Mad #208
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free"Superduperman" in Mad #208 (1979) delivers a sharp, satirical take on superhero tropes through a series of darkly humorous poems, including "Cathy at the Bat" and "The Shooting of Ann McGrew." Written by Tom Koch and illustrated with biting precision by George Woodbridge, the issue’s standout pieces are brought to life with stark, expressive art. The cover, by Jack Rickard, captures the comic’s irreverent spirit with a bold, exaggerated portrait that perfectly sets the tone.
In this sharp, satirical twist on classic poetry, a series of familiar verses are reimagined with women at the center—each reworking flipping the script on traditional narratives, from a baseball-playing Cathy to a haunted Maude and a girl whose blue is more than just a color. With biting wit and clever wordplay, the story turns well-known poetic tropes on their head, all in a playful, typeset format that keeps the humor crisp and the tone irreverent.
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We Buy Collections ▸Trivia · 8 facts
- Published July 1979 by EC (E.C. Publications Inc.), cover-dated July 1979; 52 pages; cover price 60 cents.
- Cover illustrated by Jack Rickard, depicting Alfred E. Neuman carried aloft by Superman — a direct visual tie-in to the issue's central parody of the 1978 Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve Superman film.
- Lead feature 'Superduperman' was written by Larry Siegel and drawn by Mort Drucker, caricaturing the film's cast including Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Susannah York, and Glenn Ford.
- The issue also contains 'Cattlecar Galaxica,' a six-page parody of the original Battlestar Galactica television series, illustrated by Angelo Torres.
- Additional Superman-themed content includes 'A Mad Look at Superman' drawn by Don Martin (written by Don Edwing), and Sergio Aragonés contributed Superman-related marginals.
- The issue's title 'Superduperman' deliberately echoed the legendary Mad #4 (1953) parody by Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood — Mad's practice of recycling that title for each new Superman film adaptation became a recurring series spanning Mad #208, #226 (Superduperman II), and #243 (Stuporman ZZZ).
- Regular recurring features present include Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohias, The Lighter Side of… by Dave Berg, Don Martin's standalone strips, Al Jaffee's contributions, and Sergio Aragonés' marginal drawings.
- The 'Superduperman' story from this issue was later reprinted in the 2013 Mad Super Spectacular: Superman, Man of Steel special edition, alongside other Drucker-drawn Superman movie parodies.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Mad #123 (1979), Mad #125 (1979), Mad #127 (1979), Mad #140 (1980), Mad Special [Mad Super Special] #36 (1981), Mad #150 (1981), Mad Special [Mad Super Special] #49 (1984), Mad Special [Mad Super Special] #46 (1984), Mad Special [Mad Super Special] #48 (1984), Mad Special [Mad Super Special] #53 (1985), Mad Special [Mad Super Special] #56 (1986), Mad About Super Heroes #[1] (2002), Mad about Super Heroes #[nn] (2006), Mad for Decades #[nn] (2007), Mad's Greatest Artists: Mort Drucker #[nn] (2012), Mad's Greatest Artists: Don Martin #[nn] (2014), Mad #14 (2020), Mad #25 (2022), Mad Magazine Special Edition 2024 #[nn] (2024), Mad #44 (2025)
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