Author Topic: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging  (Read 640532 times)

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Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1750 on: September 22, 2019, 06:29:07 AM »
Easy Cuss-Words and Easy Crosswords. I'd love to see the exact original cover the artist based the parody on. At least I narrowed down to being a Curtis publication.


« Last Edit: September 22, 2019, 12:36:20 PM by Swiski »

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1751 on: September 22, 2019, 05:17:41 PM »
While I agree most of the magazine parodies are probably not based on actual issue covers, this one looks like it could be, or at least should be.  Who comes up with something as specific as a blue cartoony guy looking like that?  This would be interesting to research, although those crossword magazines are such recycled pulp that i’d be shocked if anyone in the universe compiled a cover history dating back 40+ years.

Offline Zenergizer

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1752 on: September 23, 2019, 06:44:19 AM »
Like most, I wasn't the biggest fan of this Magazine subseries, but I appreciate this
thread, and I had never seen "Easy Crosswords" before.


Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1753 on: September 23, 2019, 09:28:40 AM »
Yeah...unlike other magazines, something like this was thrown out after completing the puzzles back in the day. Super-rare but worthless at the same time. I found other 1970s era crossword puzzle magazines on eBay.

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1754 on: September 23, 2019, 02:10:36 PM »
My grandfather always had one of these magazines on hand, especially when he drove my grandmother around on errands while she shopped, shopped, shopped (using up his retirement fund!)

Online Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1755 on: September 23, 2019, 02:44:26 PM »
there isn't much info online about Curtis, but what is out there indicates it was an imprint of Marvel comics,
Primarily used for distribution of b&w magazine comics like Conan, Planet of the Apes, Doc Savage, Kung Fu, etc.
But the listings I've found show nothing along the lines of crossword or game magazines. 

this makes me wonder if Cuss-words is even based on a real item?
« Last Edit: September 23, 2019, 04:43:29 PM by Fanatical_and_Sickly »

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1756 on: September 23, 2019, 05:33:25 PM »
I would think it is a real magazine.  I can’t speak for what was on newsstand/drugstore/candy store shelves circa 1974, but “easy” is a descriptive long in use to let puzzlers of average ability know “yes, you can handle these.” They don’t want to inadvertently choose an edition with NY Times-caliber puzzles that are basically impossible for the average puzzler to even start, let alone solve.

Online Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1757 on: September 24, 2019, 03:56:56 PM »
I would think it is a real magazine.  I can’t speak for what was on newsstand/drugstore/candy store shelves circa 1974, but “easy” is a descriptive long in use to let puzzlers of average ability know “yes, you can handle these.” They don’t want to inadvertently choose an edition with NY Times-caliber puzzles that are basically impossible for the average puzzler to even start, let alone solve.
No doubt that there are 'Easy' books, have done some myself. From what I'm finding though, it doesn't look like there is backing evidence that Curtis publishing ever printed any.

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1758 on: September 24, 2019, 04:02:38 PM »
Curtis was not an imprint of Marvel, rather it was a distribution company. Even on regular marvel comics of that era you will see a “CC” logo. The company still exists today. Whether that style of Curtis logo was specific to Marvel magazines I’m not sure.

http://www.curtiscirc.com/1_about/index.html

« Last Edit: September 24, 2019, 04:07:27 PM by Paul_Maul »

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1759 on: September 24, 2019, 04:10:20 PM »
This explains the relationship between Curtis Circulation and Marvel (or parent company Magazine Management Co.)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Circulation

Online Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1760 on: September 24, 2019, 05:14:02 PM »
This explains the relationship between Curtis Circulation and Marvel (or parent company Magazine Management Co.)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Circulation
there also seems to be Curtis Magazines, which used the logo on the Wacky - with this site indicating it was an imprint of Marvel back in the day
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Curtis_Magazines
perhaps a case of the logo of the publishing arm of the distributor of Marvel being confused for an imprint line

« Last Edit: September 24, 2019, 05:22:41 PM by Fanatical_and_Sickly »

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1761 on: September 24, 2019, 05:37:20 PM »
there also seems to be Curtis Magazines, which used the logo on the Wacky - with this site indicating it was an imprint of Marvel back in the day
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Curtis_Magazines
perhaps a case of the logo of the publishing arm of the distributor of Marvel being confused for an imprint line

(Image removed from quote.)

