Mad #208 (Albert Feldstein) - Kraptonite Issue - July 1979

Harvey Kurtzman's parody of the Superman comic book ("Superduperman") in Mad #4 in 1953 was the article that brought attention to the Mad comic book and ensured its financial success that continues 57 years later.  The Superman story finally hit the big screen in late 1978 with great special effects but a rather lame screenplay that required our hero to reverse the rotation of Earth to save Lois Lane.  This ridiculous plot device, if possible, would have destroyed life on the planet and caused much more mayhem than Lex Luthor could ever imagine.  Mad's writer (Larry Siegel) easily exposed the story flaws.  Artist Mort Drucker added some nice touches to the article including a cleverly-placed poster of Action Comics #1.  In addition to the feature movie parody, Jack Rickard drew a cover Superman that kind of looks like Christopher Reeve (1952-2004).  And,  Don Martin added three pages of "A Mad Look at Superman" (including the back cover) based on ideas from Duck Edwing.

In a rare editorial mistake, a word bubble is blank on page 31 of "The Lighter Side of the 'Me' Generation."  I think the missing word was "But." [JAM 10/4/2010]

Superman is flying over Syosset (page 8) - one of Drucker's running jokes; there is an outhouse on a moon (page 47).

Look for Al Jaffee, Sergio Aragones and Richard Nixon in "What Is Humility?"

Departments:
Super Marketing - Superduperman
A Woman's Place Is in the Poem - Rewriting Classical Poetry to Give Women Equal Time
Shnook ... Up in the Sky! - A Mad Look at Superman
Givin' 'Em a Ribbin' - Mad Medals of the Issue (Lawyers)
Poll-ish Joke - Mad Explores the TV Rating System
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
And Now for Something Completely Diffident - What Is Humility?
Foot-Nuts - Candid Close-Ups of Some Legendary Feets
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side of the "Me" Generation
Fleece Circus - Repairmen's Parts And Supply Catalogue
When Push Comes to Shave - The Space Age Razor Race
Upsetting the Scold Standard - If Children Treated Their Parents the Way Their Parents Treated Them
Don Martin - One Night in the Miami Bus Terminal
Waste of Space - Cattlecar Galaxica

Fold-In - Dollar Sign