The Best of the Harvard Lampoon: 140 Years of American Humor

by Harvard Lampoon

Overview

A collection of the best of The Harvard Lampoon—the spawning ground for Hollywood’s elite comedy writers and New Yorker humorists—revealing the hidden gems from their 140-year history.

Since its inception in 1876, The Harvard Lampoon has become a farm system for Hollywood’s best and most revered comedy writers. Lampoon alumni can be found behind the scenes of sitcoms and late-night shows, including Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, The Office, 30 Rock, The Mindy Project, and many others. The Best of the Harvard Lampoon is the first anthology of The Lampoon’s extensive archives, featuring luminaries who have gone on to shape the comedy and literary landscape along with some of the best cartoons, illustrations, and satirical advertisements from over the years. Contributors include B.J. Novak, Henry Beard, Andy Borowitz, George Plimpton, Conan O’Brien, John Updike, Patricia Marx, and many others, with an introduction by New York Times bestselling author Simon Rich.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501109850
Publisher:	Gallery Books
Publication date:	11/15/2016
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

The Harvard Lampoon debuted in February 1876 and is the world’s longest continually published humor magazine. Written by seven undergraduates and modeled on Punch, the British humor magazine, the debut issue took the Harvard campus by storm. United States President Ulysses S. Grant was advised not to read the magazine, as he would be too much “in stitches” to run the government. Harvard Lampoon alumni include comedians Conan O’Brien, Andy Borowitz, Greg Daniels, Jim Downey, Al Jean, and B.J. Novak. Lampoon alumni write and have written for Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, Futurama, Late Night with David Letterman, Seinfeld, The League, NewsRadio, The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and dozens of other shows. The Lampoon has also graduated many noted authors such as George Plimpton and John Updike.

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The Best of the Harvard Lampoon

Table of Contents

Introduction Simon Rich xi

A Plea for Subscribers, 1886 1

A Cover from 1899 2

Worst Aid to the Injured Hartwell Bishop W. Tuckerman 3

A Cover from 1904 5

The Breakfast Food Boy D. H. Mitchell 6

The Sport Graceful Gluyas Williams 8

Aeroplane Comix Gluyas Williams 9

Debutante Comix Gluyas Williams 10

The Yearning Point Frederick L. Allen 11

Kite Comix Samuel Otis 13

A Cover from 1915 14

A Call for Subscribers in the Form of an Announcement, 1917 15

A Cover from 1922; World Problems Number 16

The Diary of an Amoeba by Eugene Reynal 17

A Call for Subscribers, 1924 19

The Arms Conference: A Fable by Eugene Reynal 20

A Call for Subscribers, 1924 21

A Call for Subscribers in the Form of a Contest, 1924 22

A Call for Subscribers in the Form of Testimonials, 1924 23

A Call for Subscribers: Lampy's Puzzle for Kurious Kiddies, 1924 24

A Lament William W. Scott 25

A Cover from 1934: Winter Sports Number 26

12,000 B.C.-The First Practical Joker Sidney Carroll 27

A Call for Subscribers, 1938 28

How I Was Taken at the Cleaners Walter R. Bowie, Jr. 29

Buoy Room Arthur W. Viner 32

A Call for Subscribers, 1944 34

The Terrible Tuba George A. Plimpton 35

The Saxophone Player George A. Plimpton 40

A Cover from 1949 45

La Mouche Fred H. Gwynne 46

A Call for Subscribers, 1950 47

De la Comtesse Fred H. Gwynne 48

Moon Comix Fred H. Gwynne 52

Hold Up John H. Updike 53

The Different One John H. Updike 61

Fish Comix James D. Stanley 64

A Cover from 1958: Movie Worsts Issue 65

Frozen Gold Shirley Burden 66

Igor Cassini's Christmas George W. S. Trow, Jr. 68

The Transcript Strike Henry N. Beard 70

A Cover from 1966 74

A Call for Subscribers in the Form of a Dare, 1966 75

Kangaroo Laughter Henry N. Beard 76

A Call for Subscribers from the Lampoon's Newsweek Parody, 1967 79

Famous Beings School John M. Gilpin 80

Understanding Harvard Jim Downey 82

A Cover from 1973: The Artistic Crisis Number 96

The Department Store Display Ian A. Frazier 97

WASP Jokes Thomas R. Feran, Jr. 98

Notes from the Under-Grateful Patricia A. Marx 101

On the Road Walter S. Isaacson 104

"Second Coming" Doesn't Set the World on Fire Stephen M. O'Donnell 106

Insert Tide Here: A Drama You Supply Yourself Mark P. O'Donnell 109

The Average Guy's Guide to Consciousness Expansion Using Household Objects Kurt B. Andersen 111

