Will Elder (1921–2008)

This 2015 issue of Mad magazine reprints focuses on the work of Will Elder and his contributions to the magazine from October 1952 - April 1955.
Of all the artists Mad employed, Will Elder was the one most concerned with realistic backgrounds, their contrast with the foreground humor only adding to the hilarity. Spaceships, cityscapes, weather, medieval castles- it didn't matter; every scene had to be rendered in the most realistic manner possible, which is why his renderings of Mole, show more Dragnet, and Sherlock Holmes work so well.
Elder employed a broad range of techniques which enabled him to mimic other illustrators to an incredible degree. The most striking examples of this occur from 1954 to 1955 in Elder's renderings of Gasoline Valley, Mickey Rodent, The Katchandhammer Kids, and Poopeye.
Issues #21 and 22, in 1955, showcased Elder's talent for creating realistic looking advertisements which, upon closer examination, were anything but.
As with the other books in this series, Nick Meglin provides valuable biographical material on Wood.
At 206 pages, this is by far the largest collection devoted to any of the three artists in this series (Wood, Elder and Davis). show less