The Wiki article makes it pretty clear that Marvel had no affiliation with the publishing portion of Curtis, that only Curtis Circulation was sold to Perfect/Cadence. It’s possible Marvel did not want the Magazines to carry the Marvel banner (as the content was more adult and not subject to the comics code), and so just used the usual Curtis banner more prominently. Who knows.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2019, 05:51:44 PM by Paul_Maul »

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1762 on: September 24, 2019, 05:51:23 PM »
More info....


Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1763 on: September 25, 2019, 05:52:20 PM »
Family Circuit and Family Circle - the parody May 1975 cover compared to the actual May 1975 cover. I also included the reprint, where the cover date was changed to May 1982. NOTE: Someone asked on an earlier magazine sticker vintage-reprint comparison if the color quality was different like that on my stickers. I actually Googled these parody images, so the coloring between the stickers could be different due to that person's scanner settings.


« Last Edit: September 25, 2019, 05:57:35 PM by Swiski »

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1764 on: September 25, 2019, 06:14:24 PM »
Definitely one of the better magazine parodies IMO.  A bunch of Wacky characters thrown in plus all the electricity gags.  “Current events”, cute.  Always a very ubiquitous magazine in supermarkets, waiting rooms, Mom’s stash, etc.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1765 on: September 27, 2019, 07:44:19 PM »
TV Guide and TV Garbage, along with the reprint sticker with different TV show titles on the cover...



Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1766 on: October 01, 2019, 07:59:56 PM »
61 compared to 16...



Offline BustedFinger

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1767 on: October 02, 2019, 08:59:46 AM »
61 compared to 16...


The real magazine almost looks like a parody itself!
Giving "The Hobby" the finger since 1999!

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1768 on: October 08, 2019, 09:47:34 PM »
Next up - Mud vs Mad. Reprint included to show price inflation on cover



Online sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1769 on: October 09, 2019, 05:21:45 AM »
Next up - Mud vs Mad. Reprint included to show price inflation on cover



Always a favorite of mine. I subscribed to MAD when I was a young teen and was happy to see this one when it was released. I have to confess I am missing the joke, however, with the "No. 3XK6  Out"  in the upper left corner. The Alfred pig Neuman is spot on.
aka Scot Leibacher (no trademark)

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1770 on: October 09, 2019, 02:38:28 PM »
Although I wasn't fond of the magazine parodies, this one is rather good.  It definitely helps to have something iconic and spot-on like Alfred E. Neuman to parody.  I think this helps lift this magazine parody above most of the others.  And good question.  What does "No. 3XK6  Out" mean?  Three strikes?

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1771 on: October 09, 2019, 02:41:09 PM »
Mud is one of the few magazine Wackys that I like.  Not only is the gag good and close to the real title, it's hard not to like Alfred E. Neuman as a pig.  It could almost have been something Mad would have done themselves!

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1772 on: October 12, 2019, 09:51:29 AM »
Mud is a very different one to me.  Has an almost surreal quality, can’t quite put my finger on it.  I guess it’s because I have a history with MAD, and the parody doesn’t quite match up with anything I’ve seen.  I do like the umbrella cover for matching color scheme though.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1773 on: October 14, 2019, 08:47:23 PM »
Sleepy and Creepy magazines...



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1774 on: October 15, 2019, 02:57:15 AM »
Sleepy is a good gag, and the tag lines fit in well.  And, it has a monster.  What more could a Wacky need?

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1775 on: October 16, 2019, 05:53:18 PM »
So cool that they spoofed not just one, but three of the Warren horror magazine titles.  I remember first discovering these in a neighborhood comic shop, and I was immediately intrigued.

