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If you were a preteenager in the 1950s and had precocious friends or a with-it dad, it’s a good bet you knew the cartoons of Basil Wolverton, the Michelangelo of Mad magazine, even if you didn’t know his name.

Like rock ’n’ roll and beatniks, Mad was a freakish spawn of the A-bomb era. It was like an emanation from some dark, Dada side of Disney; a stink bomb planted in the suburban Eden; and a preview of the underground-comics era to come. Wolverton, who is the subject of a career survey at Barbara Gladstone Gallery in Chelsea this summer, was Mad’s early signature artist, the one who embodied its sick-and-proud humor.

His specialty was a beyond-grotesque species of fictional portraiture, typified by the dog-toothed, bushy-browed, linguine-haired “Beautiful Girl of the Month” seen on the cover of Mad’s 1954 takeoff on Life magazine. The images in pen and ink — Wolverton worked almost exclusively in this medium — were a virtuoso exercise in bad taste, made all the weirder for being so meticulously executed.

By the 1950s Wolverton had already been working in a gross-out mode for years, though he was in many ways an unlikely extremist. He was born in a small town in Oregon in 1909 and, apart from short stints in Hollywood and New York City, he stayed in the Pacific Northwest until his death in 1978. In photographs he looks softly bulky and moon-faced, ready to be amused. A devout churchgoer, he hoped to be remembered for his Bible illustrations, not his cartoons.

Self-taught as an artist, he sold his first cartoon in 1926, when he was still in high school, and rarely stopped drawing thereafter, though he would have preferred a career in vaudeville. In the 1930s he enjoyed a lucky, though brief, break with a sci-fi newspaper strip called “Marco of Mars.” He later pitched other similar strips with names like “Hercules Hardy,” “Guy Spy Private Eye” and “Saucer Sid the Supersonic Kid,” but without success.

His early work picked up on popular cartoon styles of the day but still had an uncouth look and tone of its own. His outer-space monsters are more charismatically monstrous than they really need to be for the pat narratives they’re part of. And Wolverton clearly chafes under the constraint of conventional genres. Some of his narrative series, like “Powerhouse Pepper,” have the explosive parodic élan of a Rossini opera; others, like the unpublished “Ethan Downing” strip, are oddly grave and measured. They’re like intergalactic productions of “Parsifal.”

What was constant from project to project was a style of labor-intensive draftsmanship based on bold forms filled in with dense patterns of stippling and hatchwork. Almost as consistent was Wolverton’s appetite, which could verge on the pathological, for deformations and mutilations of human flesh. The general effect produced by such obsessiveness, a kind of sadistic hilarity, made him a star in 1946.

That year the cartoonist Al Capp introduced a character named Lena the Hyena, “the ugliest girl in Lower Slobbovia” to his “Li’l Abner” strip. Her face, however, was not seen, the idea being that she was so unsightly as to send readers away screaming. Naturally, the public clamored to see her.

In response Capp issued an open invitation for people to send versions of what they imagined her to look like, with the best entry to be chosen by a double-take triumvirate of celebrity judges: Frank Sinatra, Boris Karloff and Salvador Dalí. Out of the thousands of entries, Wolverton’s won. His Lena, a kind of dry run for “Beautiful Girl of the Month,” was printed not only in the Capp strip, but also in Life magazine.

Lena isn’t in the Gladstone show, though several competitively outlandish faces are. Even when Wolverton was concentrating on narrative cartoons, “spaghetti and meatballs”-textured portraits flowed, usually in the form of single-panel drawings conceived as a series: “Foolish Faces: Photos of a Few Famous Fatheads and Freaks” is one such group; “Private Peeps at Preposterous Punks Who Prowl This Planet” is another.

Then came the 1950s and Mad, with which Wolverton’s name continues to be primarily associated. The magazine’s appearance was, in its cultish way, a transformational event in American pop culture. Suddenly humor no longer meant comfy titters on an “Ozzie and Harriet” laugh track. It was an assaultive form of anarchy, rising, like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, out of who-knew-what murky social and psychological depths.

origin: www.nytimes.com

Have you ever looked at something strange and thought to yourself that you’ve seen it all?

Well, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen these statues. These are only a select few of the many strange statues of art from around the world.

Animals

Melting Cow Statue

Apparently there’s some sort of cow statue parade in Budapest and this was one of the contributors to the festivities. This interesting piece not only depicts a cow face down with its head melted off, but also with a popsicle stick up his rear end. It’s definitely original, but a little sick, don’t you think?

Astronaut Cow

Check out this space cow in Stockholm, Sweden. I guess you don’t need thumbs to go into space.

