The Cincinnati Art Museum presented What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine through March 1, 2026, a traveling exhibition organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum. The show featured more than 150 original artworks tracing the satirical publication’s history since its 1952 debut as an EC comic book series under editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines.

Co-curated by Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and satirical illustrator Steve Brodner, the exhibition highlighted iconic MAD features including Spy vs. Spy, the Fold-Ins, and mascot Alfred E. Neuman. Original illustrations by Mort Drucker, Sergio Aragonés, Jack Davis, and Al Jaffee were displayed alongside ephemera and memorabilia. The magazine adopted its illustrated format in 1955 to sidestep Comics Code Authority restrictions that governed comic books; it has since published 595 issues and is now managed by DC as part of the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio.

Emily Agricola Holtrop, the museum’s Director of Learning and Interpretation, said the show offered visitors the opportunity to “explore the themes and critical historical moments spoofed by MAD” through its decades of satirical commentary on American culture and public life. Exhibition tickets were priced at $12, with discounts for students and seniors; museum members received free admission. The show was supported by Fund Evaluation Group and PNC.

Source: Cincinnati Art Museum