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a black-and-white, inside-front-cover table of contents

a partially upside-down house-ad

a house-ad

a house-ad

a hairy male golfer giving pants-less golfing lessons to a young lady for a sexual “hole-in-one”

the tiny “swipes”

Its first issue -- cover-dated Oct. – Nov., 1952 -- EC's TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU MAD (soon to be known simply as MAD) was a humor/satire comic book series that became incredibly influential within a year or so of its initial appearance. In fact, it spawned dozens of four-color imitations published by most of the comic book companies in existence at the time. Although not especially quick to jump on the MAD bandwagon, Archie Comics eventually responded to the trend, launching ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE -- also published under the title MADHOUSE MA-AD -- in September, 1959. (Ajax/Farrell had already published a satirical comic titled MADHOUSE in 1954 and 1957.) Please notice how the cover-logo separates "Madhouse" into two words, probably to further promote the concept that this comic is somehow connected with the "real" MAD, although this isn't done with any consistency within the interior pages of this comic itself.. Although the early issues of ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE featured the typical antics of Archie and his Riverdale pals 'n' gals, the comic began to resemble MAD magazine, full of articles and gag-strips that only occasionally featured Archie's gang. (Please note that Archie and his friends are shoehorned into this issue as "presenters" of most of the articles therein, somewhat like wholesome versions of such "horror hosts" as EC's “Old Witch”, “the Vault-Keeper” and “the Crypt-Keeper”). ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE provided the perfect vehicle to present short (and intentionally juvenile) parodies of whatever fads and crazes were currently popular with teen-agers: monster movies, science fiction, westerns, rock 'n' roll groups, television series, superheroes, spies, TV commercials, hippies, beatniks, etc. Of course, all of these were rendered with the squeaky-clean veneer associated that was typical of Archie's line of titles. Allowing ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE to skew much younger than MAD's teenage and adult audience.

The first issue of ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE (or "MAD HOUSE", depending upon the issue) was cover-dated September, 1959 and the final issue was No 66, cover-dated February, 1969. Following that, the series changed its title to MADHOUSE MA-AD JOKES from issue No. 67 (April, 1969) through No. 70, then MADHOUSE MA-AD FREAK OUT from issue No. 71 through 72 (January, 1970). After that, the title became MADHOUSE GLADS from Issue No. 73 (May, 1970) through No. 94 (August. 1974) – but skipping No. 78 through No. 92! Finally, the title shifted to MAD HOUSE and the genre to horror with its 95th issue (September, 1974). The final issue of MAD HOUSE was No. 130, cover-dated October, 1982. There were also eleven different annuals published under the umbrella of Archie's "Madhouse" titles, as well as a single digest reprint collection.

In 1957, when Universal released a package of 52 of its classic monster and horror movies to local television stations under the title “Shock Theater”, the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, the Wolf Man and other creepy creatures gained an entirely new young audience. In turn, this phenomenon spawned publisher James Warren’s and editor Forrest J Ackerman’s FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND -- the first issue of which was cover-dated February, 1958 -- a black-and-white magazine aimed directly at the new generation of monster fans. As monster mania swept across adolescent America, the Aurora Plastics Corp. took a risk to capitalize on this fad and issued the world’s first “monster model” kit -- Universal’s “Frankenstein” -- as portrayed by Boris Karloff, priced at a mere 98¢. (Of course, since glue and paint weren’t included, hobby shop and toy store owners usually made a nice profit on each kit sold.) This was quickly followed with ready-to-assemble kits of “Dracula” and “the Wolfman,” also stars of their own Universal film series. Before long, Aurora’s line of monster models included “The Creature From The Black Lagoon”, “The Mummy”, “Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde”, “King Kong”, “Godzilla”, “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame”, “The Bride Of Frankenstein”, “The Phantom Of The Opera”, “The Witch”, “The Forgotten Prisoner Of Castlemare” (created by the fiendish folks at FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND), “The Munsters”, “The Addams Family’s House”, “Rodan”, “Ghidorah”, “Big Frankie” (a huge, “superdeformed” version of Frankenstein’s Monster) and many more, including two kits containing elements to “customize” their standard-issue monsters and even a guillotine kit. Aurora’s success inspired other model kit manufacturers to create their own lines of monsters, including Revell’s hot-rod-driving “Finks”, led by “Rat Fink” (created by custom car genius Ed “Big Daddy” Roth), Hawk’s similarly automotive “Weird-Ohs” (designed by model kit box illustrator Bill Campbell), Monogram’s “Fred Flypogger” (created by future Grateful Dead artist Stanley “Mouse!” Moskowitz) and even Lindberg. These hot rod-themed monster kids influenced Aurora Plastics, Inc., who then expanded their line to include “Frankenstein’s Flivver”, “Dracula’s Dragster”, “Wolfman’s Wagon”, “Mummy’s Chariot“, “Godzilla’s Go Kart” and “King Kong’s Thronester”. A series of “Aurora Monster Scenes” -- featuring Warren Publications’ “Vampirella” -- followed later, but were not nearly as successful, attracting criticism from various parents’ groups for its replication of various medieval torture devices and a designated female “victim” to use ‘em on. The monster model fad remained strong through 1966 or so, then resurfaced in the 1990s in the form of authorized reissued “classic” kits and limited edition (usually unauthorized) “garage kits”; the craze, though significantly subdued, still exists, with a number of magazines and conventions devoted to monster model kits.

