Was "Sick" magazine politically conservative?

Self | 1/24/'16 | Zionist Conspirator

[Zionist Conspirator]

When I was a little boy back in the 60s supermarkets sold comic books and there was a great variety in the regular magazine section. The latter often contained Famous Monsters of Filmland, Weird, Eerie, Creepy, and a whole slew of satire magazines, from the classic MAD to 10000 Jokes to CARtoons to Sick. I often looked with envy at the covers of these magazines but was unable to afford them--an amazing fact when I see what they were all selling for back then!

I actually bought (or more likely wheedled my parents into buying for me) one issue of Sick. That particular issue contained very unflattering caricatures of Castro and Mao, so I sort of had the idea that maybe it was a more conservative version of MAD. But now I read in Wikipedia that Sick actually "pushed the envelope" (as they say these days) more than MAD ever did, and that some of the jokes it contained were identical to those in the routines of Lenny Bruce (definitely not a conservative).

Does anyone else remember that magazine? Was it more liberal/more conservative/more tasteless than MAD or some of the other satirical magazines?

Just curious.

[Nicojones]

During my youth, Cracked was the competitor to Mad. Both leaned somewhat left, but were relatively balanced and often took great shots at pretentious leftist celebrities as I remember it. I had the misfortune of turning on snow last night. Nothing but far left crap. Unwatchable. Humor was far more balanced in our youth.

[relictele]

MAD always claimed they were anti-zealot regardless of ideology but that was an easily disproven lie when you compared their coverage of politicians. A group of NYC writers on Madison Ave? It was inevitable.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_(magazine)

I think it was less in issue of it being conservative and more the fact that back in that era even Democrats could be anti-Communist

[SamAdams76]

Back in the 1970s, those parody magazines were big. In addition to MAD, we had Cracked, Sick and Crazy. I pretty much collected them all, only to have my mother put them all out in the trash when I left for Marine boot camp.

Towards the end, I got a little more sophisticated and started reading National Lampoon.

I don't remember any of them having a certain political bent, they appeared to make fun of anything in pop culture, but then again, I wasn't very political in those days so probably didn't notice one way or the other.

Anyway, good memories of my (mostly) misspent youth!

[BluesDuke]

I remember Sick. They weren't biased---they zapped anything and everything. (They were also one of Lenny Bruce's favourite humor magazines; it's said he bought up at least a hundred copies of any Sick issue that parodied his routines and sent them to prospective clients.)

[stylecouncilor]

Ping

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember MAD, CRACKED, and SICK. I do believe the cartoonists in CRACK or SICK also did cartoon pages for several porn magazines.

I remember either CRACKED or SICK did a spoof on BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID in which the waiter in the Bolivian cafe was Adolph Hitler. That was at a time when Hitler was rumored to still be alive in South America.

I thought it was MAD but looking at BUTCH CASUALTY AND THE SUMDUNCE KID showed it was not that magazine.

[greene66]

I just recall “Sick” as being the one regarded as most tasteless. Isn’t that the mag that did the “Casper, the Dead Baby” satire, some time in the early or mid-1970s? That was some pretty dark and tacky stuff.

“Sick” was a Charlton publication, right? The company that had all those ‘hot rod’ comics. I used to buy a lot of their horror comics, with the Steve Ditko art. They also had slews and slews of romance comics, which were so junky and yet so innocent. I still have such vivid memories of seeing that stuff hanging on comic racks or on wooden magazine shelves in dusty old country stores. Like their old “Billy the Kid” title, which just seemed to run forever.

[T-Bird45]

In junior high, I was mostly a consumer of MAD and CRACKED with an occasional magazine rack perusal of SICK but can’t recall a purchase of it. By high school and into college, I was a regular purchaser of National Lampoon including the original printing of the “Vacation” story and the “we’ll shoot this dog” issue.

As to political bent, MAD & CRACKED were equal-opportunity offenders of the conventional culture with Lampoon having the most obvious lefty slant.

[freepertoo]

Is Mad not published any more? They did a great Rocky parody.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I was more into the “Hippy” comic books by Crumb and others.

[Steely Tom]

There was one National Lampoon that made laugh so hard I almost lost consciousness. Of course, that was when I was in about eighth grade.

I believe it was the one with the "Bulgemobile" fake ad.

[ExCTCitizen]

MAD magazine is still funny (my kids get MAD in the mail), but it isn’t as good as it was in my youth.) I forgot about Sick.

[howlinhound]

You’re all bringing back great memories with all those magazines! There was even one called “Yell” that lasted only for two issues and I had bought them both. I wish I still had them they might be worth something by now.

[MSF BU]

Mad Magazine & Nation Review are similar in that when their founder (Gaines & Buckley respectively) departed their overall quality went down. Both men were geniuses in their own way and the absence of their influence was reflected in the journals they founded.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I know it was much later, but Spy magazine was definitely right leaning and often very funny.

They had this regular column on 'Logrolling' where they showed quotes of the intelligentsia shilling for each other's books and ideas.

Good stuff.