Humbug (magazine)

Humbug

Cover illustration by Jack Davis for Humbug #2 (September 1957)
Editor	Harvey Kurtzman
Categories	Satirical magazine
Frequency	Monthly
Publisher	Humbug, Inc.
First issue	August 1957
Final issue	1958
Country	United States
Language	English

Humbug is a humor magazine published from 1957 to 1958. Edited by Harvey Kurtzman, the magazine took satirical jabs at movies, television, advertising and various artifacts of popular culture, from cereal boxes to fashion photographs.^[1] Nine of the eleven issues were published in a black-and-white comic book-sized format.

With fatally accurate irony, Kurtzman delivered his declaration of editorial principles in the first issue:

"We won't write for morons. We won't do anything just to get laughs. We won't be dirty. We won't be grotesque. We won't be in bad taste. We won't sell magazines."

Several of the project's contributing artists had previously worked with Kurtzman when he was the editor of Mad, including Wallace Wood, Jack Davis, Al Jaffee and Will Elder. The 32-page first issue (August 1957) featured a front cover by Elder (with the announcement "The End of the World Is Coming" inside a border design depicting contemporary life).^[2] Interior artwork was by Elder, Kurtzman, Wood, Davis, Jaffee and Arnold Roth. Outside writer contributions included a piece by the novelist and screenwriter Ira Wallach. Elder illustrated Kurtzman's satire of television's rigged Twenty One quiz show, and Davis spoofed the Elia Kazan film of Tennessee Williams' Baby Doll (1956). The second issue expanded from 32 pages to 48 pages.

Later issues included text pieces by Larry Siegel, who would soon move on to a 32-year stint with Mad. Al Jaffee returned to Mad in the same issue as Siegel's debut, and remained with the magazine for more than half a century until he retired at age 99. Wally Wood was the only artist to work simultaneously for Mad and Kurtzman's post-Mad projects; after Humbug folded, Wood was a Mad regular until 1964. It took Jack Davis seven years to return to Mad; the artist's second run at Mad lasted from 1965 to 1996.