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

179. Poem Parody and Indian History

October 20, 2009

Q: I have long wanted to find two items I remember from NL. One was a parody of the Poem, “I am the Infantry, Follow me!”, and the other was a pictorial history about the American Indians with hilarious issues like the buffalo being the mortal enemy of the Indian, sneaking up on them at night with Indian skins on their backs, etc.

A: Veranda Porch got it: “It was in the ‘Defeat’ section of the November ’72 (Decadence) issue.” Thanks, Veranda!

Comments

Well, I'm not sure about the Infantry poem (there's a parody called 'I Am The Black Infantry, Follow Me!' but it's in a book titled 'The 80's: A Look Back', not the Poon.) But the Indians vs Buffaloes thing is part of "The Indians" in the Wild West issue, July 78. There's two neat paintings by Larry Elmore. One shows buffaloes in Indian skins creeping up on a village; the other has two braves wearing "coronary paint" to scare the buffaloes to death.

—Veranda Porch

October 24, 2009 7:03 pm

Oops. I meant to say JUNE '78.

—Veranda Porch

October 25, 2009 7:43 pm

i have no idea what the date of the issue was,but the poem was in the defeat issue. follow me,i am the closet queen of battle,is what you may mean. they showed various decerations such as the combat avoidance badge,and an update on how much of north america that vietnam had conquered. hope this helps.

—eric

November 5, 2009 1:52 pm

You've jogged my memory, Eric. It was in the 'Defeat' section of the November '72 Decadence issue. (Favorite headline: SHAMED CROWDS SHUN TIMES SQUARE AS NIXON BOWS TO RED DEMANDS.)

—Veranda Porch

November 5, 2009 6:07 pm

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