Based on this, it’s too bad WPs didn’t venture into spoofing Bronze Age comic book titles.  That would have allowed for full set of 30 all-magazine titles with ease.  I never counted - how many total were sprinkled among Series 11 and 13-15?

Offline mikecho

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1776 on: October 16, 2019, 07:15:12 PM »
So cool that they spoofed not just one, but three of the Warren horror magazine titles.  I remember first discovering these in a neighborhood comic shop, and I was immediately intrigued.

Based on this, it’s too bad WPs didn’t venture into spoofing Bronze Age comic book titles.  That would have allowed for full set of 30 all-magazine titles with ease.  I never counted - how many total were sprinkled among Series 11 and 13-15?
I checked it out in both the '74 Wacky Magazines and the Lost Wackys sections (the latter has one parody that's missing from the former in the category Jay Lynch 1970's Unproduced Rough Art: Black & White) of lostwackys.com. According to Duane, 38 1970s magazine parodies were known to have been made for the planned 1974 Wacky Magazines series and are known to exist (I'm including Famous Mobsters of Frightland here; Duane, however, doesn't for unknown reasons), 23 were finally released (nine in the 11th Series, seven in the 13th, six in the 14th and one in the 15th), 15 were never released and out of those 15, three were possibly intended for the 11th Series (Tomb, Rotting Zone and Schnozmopolitan) but instead were pulled. That makes a possible total of 26 out of 38 known total 1970s magazine parodies that might've been used for this planned series.

Of course, years later, Schnozmopolitan was officially released as a sticker three times (four if you count the altered modernized version from the Jay Lynch tribute series) and Tomb only once. Of the three pulled 1970s magazine parodies, only Rotting Zone remains unreleased (come on Topps, put it in a future 1970s OLDS series like you did with Tomb...you know you want to!).

If you look at Reply #1735 on pg. 50 of this subforum (9-12-19), you'll see the names of the 12 out of 15 1970s magazine parodies known to have been made that weren't released at all - and, in fact, were possibly never ever considered for release in the first place. All of them are only roughs done either in black and white or color, however. According to Duane again, it's possible that the 1974 Wacky Magazines series might've had 30 titles total in it if it had been made (which, of course, it wasn't). That means that, out of all the 12 unreleased 1970s magazine parodies named on page 50, any of them could've been the remaining four on the planned final list. I guess we'll never know in this case.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2021, 12:45:39 AM by mikecho »

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1777 on: October 19, 2019, 03:38:17 PM »
We're out of the magazine spoofs for the time being. Next up on the 11th series checklist...Planet of the Grapes and Planet of the Apes trading cards


« Last Edit: October 19, 2019, 04:12:59 PM by Swiski »

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1778 on: October 19, 2019, 03:49:37 PM »
Were out of the magazine spoofs for the time being. Next up on the 11th series checklist...Planet of the Grapes and Planet of the Apes trading cards



This is a really good gag, and it really captures the pack.  Might be my favorite in the series.

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1779 on: October 19, 2019, 04:18:52 PM »
The funniest thing about it by far is the “Trees” Topps logo.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1780 on: October 24, 2019, 06:52:44 PM »
Moron Chicken Dinner and Morton Chicken Dinner...



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1781 on: October 25, 2019, 03:45:32 AM »
Moron Chicken Dinner and Morton Chicken Dinner...



Good gag, OK tag lines, but the packaging, especially the aluminum foil tray, is fantastic!!

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1782 on: October 29, 2019, 09:25:32 PM »
Bird Brain and Birds Eye Dinners...



Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1783 on: October 31, 2019, 05:51:41 PM »
For some reason most parodies of freezer-case products seem to be really good - Sara Lee, Morton, Birdseye, Mrs. Paul’s, etc.  Even in the ANS - ‘Bird Eyes’ is awesome.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1784 on: November 08, 2019, 06:42:00 PM »
With the recent Halloween release by Neil and Dave's Old School 8, this thread took a back seat to all the exciting news.

Back on track, here is Chimpanzee and Champion spark plugs...



 

anything