The publication of Bangladesh’s oldest satirical magazine Unmad was inspired from MAD; thus they paid their tribute portraying their aesthetical correlation to the soon-to-be retired publication, through a unique exhibition titled ‘Tribute to Mad Cartoon’ at Drik Gallery in the city from 23rd to 25th August.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Unmad’s editor and one of the most renowned cartoonists of Bangladesh Ahsan Habib along with his colleagues and fans on Friday. Unmad’s assistant editors Morshed Mishu and Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy, Dhaka Comics’ publishers and Unmad’s executive and associate editors Mehedi Haque and Nasreen Sultana Mitu attended the event.
The exhibition featured different kinds of creative cartoon presentations, such as hand-sketched and digital cartoons, double exposure art, glass paintings and figurines by established artists of the country and the promising newcomers, as well.
All the wonderful artworks shared two common figures- the ever smiling mascot of MAD with his missing tooth, Alfred E Neuman- and Unmad’s famous cheeky mascot, whose creation was highly inspired from the mentioned character. The entire exhibition portrayed the imaginary aesthetic and satirical bonding between these two iconic cartoon characters, through all the presentations.
“MAD was the inspiration behind the birth of our Unmad- so we could not let it go without any tribute from our part. We are highly grateful for what they have always conveyed through humor and satire. This exhibition is an emotional tribute, from Unmad to the MAD”, said the exhibition’s organizer magazine Unmad’s Editor and country’s renowned cartoonist Ahsan Habib.
Mentioning about the aesthetic bonding between the two, he added “When I first read MAD in 1975, I got immediately moved by it because of the differences it portrayed through the contents. Unmad started its journey as country’s dedicated satire magazine in 1978, which was highly motivated from it. We wanted to let them know about our existence and gratefulness for the inspirations, thus we sent one of our copies to the publisher of MAD William Gaines in 1980 and he really appreciated it.”
Started as a comic book, MAD became a widely influential satirical media with making significant impact on the cultural landscape of the 20th century. It publishes satire on all aspects of life and popular culture, politics, entertainment, and public figures. Its format is divided into a number of recurring segments such as TV and movie parodies, as well as freeform articles. MAD's mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, is typically the focal point of the magazine's cover, with his face often replacing that of a celebrity or character who is lampooned within the issue.
The exhibition ended on Sunday, and the magazine MAD will effectively be pulled from newsstands in August 2019, after the release of its 9th issue.