Mad #187 (Albert Feldstein) - Crappy Days Issue - December 1976

One of the most popular television shows of all times was Garry Marshall's Happy Days.  The show that ran from 1974 to 1984 fed the hunger of the Baby Boomers for the nostalgia of a simpler time.  Arnie Kogen's parody correctly shows that the Arthur Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) character stole the show from Ron Howard and his "teenage" friends.  The drawings were made by Angelo Torres who always played second-banana to Mort Drucker.  Torres is an able caricaturist and he got most of the characters right.  However, I don't see Marion Ross in the drawings of Mrs. C.  Jack Rickard's cover drawing of The Fonz in disguise is one of his best.  This was the seventh (Odd Squad, Boob & Carnal & Tad & Alas, Snoopy, Catch-All-22, Willard and Star Trek Musical) cover by Rickard who would become the primary cover artist after the death of Norman Mingo (1896-1980).

Caricaturist Harry North made his first appearance on the inside front cover (Mad subscription ad) and later in the issue with "The Bauble Hymn of the Republic."

The magazine index promises "One Fine Evening at a Recital" by Don Martin on page 48.  However, the Happy Days parody ran long and Martin's third offering was bumped from the issue. [JAM 7/15/2010]

Look for Donald Duck and Jaws in "How to Read a Real Estate Ad."

Departments:
Washington Post-Mortem - Gall of the President's Men
Don Martin - One Fine Morning in a Playpen; One Fine Afternoon in a Gym
Oops! - Great Moments in Bad Timing
Inside-Ouch - A Mad Peek Behind the Scenes at Car Rental Agencies
Take Coverage - Other Forms of Malpractice Insurance
Buy-Centennial - The Bauble Hymn of the Republic
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side of Living Together
Reaching for New "Hypes" - How Specialty Magazines Are Trying to Boost Sales
Columns Left! Columns Right! - The Daily Liberal - The Daily Conservative
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Bomb Vivant - Mad's "Underground Revolutionary of the Year"
Homing Devices - How to Read a Real Estate Ad
The Fatuous Fifties - Crappy Days

Fold-In - Mouth