True enough, and Mad
concocted brilliant takeoffs of Mad Ave.’s print campaigns that were tough to
tell from the originals. Later, the National Lampoon published an ad parody
that was so precise that legal action ensued: a car manufacturer seemed
convinced that no one would be able to discern the difference between the satire
and a genuine ad.
They both have a forebear in Ballyhoo, a humor magazine begun in the 1930s by George T.
Delacorte, Jr., who was also responsible for pulps, confessional magazines, and
was present at the birth of the comic book.
Ballyhoo’s burlesques
seem crude by comparison, but they were effective enough for real advertisers
to submit to having their ads written the same way. Wikipedia purports that the
magazine’s editor, Norman Anthony, insisted that his staff rewrite real ads to
fit its tone. There seems to be truth in this: International Radio was an
actual contemporary manufacturer. The other logo names are mockeries.
Delacorte put the “Dell” in “Dell Comics.” For more about his
role in bringing you Walt Kelly, Carl Barks and John Stanley, check out Funnybooks: The Improbable
Glories of the Best American Comic Books by
Michael Barrier, a great read with a wealth of fresh research.
