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MAD did better than most.

Few Americans know the back story.

The first great illustrated humor magazines:

England’s “Punch”, started in 1841 to 2002. It’s humor and especially its illustrations were always timely and biting. It even coined the word “cartoon”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_(magazine)

The Harvard Lampoon, begun in 1876, modeled after Punch, has survived it, and has the added benefit of a fresh undergraduate staff each year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Lampoon

Germany’s “Simplicissimus” (The Idiot), which started in 1896 and continued through 1967, with a 10 year hiatus because of the Nazis. Some of Germany’s finest artists contributed cartoons. It was full of biting satire, cultural and political humor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplicissimus

Cracked Magazine (1958-2007) A low order competitor with MAD, it attracted contributors, because unlike the strict policy that copyrights and royalties of all work was owned by MAD, enforced by William Gaines, Cracked contributors retained ownership of their material.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracked

National Lampoon (1970-1998) was a spinoff of The Harvard Lampoon, run by some of its previous editors and writers. In many ways, it took up the gauntlet for MAD Magazine fans, but with adult humor and savage political attack humor, as well as underground comics type illustration. Unfortunately, without new blood, and in changing political and cultural times, it burned out, though its name was purchased by National Lampoon, Inc., for other purposes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lampoon_magazine

I’m sure I missed a bunch in here, as even at the turn of the 20th Century, America was full of illustrated humor magazines, many of who’s humor is by today’s standards offensive, our living in more prudish times.