My Favorite Jokes by God Roger Parloff 115

Excommunication: And How You Can Avoid It Paul S. Redford 117

Rejection Letter Ann H. Hodgman 120

I Am Now Aboard the UFO David L. Owen 121

Glasses Comix Thomas W. Gammill 125

A Brief Look at Friendship Through Your Life Kevin P. Curran 126

Leisure Time Safety: Some Do's and Do Not's Pamela R. Norris 127

Space: 1984? John F. Bowman 129

Double-parked on Sunset Boulevard Andy S. Borowitz 132

Lovers Once Mark A. Doyle 138

Spooky Magic Mike L. Reiss Al E. Jean 140

A Cover from 1980: Boffo No. 143

A Call for Subscribers, 1981 144

Toys Make War Child's Play Patric M. Verrone Mike L. Reiss 145

Women and Liquor: The True Story Pamela R. Norris 148

TV: Harmful, or Just Deadly? Susan Stevenson Borowitz 150

Tie Painter Who Cut Off His Ear Shannon C. Gaughan 152

Spareribs for Breakfast: A Story with Lots of Symbolism Ken C. Keeler 155

Products … for the Tough Steve E. Young 157

Help Me Mark J. Driscoll 159

Cry for the Triceratops John P. Ziaukas 161

Fake Ads, 1981 163

Report for Mr. Zeebok's Archaeology Class Steve E. Young 164

Life o' the Party Maiya M. Williams 165

A Weekend in the Country: Esquire's Guide to Practical Packing Richard J. Appel 168

Pyramid Comix Conan C. O'Brien 172

Have I Just Had Sex? An Easy Self-help Test Christopher L. Dingman 173

A Plea for Subscribers in the Form of a Dior Ad, 1985 175

The Gambler Ted L. Greenberg 176

Six Universal Questions That Your Mother Never Told You About Elizabeth M. Losh 178

Burger Shed Paul R. Simms 180

Nader's Raiders of the Lost Ark Conan C. O'Brien 183

The Kellogg Archipelago Greg M. Daniels 184

Advice Column: Your Penny's Worth Richard J. Appel Jonathan A. Shayne 186

Sex Glenn P. McDonald 189

Catalog Ads Paul R. Simms 191

Little White Lies Maya C. M. Forbes 195

A Call for Subscribers, 1990 197

Politically Correct Jokes for Your Knee-jerk Friends Dan J.O'Keefe 198

Dear Julian Alec H. Berg 200

Elvis Has Left the Building Robert M. Carlock 203

Vegas Weatherman David H. Mandel John Aboud III 204

Dear Big Moose Elijah Aron Josh B. Lieb Lewis Morton 205

How Funny Is It?: The Life of an MC J. Stewart Burns Josh B. Lieb 209

Missy Manners Josh B. Lieb 211

A Cover from 1998: Lampy's Class of 1998 Number 213

A Call for Subscribers, 1993 214

Guinness Book of World Records Nicholas A. Stoller Danny L. Tobey 215

Grown-ups Remember … Monsters in the Bedroom Daniel Chun 217

My Unhappy Rendezvous with Magical Realism B.J. Novak 219

True Fairy Tale Classics Nicholas A. Stoller 222

Seating Chart Kevin A. Doughten 224

Gag Gifts B.J. Novak 225

Advice from a Car Thief Colin K. Jost 227

Sketchy Situation Colin K. Jost Rob Dubbin 228

Bad Doctors Elizabeth S. Widdicombe 229

Slumber Party Simon Rich 230

Skydiving Robert I. Padnick 231

The Diary of Francisco Pizarro Benjamin U. Steiner 232

Cosmopolitan June 2010 Editor's Page Chloe K. Goodwin 234

A Cover from 2011: Cruisin for Burgers Number 235

If I Were the Mayor Kevin P. Bartley 236

Casanova Rob A. Knoll 238

Warren Buffett Jonathan D. Adler 240

Most Likely to Succeed Ben H. Blatt 242

The Coup Katherine C. V. Damm 244

Study Buddies Alexis C. Wilkinson 246

Contributor Biographies 247