R.E.-M.A.S.H.

M*A*S*H
CBS 1972-1983

This concludes M*A*S*H week with the last of the parodies. We spent the previous three days showing the versions MAD and Cracked did and the day before that was MAD's spoof of the movie. Now we've saved the least for last.

M*U*S*H
Crazy #42, September 1978
w: Paul Kupperberg
a: Kent Gamble

In case you didn't know, it was a sitcom about a surgical unit during the Korean War centering around two unconventional doctors, Captains “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda) and B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell). The Corporal clerk was “Radar” O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff).

In the splash panel the dartboard is a picture of General Douglas MacArthur and in the foreground are Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland, the original actors from the movie.

Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and “Hot Lips” Houlihan (Loretta Swit) were seeing each other off and on. By the time this parody was printed, Burns would be replaced by Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers). Corporal Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) wore dresses hoping he'd be found insane and be discharged from the army.

On the grounds was a sign labeling everyone's hometown. If such a thing were accurate, the arrows would all be pointing in the same direction. The third panel has Trapper John (Wayne Rogers), the character early on in the series replaced by B.J. Milton Berle was a comedian known for dressing in drag.

The commanding officer was Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan).

M*U*S*H IN VIETNAM
Crazy #81, December 1981
w: Murad Gumen
a: Kent Gamble
The movie was basically about Vietnam but changed to Korea to avoid controversy. This parody combines M*A*S*Hwith Apocalypse Now.

Like I said, Winchester had replaced Frank Burns by this time.

In the third panel is Father Mulcahy (William Christopher). Lt. Calley was an officer in Vietnam convicted of murdering civilians.

Eventually, they got rid of the “Hot Lips” nickname and just called her Margaret.

Colonel Blake (MacLean Stevenson) had been in the first few seasons and killed in action. He's a stand-in for Kurtz from Apocalypse Now here.

M*I*S*H M*A*S*H
Sick #119, February 1978
w: Arnold Drake
a: Jack Sparling

This looks more based on the movie, with the football game, eavesdropping with the radio, and 'Suicide is Painless' with words (that don't quite match the meter). One wonders if the writer even saw the show. Trapper John had been long gone by then and the caricature looks nothing like him.

M*A*S*H stood for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, by the way.

R.E.-M.A.S.H.
Sick #134, Fall 1980
a: Jack Sparling

Burns was gone by this time too, but I think they were parodying the reruns of the show as much as the first-run show.

Klinger had stopped wearing dresses towards the end and gave in, ending up staying in the military.

Radar had left before the show ended too.