Back Issue #162 October 2025 (magazine review).
As the cover of this ‘Back Issue’ shows, it is going mad! Obviously, a reference to the usual cast of idiots but also to any characters with ‘mad’ in their names. It even has a guest editorial by Richard Fowlks, a Mad! Fan.
OK, for starters, writer Brian Martin looks at Jervis Tetch, aka the Mad Hatter. If you only thought he first appeared in the 1966 ‘Batman’ TV series, then you missed his two comic book appearances in the 1950s and was the basis for the double episodes where he wanted Batman’s cowl. The success of his meant he would again pop up in the comic books now and again and develop, even if it meant different coloured hair and with or missing a moustache. He certainly had an Alice fixation. I certainly learnt a lot more about him.
Writer Dewey Cassell looks at the work of Al Jaffe (1921-2023), who did the ‘Snappy Answers… To Stupid Questions’ over the years for ‘Mad!’ magazine. These cartoons are not included in every issue, so if, like me, you only picked up the occasional issue, you may have missed them. I can’t recall the 10 collected books being readily available in the UK.
Basically, each cartoon has a question with three sarcastic answers for the obviously stupid thing to say and even lined spaces for you to add your own. It is difficult to determine whether it prevents people from asking stupid, obvious questions or encourages them to make put-downs. In the UK, it’s more polite to say something sarcastic than nothing at all.
Writer Christopher Irving examines Michael Allred’s creation, Madman, as seen on this issue’s cover. This was released after I came out of comic books in the 1990s and hadn’t really come across him before. It’s interesting that Allred suggested that he turned to using a brush to speed up inking his work, although looking at his backgrounds, he must still have used pen when it came to the straight lines of buildings. The change in editorship has also meant a lot of comic book art and covers.
Writer Don Vaughn looks at the various superhero interpretations in ‘Mad!’ magazine. I hadn’t realised with the latter editions, they were also in colour. Vaughn also notes that these creators had some affection for the comic books to be able to nail some of the absurdities.
Writer John Kirk examines the rise of Harley Quinn from animation to the fourth most famous DC character in their comic books. If her creator, Paul Dini, hadn’t been home being sick, he might well have never created her. She has also adapted to each change in the DC Universe reality.
I think, in part, this has to do with her conceptual idea being unique to her and her being mostly human. Probably the nearest contender is Lobo, but he’s alien and clearly amoral and prefers dolphins to hyenas and rarely visits Earth. Not sure if I would want Harley as a friend, though, because she’s probably a little crazier than me.
That’s enough to keep any of you going. There are probably other characters that should be covered, but let’s not be mad about it.
GF Willmetts
February 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6904. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US)).
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=1836
