My review of the recent two volume hardback collection of the legendary Humbug from Fantagraphics appears in the latest San Antonio Current.
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| Following the 1956 departure from his seminal creation Mad, editor Harvey Kurtzman developed the slick, full-color parody magazine Trump for Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner. Though the initial two issues, featuring contributors and sensibilities similar to Mad’s, sold well, Hefner canceled the series, citing financial limitations. Soon after, Kurtzman and five of his Trump cohorts — Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, and production man Harry Chester — formed a cooperative to publish the humorous Humbug. Although they produced only 11 monthly issues, from August 1957 through August 1958, the magazine paved the way for the general newsstand acceptance of National Lampoon and Spy[/i]. Never before reprinted, Fantagraphics recently collected Humbug, complete with new essays, interviews, and annotations, in two handsome hardback volumes. |
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| For the attractive slip-case-covered reprint, Fantagraphics wisely includes several insightful and interesting extras. The introduction establishes the proper context and historical background for the key players and the publication. A fascinating Kurtzman oeuvre rounds out the introduction. An interview with Roth and Jaffee offers an insider’s account of Humbug’s creation and inner workings. The playful banter between the artists, who clearly like and respect one another, and the inclusion of rare photographs of the entire staff enhances the interchange. |
Check out the rest of my review.