Mad #173 (Albert Feldstein) - Ski Jump Issue - March 1975

Jack Davis drew the cover of Mad #2 ("Evil Eye" - baseball stadium) in 1952.  His drawing of Alfred E. Neuman on the ski jump in #173, with people running for their lives, was his fifth cover for Mad.  See also Mad #27 ("1956"), Mad #135 ("Sleazy Riders") and Mad #139 ("Protesters").  He also drew the cover for the last issue of the Panic comic book (#12, which was also the last EC comic).  Mad editors generally called upon Mr. Davis when they needed someone to draw a crowd scene or some sports action.  In issue #173, Alf is preparing his jump while hundreds of spectators are fleeing.  If you look closely, you can find Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Abraham Lincoln and Mickey Mouse in the crowd. 

Mort Drucker continued his uncanny caricature drawings of Jack Nicholson and company in the feature movie parody ("Chinaclown").  The drawings were excellent but Larry Siegel's story was subpar.  Mad readers have grown to expect more.  Another ambitious article in the issue was Tom Koch's eight-page "Annual Reports to Family Members" introducing the Flaxbender family.  The humor was good but I would have preferred some drawings instead of the photographs that offset the text. [JAM 6/22/2010]

Look for the Mad staff in the middle of "Mom's Food Service" on page 41.

Departments:
Chinese Water Torture - Chinaclown
Don Martin - One Saturday Morning in a Supermarket; One Day in the Middle of the Ocean; One Tuesday Afternoon on West main Street
Possession Is 9/10ths of the Lure - A Mad Look at Our Consumer Society
Setting up for the Bill - Specialized Magazines for Office Waiting Rooms
Kit Stuff - A Mad Look at Model Building
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side of Collecting
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Reigning Cats And Dogs - You Know You're Really a Pet Owner When
Numbers Racket - Mad's Poll Taker of the Year
Home Economics - Annual Reports to Family Members
Inferiority Complex - A Modern Business Success Story
Putting on the "Telly" - Kojerk

Fold-In - Drunk Driver