Alfred E. Neuman Biography

Alfred E. Neuman is the gap-toothed, goofy-grinned icon of MAD magazine, the humor and satire comics magazine created by Harvey Kurtzman and published by William M. Gaines in 1952.

The genesis of the image itself is a mystery, but the face and name were first paired in 1955, in MAD issue number 29.  (Previously the face had appeared in the magazine under the names of Melvin Coznowski and Mel Haney.) In 1956, artist Norman Mingo painted the standard for the now-familiar face that has, in various guises, graced the cover of MAD ever since, with the accompanying motto, “What — Me Worry?”

Lawsuits in the 1960s over the use of the image were unsuccessful after MAD demonstrated that the face had been used for a variety of purposes since as early as the 19th century. In the late 1990s, the publishers of MAD broke tradition and allowed Alfred E. Neuman to appear in advertising, a favorite target of the magazine’s lampoons since its inception. An archetype of the carefree idiot, Alfred E. Neuman has since appeared in ads for computer gear, instant orange drink, milk, and clothing.