Lou Silverstone
Encyclopedia
Lou Silverstone is a comedy
writer
who was one of "The Usual Gang of Idiots" at MAD Magazine from 1962 to 1990.
At MAD, he was primarily, though by no means exclusively, a writer of television
and movie parodies
. His first-ever contribution was "Bananaz," a parody of Bonanza
. It was not until 1968 that he began contributing other kinds of articles, many of which were otherwise related to television and movies.
Following his association at MAD
, Silverstone moved to its competitor Cracked, where he served several years as an editor and writer.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who was one of "The Usual Gang of Idiots" at MAD Magazine from 1962 to 1990.
At MAD, he was primarily, though by no means exclusively, a writer of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and movie parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
. His first-ever contribution was "Bananaz," a parody of Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
. It was not until 1968 that he began contributing other kinds of articles, many of which were otherwise related to television and movies.
Following his association at MAD
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
, Silverstone moved to its competitor Cracked, where he served several years as an editor and writer.