Mark's Very Large National Lampoon Site

Your
Unauthorized Guide
to the Golden Age of National Lampoon
Magazine (1970-1975)


Last updated: July 26, 2010 06:49 PM. Original material (excluding quoted material) © 1997-2004 Mark Simonson.

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January 2004 Archive

File Cabinet

January 25, 2004

David Kaestle Remembered, by Michael Gross:

On Jan. 23, 2004 David Kaestle passed away due to cancer.

David was my oldest and dearest friend and shared the art directing responsibilities for National Lampoon for several years. I am often credited as the design force behind the magazine, but many of the best-known (and best art directed) NatLamp products were the work of David. We alternated doing the magazine and the many special publications being ground out by a brilliant overworked staff. David’s finest work was the High School Yearbook Parody (for which I am often mistakenly credited). He also took over the magazine while I worked on Lemmings. That was our flawlessly intermingled role, functioning at it's best.

David and I went on to start a design company with National Lampoon as one of our clients, continuing a tradition of art direction that could be from either one of us...like Siamese design twins.

David was the finest man I have ever known. His modesty and integrity were unmatched. He did little to promote his own role at NatLamp and I hope this note will bring credit where it is deserved.

David, you are loved and missed by everyone who ever had the privilege of knowing and working with you.

With tears, Michael

[Thanks to Michael for sharing this with my readers.--MS]

Posted January 25, 2004, 03:31 PM in News.

January 22, 2004

73. All I need to know is if the magazine features a sarcastic comic called Mrs. Gipper.

According to Eric (see the Comments link below), that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, not National Lampoon.

Posted January 22, 2004, 02:26 PM in Answers. | Comments (1)

January 21, 2004

Party like it's 1976: If you've got a copy of the National Lampoon Bicentennial Calendar from 1976, you can pull it out and use it again this year. It happens that 1976 and 2004 share the exact same calendar days. (Thanks to Dave Meredith for the tip.)

Posted January 21, 2004, 09:22 PM in News.

January 17, 2004

72. Which issue had a parody of a chapter of Moby Dick? The parody was one of four parodies of "great literature," or so I seem to recall. The Moby Dick piece (and I forget its title), concerns the chapter where the Pequod meets the Samual Enderby at sea, and the Enderby's captain tells his story. But instead of the captain foretelling the doom of the Pequod, he tells a story about a woman that he met who just turns out to be Captain Ahab's daughter. Anyhow, the final line of the parody is something like this: "Ahab, his monomania again kindled and stoked, scowled, and disappeared below decks." Hint: It had to have been in an issue from the 1970s.

An issue from the 1970s? That doesn't really narrow it down much. Fortunately, I happen to recall it. The article I believe you are looking for is "Obligatory Sex Scenes" from the August 1976 (Compulsory Summer Sex) issue.

Posted January 17, 2004, 03:58 PM in Answers. | Comments (1)

January 10, 2004

71. I'm looking for an issue in the early 70's (maybe '72 or '73) by either National or Harvard Lampoon that had a section called (I think) "Ask Uncle Bob" in which a young man supposedly wrote in and asked a question about masturbation. In that request and the subsequent reply a number of terms were used for masturbation (spank your monkey, stroke your oar, etc.). I remember that Uncle Bob's answer ended with a request that the young man just lick the envelope next time. Also, there was an issue on flatulence around the same time.

"Ask Uncle Bob" was in the December 1971 (Heart-Warming Christmas) issue. It was part of a comic book parody called "Boy's Romance Comics." The flatuence thing you remember was probably "Terminal Flatuence" by Tony Hendra, Sean Kelly, and John Weidman from the May 1975 (Medicine) issue.

Posted January 10, 2004, 10:50 AM in Answers. | Comments (5)

January 9, 2004

70. You might remember the cartoon that proceeds something like below, which appeared in the early to mid '70s sometime. Any idea where I might be able to find an image of this cartoon?

Cartoon goes like this:

(man and woman sitting up in bed)

woman: Y'know what I dig in a man? Tenderness...and lots of strength! I want a guy who's gorgeous, but not stuck up about it. Have lots of money but not be tight with it...

man: (looks puzzled and rolls eyes during her spiel)

woman: I want him to be intellectual, but rugged! Manly and protective, but lets me do whatever I want. Sweet and romantic but tough. Lets me knows his feelings but doesn't tell me anything I don't want to hear....

man: Hey, you find a guy like that and I'll fuck him!

It was a Foto Funny from the October 1979 (Comedy) issue. (Thanks to Jay and Ken for finding that.)

Posted January 9, 2004, 12:42 PM in Answers. | Comments (5)

69. What issue of National Lampoon had a feature interview with Mel Brooks and a photo of his head as a bust in chopped liver?

It was in the July 1975 (3-D Entertainment) issue. The article was called "Mel Brooks is God," by Gerald Sussman.

Posted January 9, 2004, 11:52 AM in Answers. | Comments (1)

January 6, 2004

St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Rick Shefchik got a copy of the re-issued 1964 High School Yearbook Parody for Christmas and wrote a column about it. Nice piece, but he gets the publication date wrong by three years. It was published in 1974, not 1971.

Posted January 6, 2004, 08:58 AM in News.

January 5, 2004

68. I recall an issue of either National Lampoon or Harvard Lampoon with a wonderful parody of the New York State Bar Exam. I remember it vividly, although it must have run 20 or 30 years ago. But I don't recall the year or the issue.

It was in the August 1975 (Justice) issue of National Lampoon. The authors were John Weidman and Tony Hendra.

Posted January 5, 2004, 03:48 PM in Answers. | Comments (6)

67. I'm looking for an issue that came out in the early to mid eighties. It featured a collection of ultra-shady characters from the Dick Tracy comic books that never made it to print. If I remember correctly, the artist had supposedly created them after a long night of excessive drinking. The characters were so hysterical that to this day, I still laugh out loud whenever I think about them. Would you happen to know which issue that was?

The article was called "The Unpublished Enemies of Dick Tracy," written by John Weidman and Ron Barrett It appeared in the May 1982 (Crime) issue.

Posted January 5, 2004, 02:57 PM in Answers. | Comments (2)

 

 

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