A Pair of Cows Just Lying Around

Here are a pair of bronze cows just hanging around in downtown Toronto, Canada. I didn’t know they had city cows in Canada.

Bull and Bunny Buddies

It’s nice to see that in the United Kingdom animals are free to date whomever they want. As you can see, this statue depicts a naked bunny and naked bull on a date. Do you see the bull’s arm around the rabbit? You may think that these statues are anatomically correct until you see the belly buttons. Rabbits and bulls don’t have belly buttons!

Rhino Hanging Around

This rhinoceros in Potsdam, Germany looks so sad. If you were hanging in the air and out on display, you would be too.

Frog on a Spool of Thread?

(Photo by Jeff Buchbinder)

There’s actually more than one of these frogs on a bridge in Willimantic, Connecticut and there’s an explanation for the significance of frogs sitting on spools of thread. First, Willimantic is often called “Thread City” as it was well known in the mid nineteenth century for its textile mills along the Willimantic River.

The spools of thread were constructed onto the bridge. The frogs were added later to signify a rather unique event that took place in 1754 in Willimantic called the Frog Fight. Apparently one night that year, residents heard a terrible screeching. Frightened and feeling protective of their land and families, the townspeople ran outside blasting their muskets at the “invisible” threat.

The next morning they discovered numerous dead frogs all over the place. With the frog and the spools of thread together, the statues signify a great deal of history behind the little town.

Shark Dive

Here’s a statue from Oxford in the United Kingdom that boggles the mind. This represents a shark having a very bad day. Talk about your freak accidents!

Human and Animal Combination

Upside Down Horse

This sculptor is displayed in Prague in the Czech Republic and was created by and artist named David Cerny. I’m not sure of the significance, but one thing’s for sure; this statue would be strange hanging the way it was meant to as shown in the picture or right side up.

Statues of Humans

Playful Mom and Daughter

This statue outside of a building in Salt Lake City, Utah depicts a mother swinging her daughter around and around. It’s a strange place for that sort of statue, but I bet if you walk past it you can’t help but smile.

Leapfrog

Here’s a playful statue outside of the Atocha Rail Station in Madrid, Spain. I guess if you’re waiting for a train, there are all sorts of things you can do to pass the time away. A game of leapfrog anyone?

Peekaboo!

Imagine that you’re touring Russia and seeing the sights when all of a sudden you feel as if you’re being watched. It might just be that this guy is checking the place out too.

Cannonball!

Along the Singapore River in Singapore are numerous beautiful statues. One of the most unique of them is this one of children pushing other children into the river. You can’t help but give it a second look and inspect how that design was able to work.

Let’s Go!

This playful little statue can be found in China outside of the Gulou Dajie subway station. Do you think she’s in a hurry because she’s chasing the person that stole the seat of her pants?

Temper Tantrum

Through a park in Norway, there are several beautiful statues. Though they all have a humanity theme, you don’t expect to see a huge, stomping, crying baby. Why do you suppose he’s having a fit? Do you think it’s because he’s naked or do you think it’s because he has no hair?

Four Rascals

This statue is in the same Norway park. The naked babies are attacking this innocent naked man – perhaps they’re telling him that they want their clothing back.

Lovers Seek a Kiss

This statue can be found in Kharkiv, a city in the Ukraine. Kharkiv has a long history of romance along with many traditions.

However, throughout the years, the traditions and ambiance of the romantic city has fizzled out. In an attempt to rekindle the atmosphere for romance, a contest was held in 2001 for a sculpture to be built. The winning statue created by Dmytro Ivanchenkois was erected in 2003 and has attracted local couples in love as well as tourists.

Headless Musician

The appearance of this statue is even stranger than the statue itself. This statue just mysteriously appeared in Marnix Park in Amsterdam along with some others in various places of Amsterdam.

Apparently there is some sort of mysterious anonymous artist that creates some beautiful bronze sculptures and leaves them in places around the city. Then, of course you have the statue itself; a headless musician carrying a violin case and tipping his hat to onlookers.

Headless Army

This series of twenty statues is just outside of McCormick Hall at Princeton University. Each figure is about nine feet tall and as you can see, none of the figures have a head. This is Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz’s creation of depicting a “brainless” army. Notice that the size of the men is large and their stature is straight and self-confident, but still a non-thinking group. One can also say that when you react before thinking, you could lose your head.

Upside Down

It may look strange to see a perfectly normal statue of a man, but then mounted upside down. However, there is significance behind it.

The statue is located in Melbourne, Australia and is a statue of Charles La Trobe, the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria, which is now a state of Australia. The artist of the statue, Charles Robb, wanted to bring attention to the understated acknowledgement of La Trobe, and mounted it upside down to represent the meaninglessness of public figures and statues.

