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Bradford Smith is not your average Mad Magazine collector. For quite a few years now, he's been collecting autographs of people connected to the covers of Mad Magazine. He emailed me for the first time back in August 2006 to tell me he had three or four celebrity-signed Mads he wanted me to feature on my site. I ignored him. In April 2007 he pestered me again, but he had accumulated around twenty signatures. So my wheels turned and I saw that the 15-year-old was onto something, so I gave him his own page. So far, he has collected 310 signatures on 137 issues. They cover a wide range of humans and a couple apes (J. Fred Muggs, Cheeta). The people are mostly big-name and not-so-big-name actors, with a few inventors, Mad-related folks, and even a four-star general thrown in. If you're not familiar with a name, a little research will be needed to make the connection, which is part of the fun. For instance, I'd never heard of Jon Rubinstein, but now see why he needed to sign Mad #463, as one of the co-inventors of the Apple Ipod. So I hope you enjoy Bradford's interesting take on Mad Magazine collecting. --Doug  ~Bradford (February 2011) Here are some old pics I thought would be good. One is of me with some of my collecton (the Family Guy and Batman ones especially as they are my two favorites, The Office one would be third favorite). 
One is me with Joanna Cassidy (of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?).
One is me with Ray Harryhausen (producer and special effects model genius, mostly mythical beasts in sci-fi movies, which explains the cyclops cover I had him sign).
One is me with Noel Neill (Lois Lane in the Superman TV shows with Kirk Alyn and later with George Reeves, and also had a cameo in the 2006 Superman Returns, which would explain the cover she signed).
I met each of them at one of those shows and had my dad take my picture with them and the MAD magazine they signed.  |
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In honor of his 100th issue getting signed, Bradford can thank the staff of Mad for marking the occasion all over issue #100 from January 1966. Signatories for the issue: Sam Viviano - Art Director, Charlie Kadau - Senior Editor, John Ficarra - Editor, Joe Raiola - Senior Editor, Dave Croatto - Associate Editor, Ryan Flanders - Assistant Art Director, Doug Thomson - production assistant, Dick DeBartolo - Mad's Maddest Writer, and Doug Gilford - some schmuck with a website who snuck a signature in there somewhere when the rest of the guys weren't looking. <-- Click for larger view |
| UPDATE: Bradford's #100 is becoming quite the special issue, having most recently been signed by Orson Bean (who surprisingly wrote "Hi Doug" over his signature because he knew it was going on Bradford's section of my site) and by writer Frank Jacobs, featured in the very short video to the left. Bradfrod visited Frank and showed him a few of his signed covers on this site so he'd know what he was getting into. Frank commented that he has a better signature than Al Pacino, at least. Because of the clip going public on YouTube, Frank is a little afraid Mr. Pacino will be putting a hit out on him. |
THE LIST
Click a name to jump to the cover and signature.
Click the
to get more info on the signer (new window opens).(310 signatures on 137 Mads and counting)
Introductions from Bradford and Doug
