MAD Mumblings

[canucklehead]

Since we've been talking about MAD's covers over the last little while, I thought I'd do an unscientific survey to see which famous personalities and icons have made the cover the most often.

I attempted to leave no stone unturned - checking regular-issue art, the yellow borders from issues #356-370, variant covers, and even the reprint issues.

I've tried to include every appearance possible by a given personality (and/or every Alfred-morph involving a given personality), even in cases where the art in question was used twice. My reasoning was that if MAD was using a new or recycled likeness of a given politician, Hollywood star or cartoon character, the decision was made for a specific reason - and, in the end, it's all designed to get the reader's attention and (hopefully) make them buy the issue.

That said, don't take these figures as gospel - I'm sure I missed somebody, somewhere, on something. I'd just like to see if this list kick-starts a discussion on who makes MAD's covers and who doesn't.

So here's the top eleven (this was the easiest way to do it IMHO):

1. Batman - 12
(Technically 14, if you count the two covers of #359 that feature Mr. Freeze, Robin and Batgirl, but not Batman himself)

2. George W. Bush - 11
(Please note that I don't count the "Mission Accomplished" variant cover of #437 - even thought it uses Alfred to spoof Bush, it doesn't specifically try to make Alfred into Bush IMHO)

3. Bill Clinton - 11
(Side note: Hillary and Monica each make three appearances; Al Gore makes four)

4. Superman - 10
(Or 11, if you count the young Clark Kent on #415's Smallville cover)

5. Darth Vader - 8
(Not counting four appearances by the young Anakin Skywalker)

6. Harrison Ford - 8
(As Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan)

7. Richard M. Nixon - 8

8. Sylvester Stallone - 8

9. David Letterman - 7

10. R2D2 - 7
(That's two more than C3PO)

11. Snoopy - 7
(Charlie Brown and Lucy have each made four appearances)

The next likely candidates to crack this select group include Michael Jackson, Madonna and the casts of Harry Potter and South Park (six covers each, including variants), Spider-Man (five covers, with a second big-screen sequel in the works) and our old friend Eminem (also five covers).

A couple of other things that caught my eye: Britney Spears has more covers (four) than either Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake (three each)...and Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer are the only members of the Friends cast without a MAD cover cameo outside of their group shot on #435.

There it is, folks...whaddya think?