Hanging Around

Here’s another one of David Cerny’s pieces. This statue’s original location was in Prague in the Czech Republic. However, it’s been moving around the world as it’s gotten a lot of attention. This statue is a life sized statue of Sigmund Freud. It’s unclear as to why Freud is hanging from a high place like that, but who really can rationalize Freud anyway?

Say Cheese!

This unique statue may look awfully strange, but if you see it in Bratislava, Slovakia it will make more sense. The statue is located right in front of the Paparazzi restaurant.

It’s Been One of Those Days…

We’ve all have those days where we never should have gotten out of bed or where we just feel like we want to ram our head into a wall. Well, this statue in front of the Ernst & Young building in Los Angeles, California has a perfect illustration of just that.

Got Milk?

What in the world…? It looks as if this sculpture in Nuremberg, Germany is a lactating fountain. Strange.

Hmmm…

This 12 foot statue created out of marble was constructed by artist Marc Quinn. This is a sculpture of his friend Allison Lapper, an English artist with no arms. This nude depiction is appropriately called “Allison Lapper Pregnant”. He wanted to sculpt a statue of her naked to show that disabled people are underrepresented in art. Not to impugn Ms. Lapper, but unless you know the story behind it, it looks not only strange but unfinished.

Just Another Tourist

If you’re ever in Shanghai, China, be sure to chat with this tourist. Don’t worry. He’s always around.

His Work is Never Done

The anonymous sculptor in Amsterdam strikes again! This time he or she placed a statue in a tree. Appropriately, it’s a man sawing a branch off.

Another Line?

This statue is in front of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C. and it depicts a bread line in The Great Depression. It may look strange, but there’s profound meaning behind it.

Walking to the Sky

This 100-foot tall sculpture was created by artist Jonathan Borofsky. The original piece was installed in Rockefeller Center in New York and remained there until it was moved to the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas in 2005.

There are two replicas of the statue elsewhere in the world. One is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on campus at Carnegie Mellon University and the other one is located in Seoul, South Korea. The work of art depicts seven people walking up to the sky and was inspired by a children’s story the artist’s father used to tell him when he was a child.

Body Parts in the Water?

This work of art is located in Stockholm, Sweden and currently only consists of two body parts. The index finger on the hand points to the Jupiter Hotel. I wonder what body part will emerge from the water next?

Get That Skull off My Back, Will You?

Designed by Jaroslav Rona in 1993 and placed in Prague, this sculpture is called Parable with a Skull. This depicts one of fictional writer Franz Kafka’s fictional characters. It makes you wonder about the writer’s works and the artist of the sculpture as well.

I Can Catch It!

Located near the San Giovanni train station in Como, Italy, these huge pair of hands look out of place. I’d be afraid that the owner of the hands may show up. I wouldn’t want to be around for that.

Inanimate Objects

Don’t Shoot!

This piece located in Sweden has great significance and can make everyone stop and think about how profound the artist, Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd was. He created this sculpture in 1980 and it’s called simply “non-violence” or “the knotted gun”. The piece is to symbolize no more violence. The artist created this after John Lennon’s shooting death.

Is There Any More Room in Your Purse?

This huge change purse, known as “The Public Purse” is located on the street of Melbourne, Australia. It was designed as a form of unique seating on the streets of the city.

May I Have a Glass of Water?

The sculpture of a faucet on the side of this building in Wateringen, Holland is one of the most unique sculptures ever seen. I’d hate to have their water bill.

Need a Bigger Fork?

This sculpture’s plaque proclaims that this is the “World’s Largest Fork”. Located in Springfield, Missouri, the 35-foot tall fork is planted right in front of a three story building that belongs to Noble & Associates, a well known advertising agency that has a lot of restaurant and food clients.

Does This Come in My Size?

This huge bronze shoe is in, you guessed it, Iraq and symbolized the shoe that Muntadar al-Zaidi threw at former President George W. Bush. It’s looked at as a statue to honor al-Zaidi as some Iraqis feel it was a heroic act.

Miscellaneous

Ever Wonder What Really Lurks Under Bridges?

Did you ever hear the children’s story “Three Billy Goat’s Gruff”? Despite the structure’s name, “Freemont Troll” or “Troll Under the Bridge”, this troll isn’t under the Freemont Bridge, but is underneath the Arora Bridge in Seattle, Washington. To give you a better idea of the huge mass of this piece, I should mention that the troll is grabbing onto a real Volkswagon Beetle.

I’ve Got You Under My Thumb

The Eiffel Tower and the big thumb; what do these two things have in common? They’re both must-see Paris, France.

Are there any odd or interesting statues that you’ve seen in your travels?