It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 1963

This poster, by Jack Davis, crams the whole world into one crazy, cartoonish image. Look at how he uses line and color. It's all about energy, that frenetic, anything-goes feeling you get from flipping through the pages of Mad magazine. Davis doesn’t hold back, does he? The texture in this piece comes from the density of the lines, packed so close together that they practically vibrate. Take the cluster of faces at the top – each one is a little caricature, but together they form this writhing mass. The effect is like a visual shout, echoing the movie's title. It's a reminder that art, like the world, is messy, funny, and a little bit overwhelming. Maybe that's why I like R. Crumb too. You never know what to expect, except that it'll be a wild ride!