Mad #175

Norman Mingo's cover for this June 1975 issue is a wonderfully deadpan visual gag: Alfred E. Neuman pops up grinning from a sea of nearly identical dark umbrellas, one hand raised in a cheerful shrug as if he hasn't a care in the world — or a dry spot to stand in. The bright yellow sky above makes the joke land with perfect comic timing, that gap-toothed smile radiating total indifference to whatever deluge surrounds him. At 50 cents ("cheap," as the cover helpfully reminds you), Mad #175 delivers the brand's signature absurdist wit in one glance before you've even opened the cover.