PARODY Editions of the NGM

[Scott T. Shier]

Hello all,

I just wanted to mention that over the years there have been about 5 parody versions released by the likes of National Lampoon, MAD Magazine and The National Press Club.

Just this spring 2008 there was yet another released featuring Paris Hilton on the cover. Unlike prior parodies, this one was produced in very close collaboration with the NG Magazine staff, and was released as a near full-length magazine issue.

Anyway, I have myself TWO vintage editions: MAD (May 1958); and National Lampoon (Dec. 1972). If anyone is interested in obtaining reproduction copies of one or both, contact me.

They are hard to find and amusing to read!

cheers,
Scott T. Shier


P.S.
see these 2 links for pictures, as I have also posted this as listings on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-GEOGRAPHIC-MAD-Magazine-Spoof-Edition_...

http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-GEOGRAPHIC-Lampoon-Edition_W0QQitemZ40...

[Paul Crist]

Not to "correct" Scott, but to clarify something that Buxbaum omitted (Melville Grosvenor withheld permission to reprint) and Nathan pictures but bearly discusses, but the National Press Club did not produce the (1966?) parody, but rather the Society did approximately 700 in house to celebrate its PR director Winn Booth being inaugurated as President of the National Press Club. As part of buying out the Buxbaum remnants in 1998, I acquired correspondence between the Prof and Mr. Booth (then retired) bartering the remnants of the private press run. It indicated Dr. Buxbaum purchased four hundred plus of which fifty Booth had signed per their deal (we got only about 200, and only about twenty signed, most of the latter sold almost immediately). I still have over a hundred of the full color parody pictured in Nathan's Collectibles if any are interested, $50 ppd. after the holidays, as I would not brave USPS now for ten times that asking price.

And I would speculate that the April Fool's spoof with Paris Hilton will appreciate over time, just has MAD 1958 #54 I think, which I have seen at $200, though a reading copy can be purchased for $16-$25 from milehighcomics.com or other back issue dealer

Hope this helps others interested in the tangential collectibles

Paul
Houston

[Scott T. Shier]

Paul,

The extra background information is very interesting. Thanks for sharing it! I wonder why MBG withheld the permission...?

About the 2008 parody, I am very less than pleased that Ms. Hilton is on the cover - I find her to be deplorable, uneducated, self-centered and immature. It is a sore spot for me that NGS would associate w/ her in such a manner. Quite beneath them (even for a joke).

There's one parody I have yet to locate. It features Snoopy and Woodstock on the cover (w/ oak leaf design), and they are underwater, with the title of "Voyage of the Beagle II" In fact was this just a cover/poster print, or was there some pages to go with it....

Paul, would you possibly be open to uploading a photo of the cover of the NPC/NGM parody you have, as an example reference for this site? You could post it in this thread even.

That's all for now, talk with you later.

Scott

[Paul Crist]

If any of you I copied on email with the scans of the NPC cover beauty can upload it, I invite you to do so. I simply could not from home computer where it is saved.
A few comments on the MAD #41 (I was wrong in calling it #54, sorry). I thought the MAD #41 (September 1958 though the Osographic parody bears May internally) had a value in reading copy grade or lower of $16-$25. (In fact, in either Xmas 1998 or 1999, I bought ten very goods and a half dozen lesser grade from milehighcomics.com for what evened out as $16.50 to give as gifts). As it is slow at the office, I just checked again and the cheapest -- discount (almost always offered) -- is $29.95 and very good is $49.95. The range is fair $25 to unavailable mint at $360. (I personally was astounded to see Don Smith ask (and apparently get) $250 for MAD #41 seven or eight years ago (and rather suspect it graded below what a comics distributor stands behind as truly very good or above). So the value of these dual collectibles (NGS parody, but also collectors of the spoofing title) have increased the prices almost 100% in the last ten years. While we can all hope sexutart Hilton will lose a fan base as she ages and the next slut comes along, I do think it will appreciate some, and I need to get me a copy.

Again, I can still offer the National Press Club tribute to Winn Booth for $50 ppd, and I recently opined that even unsigned, it has to have a value commesurate with the story it tells about the Society mocking itself as MBG moved it from semi-academic member organization to the mass-circulation glossy world of illustrated coffeetable coverage of breaking events.

I seemingly can not get onto Koopmann's collectors' Exchange, but memory serves me right he listed all of the parodies (far more than five Scott,) and all but some of them at several hundred dollars.
I think that is a reasonable appreciation for what JC would characterize as non-core collectibles.
Paul Crist