Shaping our perspective

[Comshaw]

Lots of things shape who we are and how we interact with the world. Much of that is what we read. Long before The Simpsons or Family Guy, or Archer, or any of those other offbeat illustrations of twisted humor, there was Mad magazine.

As a kid I always took the opportunity to grab a Mad magazine when ver I could. I think it twisted me (in a good way? A bad way? Who knows!) a bit but I know for a fact it gave me a tiny little irrelevant twist to my outlook on things. This is a great article on that publication that parents and teachers loathed, but kids loved.


A Brief History of Mad Magazine


Comshaw

 

[AchtungNight]

I too have enjoyed Mad Magazine. Impossible not to know it as a child of the 80s in America. Other important influences on me from the animated world- Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, GI Joe, Masters of the Universe & She-Ra, Disney's Gargoyles, and MLP: FiM.

 

[Cagivagurl]

We are all shaped and influenced by what we, See, Hear and touch.
It happens subconsciously, our minds trying to unravel what at first are just things.
As we mature, these things influence us more and more.
In am an avid reader. Nothing special, I'm sure the world is full of us.
What I read has influenced me. At first I didn't recognise it. After some introspective moments, I realised my actions, my responses were ones extracted from my favourite authors.
The smart one lines. The witty solecisms. All affected me and I used them. They became part of me.
Now I realise, everything influences me.
What I see on TV, or scenes from a movie.
They all unlock little doors within my brain. (Yes I have one)
What I hear is a major influence. Songs, pieces of music. Nodal sequences. They evoke emotions.
Yes, I become sad when I hear a particular piece, which I have subconsciously attached to an event from my life.
Now, every time I hear that piece, the emotions attached to it resurface. Good or bad. They at least make us think.

Cagivagurl

 

[Rob_Royale]

What I loved about finding those things when I was a boy was the eureka moment when I figured out, "Hey! This is for me! I love this!" Things like Mad Magazine, pulp heroic action novels, Penthouse Magazine, Dungeons and Dragons, hot rods, and the female cast of Gilligan's Island. It is still fun as an adult to discover new things, but the thrill isn't as profound as it was in my formative years.

 

[12oclocktales]

Always loved the Spy vs. Spy strips in Mad. They always hit the nail right on the head.

 

[SimonDoom]

I read Mad as a kid, and its irreverence definitely shaped the way I think.