A GALLERY OF JACK DAVIS ART FROM MAD MAGAZINE

Jack Davis was a star in the MAD Magazine firmament from the very first issue.  Davis was 25 years old, with a fearless ink brush and a precocious talent for converting a human being into a splat.  (This was an important skill for the infant magazine).

Davis could work simultaneously for MAD and several other comics because he was fast as lightning.  Bill Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman recalled Davis penciling and inking three or more entire pages in a day.

Here for your enjoyment is a selection of lovely drawings by Davis spread across many years of MAD:

In later years, Davis simplified and streamlined his work for MAD.  He applied tones through loose washes rather than tight cross hatching.

Yet, the pictures usually retained Davis' underlying quality.

Another brilliant artist selected for the formidable MAD talent pool.