Many of our contemporaries overseas won't get why the above cover art was historically resonant with so many USA-based grownups who were, as children, sophisticated connoisseurs of Mad Magazine e.g. of Don Martin's famous strips, or of Spy vs. Spy.
One esoteric cultural theory is that Alfred E. Neuman, slacker mascot of the smartie brats, grew up to become the cult figure Bob Dobbs, founder of a certain all-American church.
An even more esoteric theory: that Bob Dobbs bears a family resemblance to Bob Schieffer of CBS News. Perhaps this is only a coincidence.