Cartoonist Orlando Francis Busino was born on October 10, 1926 in Binghamton, New York. With Bob Kane and Will Eisner among his artistic influences, Orlando set his sights on becoming a cartoonist when he was nine years old. He graduated from Iowa State University (where he received a B.A. in fine arts) and also studied at New York City’s School Of Visual Arts. Orlando’s gag cartoons have appeared in many “slick” magazines, including ARGOSY, BOYS’ LIFE (his “Gus”, a strip about a lovable mutt, ran in the Boy Scout publication starting in 1971), GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, LADIES HOME JOURNAL. McCALLS, READERS DIGEST, SATURDAY EVENING POST and TRUE. He’s drawn advertising for Union Carbide. In 1981, Ardor Publishing Co. issued two paperback collections of “Gus” -- GUS: GOOD BOY and OH, GUS! Orlando also lettered the syndicated newspaper comic strip GIL THORP. Orlando’s output for comic books is slim but extremely memorable. After working with writer George Gladir on various covers and features for ARCHIE’S MADHOUSE, he co-created the company’s TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU BATS (both 1961 - 1962), but unfortunately, after three spectacularly-drawn issues, quit due to a dispute with Archie management. Orlando received the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Division Award for Magazine Gag Cartooning in 1965, 1967 and 1968. Orlando Busino has lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut since 1961. Orlando and his cartoonist friend Jerry (TRUDY) Marcus enjoys doing drawing demonstrations at many schools and libraries in the area. Reflecting upon his life as a cartoonist, Orlando has said, “"I've enjoyed it all the way. Cartooning is not something you go into unless you enjoy it."

At age nine, writer George Gladir won a Mickey Mouse sweater in a contest in MICKEY MOUSE MAGAZINE. A few years later, he had the winning entry in a "Buffalo Bob" cartoon contest that appeared in TIP TOP COMICS. Winning a dollar was nice, but even more significant to George was seeing his drawing and name in print in a comic book. In 1943, at the age of seventeen, while attending Cooper Union Institute in the evening, George landed an apprentice-type job at Eisner and Iger; Will Eisner was away in the service at the time. But within a few months, he enlisted in the Army and served as a combat infantryman in France and Germany during which time George was a POW for sixteen days. George didn't get back to the comic book field for many years. Following his discharge from the Army, he went to NYU on the GI Bill of Rights, majoring in History and English. After graduation there was another stint in the Army, this time as a Psychological Warfare Officer in Germany. While in the service he could still feel the lure of cartooning tugging at him. George sold a number a gag cartoons to various publications-including several cartoon ideas to the NEW YORKER. Upon his second discharge he took a job at a bank and enrolled in a night course at New York's Cartoonists and Illustrator's School (changed later to the School of Visual Arts). Two of George's classmates were Bob Weber, later to create the hilarious MOOSE strip for King Features, and Orlando Busino, who became a top-selling gag cartoonist for major magazines like THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. Years later, George and Orlando would co-create the classic Oddball monster parody comic, TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU BATS! (1961). After leaving C&I, George submitted gag cartoons to various magazines for several years. In1959, a cartoonist friend of George's told him that Archie Comics was looking for a writer. He started submitting one-page gags for ARCHIE'S JOKE BOOK, and George quickly found his niche at Archie and has been writing for the publisher ever since, for forty-seven years and counting. In 1961, George also started working for CRACKED magazine a humor magazine in the tradition of MAD. George wrote over 2,000 pages for the magazine, collaborating with such talented cartoonists as John Severin and Don Orehek. Always exploring new creative possibilities, in 1991, George sold a series ‚– drawn by cartoonist Tetsuya Ohyama -- with the title "Is That True?" ("Honto Ko Na?"), a humorous feature on an American's misconceptions about life in Japan, to Kodansha, a major Japanese publisher. This feature ran for 69 episodes over four years. George's experiences in Japan also inspired a new fantasy-adventure series for Rorschach Entertainment, CINDY AND HER OBASAN, co-created with the great Stan Goldberg; the first issue was published in October, 2006. Still quite busy, concocting new characters and stories, George lives in Carlsbad, California with his wife Mary.

