The Mad Reader

A five-issue series from Ballantine Books, The Mad Reader (1954–1979) collected classic satirical material from the pages of Mad magazine, helmed by editor and primary writer Harvey Kurtzman. Featuring the iconic, anarchic artwork of Wally Wood and later contributions from Robert Grossman, these paperback anthologies preserved the magazine's early, biting humor for a new generation of readers. As one of the first major reprint series to bring Mad's irreverent parody to a wider audience, it helped cement the publication's lasting influence on American comedy and comics.