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

Introduction

When people hear the name “National Lampoon” they tend to think of Animal House or Chevy Chase movies. But as many will recall, there was much more to it than that.

National Lampoon (the humor magazine) was first published in April 1970. It ceased publishing with the November 1998 issue (although it resurfaced in late 1999 as a website.) By far its funniest and most creative period was (in my opinion) between 1970 and 1975. This site covers the magazine from that period.

In addition to indexes and synopses of the issues, you’ll find information about writers and artists, the radio show, record albums, shows, special issues, books, posters and more. Because of copyright restrictions, I cannot reproduce the actual content of the issues, but you will find selected excerpts and descriptions.

If you are really interested in this stuff, nothing beats reading the real thing. They’re not too hard to find if you’re persistent. To give you a head start, I’ve included a Resources page with some suggestions on how to find old Lampoon stuff. Please refrain from sending me queries regarding back issues or other items. I’m not a dealer or an expert on collecting.

If you have a question regarding which issue such-and-such article appeared in, I will reply if I know the answer, and also post it on the Answers page. I have quite a bit of useless information about National Lampoon in my head, so it’s worth a shot. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll post it on the Answers page as “unanswered” in hopes that someone else will respond (and they often do). I used to look up things for people, but I have better things to do with my time. Also, I can not accept requests for scans or copies of articles, etc.

If you’re a fan of the later years, be patient. Although my favorite period was the early years, a lot of people have expressed interest in later stuff. Eventually, I hope to add at least some information on my site covering the “post-golden years.”

So sit back, crack open a beer, get comfortable, and enjoy the best years of the National Lampoon. And if your boss happens to walk by, just press the Panic Button*, and you’ll be whisked away to a more reputable location on the Web. (You’ll have to explain the rest. Sorry.)

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Parental Advisory: NatLamp contained materials (though not exclusively, by any means) which many would find offensive, including sexually explicit material. It was an abatoire for sacred cows and frequently went out of its way to offend, though not pointlessly (until later on, at least). In this site, there are references to such material, but, for the most part, I have not reproduced them here. Be aware that the actual magazine, etc. referred to here showed no such restraint. Remember, this was the early ’70s. Even the ads would offend many people today. So, if you’re easily offended, go away.

Disclaimer: This site is completely non-commercial in nature and is in no way connected with National Lampoon, Inc. or any individuals mentioned herein who were/are connected. Any opinions stated here are my own. Excerpts are clearly denoted, and credited whenever possible. This site is a personal labor of love as a fan of the magazine and my intention is simply to share with anyone interested what it was, who did what and when–in short, provide a glimpse at probably the greatest humor magazine in human history published in New York during the early ’70s. —Mark

*About the Panic Button: Some visitors have claimed that there is no Panic Button on any pages in Mark’s Very Large National Lampoon Site. After doing some detective work, I’ve discovered that certain employers (and some ISPs) have special filters installed in their internet gateways which are designed to neatly remove things like Panic Buttons before the page gets to your browser. These same filters also remove any references to the word “”. If the word “” doesn’t appear between the quotes, you can be sure your employer or ISP has one of these filters. Perhaps it’s time to find a different job or ISP?

Original material (excluding quoted material) © 1997-2024 Mark Simonson.
Mark's Very Large National Lampoon Site is not affiliated with National Lampoon or National Lampoon Inc.
Click here for the real thing.