The Mad World of William M. Gaines by Frank Jacobs

Hazel was his first wife and Nancy was his second.

I also learned that Gaines had a sister named Elaine. His father was killed in a boating accident. I learned a lot about him that I did not know. I enjoyed reading the Mad World of William M. I first learned about Bill Gains from the book good days and mad by Dick DeBartolo and ever since then I wanted to read the mad world of William M. I have read a few issues of mad magazine years ago. One of the oldest books I have read that is for sure. I ran an edition that was published in 1972 and is hardcover. But, to really enjoy it, get a paper copy, if you can find one. I recommend The Mad World of William Gaines. Gaines personal life - two marriages, a bachelor lifestyle, and slovenly existence, are described with gusto and humor. We learn of Gaines history with comic books and eventual transition to humor. His take on Gaines is overwhelmingly positive, bordering on fandom at times.

The author, Frank Jacobs, worked for Gaines at Mad for years. The book itself is mainly a biography of Mad founder and longtime editor William Gaines. I remember some of the cartoons from the serialized edition of the book being very funny and crude - typical Mad Magazine. As a result, the book wasn't nearly as appealing as it would have been with drawings and features in tact. I couldn't see any of the art since the book hadn't been formatted properly. However, there was a problem with the artwork. I read the text of the book and enjoyed the story of William Gaines. When I looked for it again a few years ago, I was delighted that I could download it. I wasn't able to locate a copy of the book. I bought one issue and really enjoyed the excerpt - both the text and the artwork. As a result, Mad decided to serialize it over several issues. I originally ran across The Mad World of William Gaines in Mad Magazine in about 1999.Īt the time, the book was out of print.

The Mad World of William M. Gaines by Frank Jacobs