Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine

Number 120

Kelly Freas was a true Madman!

A couple of original Kelly Freas Mad Magazine covers showed up on an auction site recently.

Click on pictures for full-size images.

These artworks show what a great artist Freas was. Norman Mingo, who also did covers for Mad in the 1950s and '60s, was another great artist, but it was Freas who really caught my attention and caused me to pick up and buy Mad in the 1950s.

The printed covers, also taken from the Internet, show how much was lost during reproduction. Freas put a lot of work into each cover. Look at the textures on the weathervanes.

Artists who do the new Mad covers have a lot of talent, but they also have Photoshop to work with. They're good, but they don't have the individuality of style that Freas or Mingo had.

Freas died in 2005 at age 83. He left behind a legacy of work in the science fiction field that is unequaled, but his Mad humorous work is, for me, what made him a truly great illustrator.