Cartoonist Joseph “Joe” Edwards (1921 - 2/8/2007), inspired by the work of Will Eisner and Walt Disney, studied at Rome Academy and the Hastings Animation School, then began working on comic books in 1937, working in the “Demby Studios” shop, an outfit that “packaged” comic books for various publishers. Joe also drew funny animal features for Dell and Eastern Color Printing (“Victor The Vegetarian Vulture” and “Friendly Fox”) and in 1942, began working for his lifelong employer, MLJ/Radio Comics, AKA Archie Comics. Joe’s “Bumble The Bee-tective”, “Cubby The Bear” and “Squoimy The Woim” all appeared as back-up features in ARCHIE COMICS No. 1. Joe also drew “Chimpy”, “Judge Owl’s Fables” and “It Shouldn’t Happen To A Dog” for MLJ/Radio Comics. During World War II, Joe was stationed in Naples, Italy; there, the soldier illustrated various U.S. Army training manuals. As the publisher enjoyed great success with “Archie”, Joe turned to writing and drawing strips about humorous humans. Foremost among these was Joe’s creation, “Li’l Jinx”, who first appeared in the pages of PEP COMICS No. 62 (July, 1947) as a replacement for “The Black Hood”, a superhero feature. A “kid strip” that preceded cartoonist Hank Ketcham’s DENNIS THE MENACE syndicated newspaper comic strip by four years. “Li’l Jinx” Holliday -- so named because she was born on Halloween, a birth-date she shared with Joe’s son -- usually starred in Joe’s specialty, one-page “filler” gag-strips, although in 1956 she also received her own short-lived title, as well as a handful of “specials”. Although Li’l Jinx was never officially named as such, she lived in Archie’s home town of “Riverdale” and made a few appearances in various “Archie” stories. Later, Joe created “Shrimpy” a PEANUTS-like feature that appeared in various “Archie” titles. He also worked on “Super Duck” and “Captain Sprocket”, “Professor Transistor” and “Wilbur”, among other ongoing Archie characters. For decades, Joe also wrote, drew and inked an amazing amount of one-page gag-strips featuring Archie Andrews and his “pals ‘n’ gals”. Joe’s work often appeared in the pages of ARCHIE’S JOKE BOOK, ARCHIE’S MADHOUSE and TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU BATS. In 1980, Joe created LEISURE ACRES, a strip for the newspaper of “Retirement Village”. In 1987, Joe worked on Marvel’s HEATHCLIFF, part of the publisher’s short-lived “Star Comics” line aimed at younger readers. Joe also did work in advertising, designing children’s apparel and magazine gag cartoons. Joe was also a member of the “Berndt Toast Gang”, the Long Island chapter of the National Cartoonists Society.

Included in this issue of ARCHIE’S MADHOUSE are the following stories, features and advertisements:

• “Election Time!”, a black-and-white, inside-front-cover table of contents featuring “Captain Sprocket”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. (Please note that the election references in this comic appear because 1964 was a U.S. presidential election year, with Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson running against Republican candidate Barry M. Goldwater.)

• “Anything Goes In Our Way Out Section”, an introductory page written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards, featuring three gag cartoons about Indian mystics -- one features a traffic signal for flying rugs, another features a man laying on a bed of pins requesting a pin-studded pillow and the third shows a cobra snake using a flute to “charm” a mystic.

