ASININE TO FIVE

NINE TO FIVE
ABC 1982-1983

ASININE TO FIVE
MAD #244, January 1984
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Angelo Torres

I covered a parody of the original 9 to 5 movie a few years ago, and knowing there was also a TV series, figured I'd get to it when I got to it in the alphabet, since the movie is usually spelled with the numbers and the show is spelled with letters.

The show had the same premise as the movie, three secretaries struggling at the office working for their creepy boss. Dolly Parton's part of Doralee Rhodes (Rachel Dennison) was played by her real-life sister, and the others were Judy (Valerie Curtin), and Violet (Rita Moreno). The office snoop was Roz (Jean Marsh) and Mr. Hart (Peter Bonerz) was in charge of the whole office.

“Rock Forceful” looks like Tom Selleck but I believe he's a professional athlete. I'm not up on my eighties sports figures. The Muppets in the last panel probably have to do with how Rita Moreno was a regular on The Electric Company, which MAD must have confused with its sister show Sesame Street. There were a few sloppy articles once MAD got used to their formula.

The show was brought back in first-run syndication a few years later.

MAD founders Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder did a lot of commercial art jobs in the mid-80s, including this TV Guide ad. Jeffrey Tambor originally had the role of Mr. Hart.

THE CRACKED MOVIE

THE CRACKED MOVIE
Cracked #178, July 1981
w: Joe Catalano
a: John Severin

This was a recurring feature they did based on the fact that Mad and National Lampoon had movies. This takes place in the office of publisher Bob Sproul, though I've been told their “office” was basically a cubicle, and Sproul handled the business side of things in Florida while the editorial was handled in New York.

Cracked had a few recurring characters such as their janitor/mascot Sylvester P. Smythe (their answer to Alfred E. Neuman), Hang-Ups (two prisoners in a dungeon), Sagebrush (a gold prospector), and something called The Talking Blob.

Nanny Dickering was the reporter they used for the interviews in the back, and originally she looked different depending on who drew her, until they settled on the version drawn by good-girl artist Bill Ward.

THE CRACKED MOVIE II
Cracked #183, December 1981
w: Joe Catalano
a: John Severin

Another caricature of MAD's Bill Gaines at the beginning.

There's a video for 9 to 5 in the 9 to 5 link in the sidebar.

CRACKED MOVIE III
Cracked #189, September 1982
w: Joe Catalano
a: John Severin

THE CRACKED MOVIE IV
Cracked #195, July 1983
w: Joe Catalano
a: John Severin

For a while, Sylvester P. Smythe was given a girlfriend.