Cowznofski
Encyclopedia
Cowznofski is a running gag
in-joke
heavily used in the early years of MAD Magazine, usually as a character's last name, often with the first name "Melvin", occasionally "Lance" or "Irving." Its Eastern European feel was a perfect fit for the New York
Jewish style of the magazine. It is also one of the units in the magazine's joke Potrzebie
unit system created by Donald E. Knuth, in which it is the equivalent of a year.
A character similar to Alfred E. Neuman
named Melvin Cowznofski -- a tall man with a large, broad nose, receding hair, glasses, and an obvious small brain -- appeared a number of times in the magazine in the 1950s. In one issue he is described as an editor of Collier's Magazine, and manufacturer of souvenirs for the Brooklyn Dodgers
. (Both Collier's and the Brooklyn Dodgers were defunct by then.) He was said to be "barred from 48 states (and Alaska
will be voting any minute; Hawaii
had not yet achieved statehood)." Still, he "held a high position in our country, living atop Mt. Whitney."
Moxie
Cowznofski was Neuman's girlfriend for a period in the 1950s.
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in-joke
In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
heavily used in the early years of MAD Magazine, usually as a character's last name, often with the first name "Melvin", occasionally "Lance" or "Irving." Its Eastern European feel was a perfect fit for the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Jewish style of the magazine. It is also one of the units in the magazine's joke Potrzebie
Potrzebie
Potrzebie is a Polish word popularized by its non sequitur use as a running gag in the early issues of Mad not long after the comic book began in 1952...
unit system created by Donald E. Knuth, in which it is the equivalent of a year.
A character similar to Alfred E. Neuman
Alfred E. Neuman
Alfred E. Neuman is the fictional mascot and cover boy of Mad magazine. The face had drifted through American pictography for decades before being claimed and named by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman...
named Melvin Cowznofski -- a tall man with a large, broad nose, receding hair, glasses, and an obvious small brain -- appeared a number of times in the magazine in the 1950s. In one issue he is described as an editor of Collier's Magazine, and manufacturer of souvenirs for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. (Both Collier's and the Brooklyn Dodgers were defunct by then.) He was said to be "barred from 48 states (and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
will be voting any minute; Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
had not yet achieved statehood)." Still, he "held a high position in our country, living atop Mt. Whitney."
Moxie
Moxie
Moxie is a carbonated beverage that was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It continues to be regionally popular today....
Cowznofski was Neuman's girlfriend for a period in the 1950s.