JANUARY UPDATES 4

MTV
1981-present

MTV
Nine Network 1987-1993

DUM TV
Australian MAD #287, June 1989
w & a: Glen Lumsden

There is an Australian version of the MTV network, though when it started out it was a television program. It was hosted by Richard Wilkins and Alison Drower.

Jimmy Barnes, Peter Garrett Of Midnight Oil, and James Reyne are parodied here.

Michael Hutchence of INXS.

IT'S NOT MUSIC TELEVISION
Barf #3, September 1990
a: Scott Jackson

Back in the U.S., another parody from back when MTV showed music videos and had VJs. At this time one was Kevin Seal.

This doesn't quite fit the meter of the song, but that's not the first thing to stand out in criticizing this article.

The Pepsi commercial above was pulled for being too controversial and she holds a grudge to this day. Michael Jackson doing a commercial for them made news when his hair caught fire during a shoot. The news segments were done by Kurt Loder.

Exxon's oil spill was the first major tanker crash to make news.

MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985)
dirs: George Miller, George Ogilvie

MAD MAX: BE ON THE CHUNDA-DOME
Australian MAD Super Special #56, c. 1985
w & a: Deane Taylor

REAL PEOPLE
NBC 1979-1984

REAL FOR-REAL PEOPLE
Bananas #39, c. 1980
w: Jovial Bob Stine
a: S. B. Whitehead

REEL PEOPLE
Wacko #3, October 1981
w: Paul Laikin
a: Kent Gamble

The blonde woman above Henry Kissinger in the middle left panel looks very Drucker-like to me, but I don't think she's a caricature of anyone.

The alligator owner likeness could come from several sources. The profile looks like a different person from the full view.

Angie Dickinson but aged 40 years? Florence Henderson?

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)
dir: Jim Sharman

THE SCHLOCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Barf #2, July 1990
w: Todd Loren & Diane Dumock
a: Ken Landgraf

Though Susan Sarandon has had more serious roles since, it's not as if this was ever an embarrassment for her.

“Karma Chameleon” was Bot George's big hit

Lots of Wally Wood swipes. You'll see them in just about anything by Ken Landgraf.

Of course there has to be an appearance by Sylvester Stallone in this as well.

ROSEANNE
ABC 1987-1998

GROWS-ANNE
Barf #1, May 1990
w: Herb Shapiro
a: “Wood” (not Wally)

Surprisingly one of the more respectful Roseanne spoofs in regards to her weight.

CRYMORE VS. CRYMORE

KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979)
dir: Robert Benton

MAD #217, September 1980
w: Stan Hart
a: Mort Drucker

Drama about the divorde of Ted (Dustin Hoffman) and Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) who divorce and then battle over custody for their son Billy (Justin Henry).

Ted comes home to tell his wife Joanna about his new promotion and she announces she's unhappy with their marriage and leaving him.

Three-Mile Island was in the news that year as the site of a dangerous nuclear meltdown and DC-10s were considered very dangerous jet planes.

Ted becomes friends with Margaret (Jane Alexander), his neighbor who is also a single parent and may have influenced Joanna to leave. The son doesn't know Joanna has left yet and it's up to Ted to prepare breakfast for him and send him off to school.

Again there's the 'Kosher Spam in a box' sight gag like in the Kate and Allie parody a couple weeks ago. When I first saw it I thought maybe Mort Drucker didn't know what Spam was, now I wonder if it's some kind of in-joke.

Ted's boss (George Coe) is concerned his being a full-time father is eating into his work and recommends sending the boy to live with a relative.

Ted has a one-night stand with his secretary Phyllis from work (Jobeth Williams) and later gets in a fight with his son for not eating his dinner.

"Jordass" is a pun on "Jordache", a brand from the designer jeans craze of the late 70s and early 80s

Ted has to explain to his son why the parents are divorced and during a playdate with Margaret's son, Ted turns away for a second and Billy has fallen down and cut himself. Ted rushes him to the hospital and stas there while Billy gets stitches. Joanna returns, having been in California for a year to find herself, and now is suing for custody.

Ted is fired right before Christmas, making it doubtful that he can have any make and kind of claim for child custody and vows to his lawyer Mr. Shaunessy (Howard Duff) that he'll get another job in one day.

FINGER VS. FINGER
Crazy #74. May 1981
w & a: Dan Gutman

The Finger Family was a recurring feature in Crazy, the only of the black and white humor magazines to regular feature photo fumettis.

The centerfold for Crazy #68, November 1980

KREAMER VS. KREAMER
Sick Special #1, c. 1980
w: George Kashdan
a: Jack Sparling

The definition of “you had one job” is in Sparling's caricatures. Was he trying to draw Hoffman and Streep? His Dustin Hoffman looks more like David Brenner, maybe Tony Rosato. This doesn't look like Meryl Streep at all. Looks like the house is somewhere in a rural area or the suburbs instead of New York City.

Bert Lance was Carter's secretary of the treasury.

His office romance doesn't look like Jobeth Williams either. Maybe Jack Sparling was returning to his days doing cheesecake comics for GIs. She's a hooker here too.

Meryl Streep is also a hooker. I guess that's what humor magazine writers that worked for $20 a page thought of women.

KRUMMY VS. KRUMMY
Wacko #1, 1980
w: Darius Clegg (probably not his real name)
a: John Reiner

Dustin Hoffman was John Voight's companion Ratso Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy.

The doctor is drawn as Hawkeye from M*A*S*H, with martini.