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Whatever Happened to...
Topic Started: Mar 25 2007, 09:40 AM (1,483 Views)
Chandu Apr 14 2008, 04:49 PM Post #46
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Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large
[ * * * ]
 I remember seeing the Help mag on the stands, but I don't think I ever bought one. Due to the success of MAD in both the comic and magazine formats there were so many imitators and spin offs at the time that a kid couldn't afford to buy 'em all, so ya had to pick 'n choose. In addition to my 1st issue of Trump and my MADs I also have:

A dime comic called Eh!, from the Charlton Comic Group in Derby Conn. <_<

A 25 cent mag called Snafu with an Atlas symbol on the front cover from Red Circle Magazines in NYC and whose editor is listed as none other than Stan Lee :o

A couple of Panics, "the other MAD" published by "Tiny Tot Comics," but at the same address and with the same staff as MAD. :rolleyes:

A couple of 15 cent HUMBUGs with Kurtzman as the editor and the whole MAD gang on the staff as contributors, but published by the HUMBUG publishing Co. in NYC at a different address than EC, but in a 7 X 9 1/2" instead of the usual 8 1/2 X 11" format and published in Derby Conn. :huh:

A 25 center called Frenzy from Picture Magazines in NYC whose staff all used fictitious names :ph43r:

These were all published in the 50's and all MAD imitators and are but a mere sampling of the many issues available then. :wacko:

I found an old Fox and Crow comic mixed in there too! :D :P
Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...
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mort bakaprevski Apr 14 2008, 09:03 PM Post #47
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Soony Roony!
[ * * * ]
 I too remember "HELP", but for some reason I don't think I ever bought a copy either... and I can't figure out why. By that time, I was an adult and certainly knew who Kurtzman & Co. were. Maybe I was just too busy preparing for finals, going for my six month stint in the National Guard (ugh), getting married etc. Still, that's really NO EXCUSE!!!
“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”
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riddlerider Apr 15 2008, 06:31 PM Post #48
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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 HELP! was another example of Jim Warren wanting to emulate his idol, Hugh Hefner. Jim was interested in riding on MAD's coat tails but instead of hiring a second-rate editor he went after Harvey Kurtzman, who'd done TRUMP for Hefner. Of course, Jim wouldn't fund the project as lavishly as Hef funded TRUMP, so Kurtzman was forced to do those fumettis and run old movie stills with goofy captions rather than commission top-flight work from the best artists. The fumetti stories cost next to nothing, but luckily for Jim and Harvey the darn things caught on, so they were able to con some fairly big-name people into working on the later ones.

While working for Warren, Harvey met Bob Price, who was a graphic artist assisting with the layout and design of Jim's movie magazines; Bob also co-edited, with Sam Sherman, WILDEST WESTERNS and SCREEN THRILLS ILLUSTRATED. He had broken into the business as a comic-book inker and letterer, and in the latter capacity he worked many years for Harvey on the "Little Annie Fanny" strip that ran in PLAYBOY.
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mort bakaprevski Apr 17 2008, 04:23 PM Post #49
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Soony Roony!
[ * * * ]
riddlerider
Apr 15 2008, 06:31 PM
Of course, Jim wouldn't fund the project as lavishly as Hef funded TRUMP, so Kurtzman was forced to do those fumettis and run old movie stills with goofy captions rather than commission top-flight work from the best artists. .

Thanks RR!! Now, I remember why I never bought any of those issues of HELP. The fumettis & old movie stills with goofy captions simply were NOT funny. And you had the feeling that once you'd looked at one, you'd pretty much seen them all!!
“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”
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mort bakaprevski Aug 7 2008, 04:32 PM Post #50
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Soony Roony!
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 Here's one I couldn't find on Google:

Whatever happened to Jeanette Kahn?? Did she retire?? Was she fired??? Que pasa????
“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”
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mort bakaprevski Jul 14 2009, 10:46 AM Post #51
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Soony Roony!
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 Well, Wikipedia says she (Kahn) "stepped down in 2002 to pursue other endeavors" which could mean anything.

On the other hand, one of her latest endeavors was as Executive Producer on Clint Eastwood's latest, GRAN TORINO. Not bad!!
“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”
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