Something Rich and Strange

Once upon a time, back in a kinder, gentler era called the 1970’s, a new magazine was launched by a bunch of over-educated Ivy League guys. Not content with their modest provincial publication called Harvard Lampoon, they decided to go big. Thus was National Lampoon magazine birthed in April of 1970.

For many years the Lampoon was synonymous with smart, sophisticated humor. OK, with a little raunch thrown in to ensure a wider reach. I remember reading a parody of Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ critically lauded work “100 Years of Solitude” re-named “100 Years of Solid Food.” Sometimes it was not only literature that was parodied, as in the send-up of Stephen King’s “Fire Starter” entitled “Egg Boiler.” The first line said something to the effect of “move over Sophocles, Stephen King is here.”

In addition to brief bios on some of the brilliant and the dead, recounting the often hiliarious antics that typically involved being stoned or drunk, this large-format book also has full-size reproductions of some of the magazine's funniest pieces. For instance, “Law of the Jungle,” a piece that occupies 12 pages with solid copy describing jurisprudence in the animal kingdom. According to the article, Lex Biologica preceded human law and was even present in Jurassic times. The example of Brontosaurus v. Tyrannonosaurus Rex is cited as a “fairly routine waterhole case in which a dispute arose following the closing of a traditional easement by a volcanic eruption” that made the animals aware of the need for an “orderly means of settling disagreements without bloodshed.” But as the next paragraph explained, not all species were on board with this concept:

“Unfortunately, the larger reptiles, particularly the dinosaurs, behaved like Norman Knights, refusing in many cases to accept unfavorable verdicts, and almost invariably resorting to the ancient custom of trial by eating.”

Many who were associated with the Lampoon staff over the years went on to achieve comedic greatness, such as John Belushi, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. In fact, Saturday Night Live, which arguably changed comedic television in the United States, was largely stocked with Lampoon “graduates” as cast members and writers.

So for a literary escape that has stood the test of time, whether you’re drunk, stoned, or sober, this retrospective will have you laughing out loud.