Mad #302 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - Babar Issue - April 1991

Babar the Elephant is the lead character of Histoire de Babar written by French author and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937) in 1931.  His son, Laurent has continued the series for 74 years after his father's death.  Babar ran from the jungle after his mother died and was raised as a human child by a kind old woman who clothed him and sent him to school.  Babar eventually returned to his birthplace to become king of the elephants after his cousins Celeste and Arthur urged him to return.  These positive children's books have been popular in Europe and the United States for over eighty years.  The Mad team of Frank Jacobs and Bob Clarke have faithfully used Babar in their five-page parody to illustrate the plight of endangered species.  Their work is a parody without humor.  The elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers and other exotic animals are facing extinction.  The seven billions humans on this planet are continuing to expand their numbers at the expense of these proud beasts and the environment in general.  The day will come when the majestic elephants will no longer exist. [JAM 1/11/2012]

Departments:
Hart Burn - Mad's Video Reviews
Acouschtick - Celebrity Sound Effects
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Lame - Small Scale Examples of How History Repeats Itself
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy  [not on page 22]
Taking Them to Tusk - Babar's Final Adventure
Company Trademocks - Advertising Characters and Corporate Mascots that Better Reflect the Miserable Organizations They Work For
As the Clock Schticks Away - Mad's Lifetime Chart of Wasted Time
Anals of Humor - Great Moments in Medicine
Along the Snide Lines - The Mad Nasty File - Volume V
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
The Morgue the Merrier - Duck Edwing D.O.A.
The Shame Old Thing - Mad's All-Inclusive Do-It-Yourself National Scandal Newspaper Story
Brat's Entertainment! - Mad's Modern Babysitter's Guide to the Problem Child
Changing Our Unaware - Did We Miss Something?
There's Always Gloom for Improvement - A Mad Look at How Far We've Come
Gadget Goes to Washington - MacGimmick
(none) - Hi, Readers! Reverend Donald Wildmon Here!

Fold-In - Nose