Number 305

Zoo Zoo Zsa Zsa

David Miller provided these scans from his copy of Ajax's Madhouse #1, June 1957. Thanks, Dave!

The story is a satire about Zsa Zsa Gabor, her two sisters and their mom, who were a band of Hungarian immigrants to the U.S., eager for publicity, fame and fortune. Just in case you haven't ever heard of Zsa Zsa, you can read about her here. Long before Paris Hilton was a celebrity with no discernible talent beyond standing in front of cameras, Zsa Zsa created the template by which no-talent people can be in magazines, newspapers and television. It's the trick of celebrity: she was famous for being famous. It's fitting for Paris Hilton to emulate her; they're related. One of Zsa Zsa's many marriages was to a Hilton.

The artwork in this story is by the Jerry Iger studio, and it's probably a reprint from the 1954 Madhouse series, also by Ajax. Whew. It gets tough keeping track of all of this. The references to Tooloose Latruck are to the 1952 John Huston movie bio of Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge, starring José Ferrer, and featuring Zsa Zsa as Jane Avril.