MAD Magazine #47

MAD Magazine (2018 Series) #47 – "Working Like MAD" Cubicle Cover

The "MAD" Hook: Working 9-to-5 can drive anyone crazy, but leave it to the Usual Gang of Idiots to make a corporate cubicle farm look like a literal war zone!

Description

This striking front cover of MAD Magazine #47 features a chaotic, isometric corporate cubicle maze illustrated by longtime Spy vs. Spy artist Peter Kuper. Fittingly titled "Working Like MAD," the entire workspace has been completely overrun by a massive workforce of Black and White Spies, turning the mundane office grind into an all-out tactical battlefield. In the foreground, a Black Spy and a White Spy sit back-to-back at their computers, furiously typing while simultaneously setting traps, tossing missiles, and plotting each other's cubicle demise.

The entire illustration is packed with intricate details and classic MAD callbacks. Posters on the cubicle walls read "CRUSH SPY," "DESTROY MAGAZINE," and feature pin-ups of the elusive Woman in Grey. Look closely in the background, and you'll find Alfred E. Neuman wearing a "Kick Me" sign on his back, a coworker wearing a "What, Me Worry?" shirt, and various Spies utilizing gas masks, TNT, blowtorches, and poison to get ahead in the corporate world.

Collector’s Note

This issue represents the modern era of MAD Magazine, blending brilliant new content with curated classic reprints under a unified theme—in this case, the modern workplace. Features include workplace-themed classics from icons like Don Martin, Al Jaffee, Sergio Aragonés, and Dave Berg, alongside TV satires illustrated by Tom Richmond and Angelo Torres. Johnny Sampson provides the iconic Fold-In on the inside back cover. Peter Kuper's cover art perfectly encapsulates his run on Spy vs. Spy, making this a standout issue for Spy collectors and modern MAD completionists alike.