• “Ali Bubu The Fabulous Fakir!”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- Having recently graduated from fakir school, Ali Bubu attempts to climb a rope up to the window of his beloved Fatima. But when he falters, Ali Bubu’s rival fakir comes to his aid because Ali doesn’t quite “know the ropes”. Then he demonstrates his own approach, magically transforming the vertical rope into a stairway, then rides it upwards like an escalator. Jealous of Ali, his rival summons up a genie from a lamp who immediately whips up an anchovy pizza for his master and Fatima. When Ali Bubu tries to summon a genie from his lamp -- after chanting “Alakazam! Dodger! Roger! Koufax!” -- the dripping-wet magical being who appears is irate because Ali just interrupted his shower. Next, Ali’s unnamed rival challenges him to a “nail board” competition, but Ali can already prove his experience with that trick -- he’s got bandaged puncture wounds all over his back. Fatima asks Ali to take her for a ride on his magic carpet so they can be alone at the drive-in movies, but the carpet breaks down in flight, landing on top of one of the Indian city’s pointy-topped buildings, painfully poking Ali’s poor posterior. Before Ali’s rival can convince Fatima to take a spin on his “hot rod rug”, they’re interrupted by news of an impending elephant stampede unleashed by “the sultan of Ishna-Pishna” -- headed right their way! Ali’s cowardly rival flies away, Despite his instincts to follow, Ali’s love for Fatima convinces him to stay so he can defend their city. “Nothing seems to be able to halt the elephants in their wild charge upon the city! But suddenly hey see something that sends shivers up their trunks!...And it makes the elephants retreat in panic!!!” Ali instantly becomes a famous national hero for saving his city, but he didn’t do it with magic. Instead, he dressed up in his “masquerade mouse costume” to frighten away the pack of ponderous pachyderms!

• “Photography Then ‘N’ Now”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- This article contrasts “old-fashioned” photographic equipment with modern photographic equipment.

• “Darkroom Photography”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- This one-page article takes a humorous look at equipment for developing photographs.

• “Clyde Didit Did It Again!”, a partially upside-down house-ad for ARCHIE’S MAD HOUSE ANNUAL No. 2.

• “The Mad House Teen Section”, an introductory page featuring two gag cartoons about the Beatles, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- This page features two faux Beatles, a hairy-hat-wearing guard at Buckingham Palace, a sheepdog and two real beetles, all with Beatle-esque hair-styles.

• “Sabrina The Teen Witch” in “Bowled Over”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- When three of Sabrina’s boyfriends make a bet that whoever gets the highest bowling score gets a date with the “teen witch”, she uses her magic to help Bob -- the boy of her choice -- to win the informal contest. But her magic is too powerful; when she wants him to “curve”, he rolls his ball two lanes to the right, and when she mentally commands him to stick to his own lane, he sticks to his rolling bowling ball -- and vice versa! With Bob in the hospital and only two boys left, Sabrina decides to secretly help Mike, who’s not only the better bowler, he’s also the better dancer. But when she laces his soda with some “confidence powder”, Mike picks a fight with “Ape Man”, a bully bowler who’s constantly annoying him. Ape Man retaliates by using Mike as a human bowling ball (but he only manages to knock down eight pins.) Mike is hauled off by a pair of ambulance attendants, leaving the remaining boy, George, to win their contest. He promises Sabrina that if he “bowls well”, he’ll treat her to all the pizza she can eat, so she magically influences his ability so that he scores “a perfect 300”. When George realizes this, he faints. With no one left to take her to the dance, Sabrina decides she might as well do some bowling. But while she’s rolling the ball, Sabrina is so surprised to see Sam -- the captain of her high school football team -- show up to ask her to the dance, she exclaims, “Well, I’ll be bowled over!” Following her unintentional magical command, Sabrina’s rolling bowling ball makes a U-turn and crashes into her! When her black cat, Salem visits her in the hospital, Sabrina laments, “You know, Salem -- sometimes I get the feeling I’d be better off if I didn’t have my witching powers!...But of course that can’t be true!”

• “Join The Fun”, a house-ad for ARCHIE GIANT SERIES No. 29, “Around The World With Archie”.

