultural movements and social movements that have happened in the last 70 years since MAD has been around.”
In those seven decades, MAD has evolved from a rebellious comic to one of the most recognizable publications to spread critical commentary through humor. What, Me Worry? will include original work from a variety of MAD artists, with a particular focus on the ways in which the magazine tackled the times it found itself in in singular MAD fashion.
Holtrop stresses the opportunity that lies within the inherent “multi-generational” character of the exhibition. Given the long tenure of MAD Magazine, Holtrop envisions grandparents and grandchildren taking in the exhibition in tandem with each other.
The exhibition also explores the tangible, collaborative artistic processes behind magazine and comic production – the development of an “idea from concept to completion,” in the words of Holtrop. She points to the process drawings and mark-up lines visible in many of the paper artifacts on display.
Among the over 150 pieces in the exhibition, a highlight is a spoof of Norman Rockwell’s “Triple Self-Portrait” by Richard Williams placed alongside Rockwell original, a clear nod to this exhibition’s institution of origin. Among other artifacts, visitors can also witness the evolution of MAD Magazine mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, over time, and try their hand at creating their own MAD cover.
And there’s more to take in beyond technical precision within the work on display. Holtrop emphasizes the need to pause and consider punchlines that aren’t always immediately apparent in some of the tongue-in-cheek pieces – there’s much to be found in the details, making this exhibition almost inherently interactive.
“You really have to read and stop and look because there’s a lot of, like, delayed laughter.”
While satirical illustration may not be the first discipline that comes to mind when thinking of the notion of “art,” Holtrop stresses the complex nature of the genre, including caricature.
“To be able to capture someone’s likeness, and in a manner so that you still know what that person looks like, but it’s still somewhat of a caricature – that’s artistry.”
She also draws parallels to major art movements of yesteryear. Holtrop compares the collaborative process between MAD artists and writers to the processes of “the great Dutch masters” and their apprentices. It’s also a discipline that Holtrop thinks audiences will find especially approachable in a museum that’s already meant for them.
“ The museum is the community’s art museum, so it is really our responsibility to show all kinds of art, not just fine art. And illustration is something that so many people are really familiar with, and it is a really good way to get people excited about coming to the museum.”
What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine will be on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum through March 1. More info: cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 7 print edition.
This article appears in Jan. 7-20.