National Lampoon Comic Book Parodies

[Cei-U!]

rick’s mention of “Son o’God” in his quiz has me reminiscing about all the great comic book parodies that National Lampoon ran throughout the Seventies, strips like “Whitedoves,” “Batfart,” “G. Gordon Liddy, Agent of C.R.E.E.P.,” their savage (and accurate) Mad parody and my personal favorite, “Sgt. Nick Penis and His Brassball Batallion” (The Brassballs don’t use parachutes! They’re tough!). These featured inspired art by talents like Neal Adams, Joe Orlando, Frank Springer and many other moonlighting mainstreamers.

Are any of the collections still in print? If not, whose cage must we rattle to bring this material to light?

Cei-U!
I summon the *real* Deadman!

[rick]

rick’s mention of “Son o’God” in his quiz has me reminiscing about all the great comic book parodies that National Lampoon ran throughout the Seventies, strips like “Whitedoves,” “Batfart,” “G. Gordon Liddy, Agent of C.R.E.E.P.,” their savage (and accurate) Mad parody and my personal favorite, “Sgt. Nick Penis and His Brassball Batallion” (The Brassballs don’t use parachutes! They’re tough!). These featured inspired art by talents like Neal Adams, Joe Orlando, Frank Springer and many other moonlighting mainstreamers.

Are any of the collections still in print? If not, whose cage must we rattle to bring this material to light?

Cei-U!
I summon the *real* Deadman!

Personally I recommend just going ahead and buying the old issues or the "Best Of" collections instead of buying any of the halfassed books that whoever it is that currently owns the Lampoon name has put out in the last few years.

Just last winter I went on a brief National Lampoon buying spree on ebay and managed to pick up a good 50 or so issues for what came out to be about $3.00 a book.

And also keep in mind that with the Lampoon you really have a huge falling off of quality after around 1977, so really it's only worth most peoples time to concetrate on those earlier issues.

[Cei-U!]

I have a pretty decent Lampoon collection, actually. It'd be nice to have a volume I can pull off the bookshelf instead of rooting around in longboxes though.

Cei-U!
I summon the practicality!

[rick]

I have a pretty decent Lampoon collection, actually. It'd be nice to have a volume I can pull off the bookshelf instead of rooting around in longboxes though.

Cei-U!
I summon the practicality!

For a great collection of their comic parodys I would suggest finding a copy of, The "Breast" of the National Lampoon Vol 7., which is also sometimes called, simply National Lampoon Comics.



It's a really well rounded collection of some of their very best comic related stuff. And hey, the list of artists would make any 70's comics fan drool.

Besides it has the real adventures of Deadman in it. ;)

[Cei-U!]

Talk about nostalgia! I bought that collection in the Husky Student Union Building on my first official day as a freshman at University of Washington waaaaaay back in September '75. That copy fell apart probably 20 years ago from overreading. I really do need to replace it.

By the way, did you know some of the Foto Funnies reprinted in that collection feature Roy Thomas and his then-wife Jean?

Cei-U!
I summon the really good old days!

[Red Oak Kid]

I hate people who remind me of all the great stuff I don't have anymore.

Back then, I had all those NL issues.

I think Zimmerman by Adams may be the best thing he contributed, with Son O God a close second.

I remember a cover parody of a Marvel Conan by Barry Smith.

I think the Deadman comic was more by Giordano than Adams.

I had the Breast of (Comics) issue also. SOB

[MDG]

There was also "The National Lampoon Book of Comical Funnies," which ios basically a made-up history of the comics. Some very funny stuff in it.

[prince hal]

MDG is spot-on about the Lampoon history of comics: too many favorites to mention, but "Hunter White" and "Variety Time" jump immediately to mind.

Also, no one who loves satire can afford to be without the Lampoon's Sunday newspaper parody and the never-to-be-surpassed yearbook parody. The yearbook in question is Larry Kroger's. (Larry, of course, is the hapless freshman pledge in "Animal House.")

Sheer brilliance, both of them.

[rick]

MDG is spot-on about the Lampoon history of comics: too many favorites to mention, but "Hunter White" and "Variety Time" jump immediately to mind.

My personal favorite in that one was Verman. He was sort of like Inscet Queen, just a great character who would kiss trash and transform into a variety of bugs, such as the human tapeworm.

Also, no one who loves satire can afford to be without the Lampoon's Sunday newspaper parody and the never-to-be-surpassed yearbook parody. The yearbook in question is Larry Kroger's. (Larry, of course, is the hapless freshman pledge in "Animal House.")

Sheer brilliance, both of them.

Now both of those are availble in current editions and I agree that they are well worth a look. The Yearbook is just perfect in everyway, and while the newspaper does have its ups and downs, you just can't beat the amazing Squirel-Man.

[prince hal]

My personal favorite in that one was Verman. He was sort of like Inscet Queen, just a great character who would kiss trash and transform into a variety of bugs, such as the human tapeworm.

Now both of those are availble in current editions and I agree that they are well worth a look. The Yearbook is just perfect in everyway, and while the newspaper does have its ups and downs, you just can't beat the amazing Squirel-Man.

Right! I'd forgotten the lovingly repulsive Verman!

What I loved was the internal continuity between the two. The Dacron Republican-Democrat served as a "Where Are They Now?" follow-up to the Class of '64 in addition to being laugh-out-loud funny.

[Red Oak Kid]

I remember a TV Guide parody in the 70s.

Every synopsis of hour cop shows involved "hookers";

Mannix investigates the death of a hooker......

Starsky and Hutch come to the aid of a hooker.....

A hooker asks Barnaby Jones for help.....

McGarrett and Dano rescue a hooker from....

[Cherokee Jack]

rick’s mention of “Son o’God” in his quiz has me reminiscing about all the great comic book parodies that National Lampoon ran throughout the Seventies, strips like “Whitedoves,” “Batfart,” “G. Gordon Liddy, Agent of C.R.E.E.P.,” their savage (and accurate) Mad parody and my personal favorite, “Sgt. Nick Penis and His Brassball Batallion” (The Brassballs don’t use parachutes! They’re tough!). These featured inspired art by talents like Neal Adams, Joe Orlando, Frank Springer and many other moonlighting mainstreamers.

Are any of the collections still in print? If not, whose cage must we rattle to bring this material to light?

Cei-U!
I summon the *real* Deadman!

Using the link below, if you scroll down to the MAGAZINE RACK book, it contains a reprint of the Nick Penis story. The book has some pretty good stuff (I just finished reading it), including the MAD parody. And you can't go wrong with the price.

http://www.edwardrhamilton.com/cgi-bin/search.pl

There's also a link for an inexpensive reprint of the yearbook parody.