Author:
Title: MAD No. 20
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: Educational Comics Inc.]
Date Published: February, 1955
Description: CGC certified: Fine/VF (7.0). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: Crease right top of front cover breaks color; spine stress lines breaks color; wear right bottom of front cover.

CGC Census: 121 graded copies (117 Universal, 4 Restored).

GPAnalysis: A 7.0 sold for $300 in 4/23.

Credits: Cover: Harvey Kurtzman. Scripts: Harvey Kurtzman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Art: Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Bill Elder.MAD Mockery: Kurtzman and the gang razz Paul Revere, the Katzenjammer Kids, detective fiction and the phoniness of Hollywood westerns.

"[EC] struck a nerve precisely because teenagers hungered for something that wasn't 'good for you.' Mad was an irreverent beacon to youth that made fun of relentless consumerism... and offered satire that challenged the status quo with an anarchy antithetical to the country's political and social atmosphere. Kurtzman's comic book came as a bolt from the blue. Published alongside mainstream material, MAD was so unusual that it seemed like a cult publication." – Bill Schelly, Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America. Fantagraphics: 2015.______________________________________________________________

A limited edition of ten hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a few dozen softcovers. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with obscure facts, gags, bon mots. Softcovers are $40, deluxe hardcovers with dust jackets and limitation plates are $200. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Summer 2024 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of funnybook fiends. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." – R. Crumb. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Coming Soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 3: The Golden Age (August 2024) and Weird Tales and Amazing Stories: The PBA Pulp Sale (September 2024). Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com to get on the notifications list.