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Illustration of a young white person looking in a mirror and painting a self portrait.

Richard Williams, Alfred E. Neuman and Norman Rockwell, 2002, Cover illustration for Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of MAD Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It (Watson Guptill, 2002), Oil on canvas, James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements © & ™ E.C. Publications. Courtesy of MAD™. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

A MAD Magazine cover of a white kid carrying the Olympic torch and lighting everything on fire.

CF Payne, Olympics 1996, Cover for MAD, July 1996, no. 347, Acrylic, watercolor, ink, colored pencil. Collection of CF Payne. MAD and all related elements © & ™ E.C. Publications. Courtesy of MAD™. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

MAD Magazine cover featuring a kid with a giant MAD stamp

Norman Mingo (1896-1980), Help Stamp Out MAD, 1963 MAD #78, April 1963, Watercolor on illustration board, James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements © & ™ E.C. Publications. Courtesy of MAD™. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

A monochrome illustration of the Adams Family watching a man get squished by a machine

Bill Elder (as “Eldder” in tribute to Charles Addams) (1921-2008), It’s so funny the way Poppa’s eyes bug out because he doesn’t have the Sanofranized label, 1955, Illustration for MAD #26 (EC, 1955) Ink and ink wash on paper. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com MAD and all related elements © & ™ E.C. Publications. Courtesy of MAD™. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

A page from a magazine with an illustration of Taylor Swift yelling at Travis Kelce

Johnny Sampson, Taylor and Travis, 2024, Super Bowl cover illustration for MAD #36, April 2024, Acrylic on board, Collection of Johnny Sampson. MAD and all related elements © & ™ E.C. Publications. Courtesy of MAD™. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

A comic where a man gives fifty feet to a toll booth

Don Martin (1931-2000), Pay Toll Fifty Feet, 1980, Back cover illustration for MAD #213, (EC, 1980) India and colored inks on Bristol board. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com MAD and all related elements © & ™ E.C. Publications. Courtesy of MAD™. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

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What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine

November 21, 2025 – March 1, 2026

Western & Southern Galleries (Galleries 232 and 233)
Ticketed. Free for Members. Save $2 when purchasing tickets online.
Adult tickets: $12 in-person, $10 online
Seniors, college students and children 6–17 years: $8 in person, $6 online
Children 5 years & under: free
Read the Press Release

Celebrating more than seven decades of humor, What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine examines the unforgettable art and satire of MAD, from its start in 1952 as a popular humor comic book to its evolution into a beloved magazine that spoke truth to power and attracted generations of devoted readers. Always historically and socially timely—and always very funny—MAD’s influence and cultural impact is explored through iconic original illustrations and cartoons created by the magazine’s “Usual Gang of Idiots,” the many artists and writers who have been the publication’s mainstays for decades.

Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and co-curated by Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, Chief Curator and Rockwell Center Director of the Norman Rockwell Museum, and Steve Brodner, foremost satirical illustrator and caricaturist, What, Me Worry? traces the illustrated history of MAD from its popular humor comic book roots to its status as a mainstream force in American satire. Featuring more than 150 original works of art, the exhibition highlights many fan favorites that made MAD, MAD. These include close looks at the beloved rascal of a mascot, Alfred E. Neuman; the work of longtime illustrator Mort Drucker; MAD’s fabulous Fold-Ins; Spy vs. Spy; and, of course, its satirical views on politics, celebrity, art, movies, and television.

Original illustrations and cartoons by Mort Drucker, Sergio Aragonés, Jack Davis, Al Jaffee, Richard Williams, and many others will be on view alongside ephemera, artifacts, media, and rare memorabilia.

Accessing the Exhibition

Elevator A provides the most direct access to this second-floor exhibition - located in Gallery 232 and 233. Upon exciting the elevator, the exhibition is to your right.

Seating is provided within the exhibition gallery. Large print label booklets are available in the gallery and online. Audio of select exhibition interpretation is available online and on the Bloomberg Connects app.

For fidgets, social narratives, sensory headphones, and other tools, visit the CAM Access Cart. The Access Cart is located in the Schmidlapp Gallery just beyond the museum’s front lobby.

 

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