National Lampoon was an American satirical pop culture magazine that ran from 1970 to 1998. Founded by Doug Kenney and Henry Beard, the magazine started out as a spinoff from the
Harvard Lampoon, where Beard and Kenney used to work as editors.
National Lampoon magazine reached its height of popularity and critical acclaim during the seventies, when it had a far-reaching effect on American humor and comedy. The satirical magazine spawned films, radio, live theatre, various sound recordings, and print products including books. It also helped jump start the careers of many of the comedic heroes of the 1980s, including many of the original writers and cast members of
Saturday Night Live.
During the magazine's most successful years, parody of every kind was a mainstay; surrealist content was also central to its appeal. Almost all the issues included long text pieces, shorter written pieces, a section of actual news items (dubbed “True Facts”), cartoons and comic strips. Most issues also included “Foto Funnies” or fumetti, which often featured nudity. As co-founder Henry Beard described the experience years later: “There was this big door that said, ‘Thou shalt not.’ We touched it, and it fell off its hinges.” The magazine declined during the late 1980s, and ceased publication in 1998.
Take a look through 23 fascinating and brilliant covers of the magazine from the seventies:
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August 1972 |
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March 1971 |
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May 1971 |
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June 1972 |
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January 1973 |
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June 1973 |
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October 1973 |
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November 1973 |
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January 1974 |
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June 1974 |
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December 1974 |
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January 1975 |
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May 1975 |
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June 1975 |
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December 1975 |
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October 1976 |
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April 1977 |
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May 1977 |
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August 1977 |
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September 1977 |
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September 1978 |
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February 1979 |
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October 1979 |
That cover of the kid in the burning soap box derby racer used to haunt my dreams. I remember seeing it as a kid when it first came out. I never knew where it came from, but now I know. Thanks for that. I also got to relive it in the Simpsons episode where Martin crashes his racer and it bursts into flames, despite not having a fuel tank. Ah, youth...
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