• “Tops In Pops”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- “DEXTER SQUARESPIN was the #1 deejay in town…that is until ROCKY PLATTER made the scene, their rivalry became even wilder than the records they played!” In a bid to win the WHIZ radio station’s “popularity poll” sneaky Dexter gives Rocky a hotfoot while he’s on the air, but Rocky merely uses this as inspiration for a quip about having the “hottest show on the ra-di-o”. Then, he “accidentally” drops the station’s entire record library out a window, leaving Rocky left with only one record to play -- “Watusi Pizza”. Again, Rocky turns his misfortune into a great publicity stunt by playing the same song “over and over and over” for eight hours straight. Next, Dexter steals the commercial copy for a radio spot Rocky’s about to deliver, leaving the red-haired disc jockey to improvise his own version of the ad for Klump’s Department Store. Instead of becoming a disaster, Rocky’s commercial is a huge hit with his client, and therefore, his boss, earning him a double-salary pay-raise! Desperate to win the radio station’s popularity poll, Dexter demands that the station’s management arrange a series of publicity stunts for him, “the crazier the better”. Over the next three months, Dexter finds himself broadcasting from a cage full of lions, from the top of the WHIZ building’s flagpole, and while making a parachute jump -- with a ‘chute that fails to open! As the station’s popularity contest winds up, both deejays step up their on-air campaigns, with Dexter promising, “This is Dexter Squarespin! Parents, if you get your kiddies to vote for me, I promise I’ll never play another rock ‘n’ roll record!” Up to now, Dexter hasn’t received a single vote, but after making that announcement, he’s elated to receive a big box of what he assumes to be fan mail. Lugging the box into the radio station manager’s office to impress him, Dexter starts to open the package when they notice it’s starting to tick! The box explodes, sending both Dexter and his boss crashing through the wall. “Our moral? Tell your favorite jock not to knock the rock!”

• “Who Is This…Man??”, a house-ad for ARCHIE GIANT SERIES No. 30, “The World Of Jughead”.

• “Girly Golfers”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- This rather misogynistic two-page strip, defending the argument that women don’t belong on the golf links -- includes this bizarre panel that seems to shows a hairy male golfer giving pants-less golfing lessons to a young lady for a sexual “hole-in-one”.

• “Karate”, written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- This article takes a humorous look at karate.

• “Plant Playmate”, a one-page gag-strip written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- Seeking advice on how to care for her plants, a gardener asks her neighbor for advice. He directs her to his cousin, who’s such an expert on plant life that he’s got leafy branches growing out of his ears.

• “Dig This Crazy Offer!”, a house-ad for ARCHIE’S PALS ‘N’ GALS.

• “Martian Martyr”, a black-and-white, inside-back-cover one-page gag-strip written by George Gladir and drawn by Joe Edwards. -- Peaceful Martians make a plea to Earth’s inhabitants to stop their gas attacks; then it’s revealed that the Martians are the size of tiny bugs and that a nearsighted Earth woman is using insect repellant against them. (Please note the tiny “swipes” of Orlando Busino’s iconic flying saucer design from his cover for TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU BATS No. 3, March, 1962).

• “Vote The Straight Fun Ticket!”, a back-cover house-ad for a variety of ARCHIE GIANT SERIES comics, including ARCHIE’S PALS ‘N’ GALS, THE ADVENTURES OF LITTLE ARCHIE, THE WORLD OF JUGHEAD, ARCHIE’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING, ARCHIE ANNUAL, BETTY AND VERONICA SPECTACULAR, ARCHIE’S JOKES, BETTY AND VERONICA SUMMER FUN, AROUND THE WORLD WITH ARCHIE and ARCHIE’S MAD HOUSE ANNUAL.

ODDBALL FACTOID – “Hap Holliday”, the father of Joe Edwards’ most famous creation, “Li’l Jinx”, was once revealed to be a collector of so-called “Golden Age” comic books!

New Next Week: ODDBALL COMIC #1,226 -- MAY 26, 2008 -- KONA, MONARCH OF MONSTER ISLE has fought dozens of dinosaurs, giant insects, super-sharks, huge spiders, radioactive saber-tooth tigers, monstrous mutants and even a colossal kitty-cat! But nothing has prepared the white-haired Cro -Magnon caveman for his trip to Atlantis, where he battles some of the weirdest funnybook foes ever seen! Yes, it’s another issue of one of ODDBALL COMICS’ all-time favorite series, featuring psychedelic dialog and mind-blowing art by the great Sam (“USS Stevens”) Glanzman!

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