Mara McAfee (1929–1984) was an American Pop artist and illustrator recognized for her highly sophisticated, satirical depictions of historical figures, high art traditions, and contemporary culture. During the 1950s, McAfee balance-funded her formal education by working as an actress and dancer. This parallel entertainment career included appearances in prominent 1955 films such as Kiss Me Deadly and My Sister Eileen, alongside television roles on The Phil Silvers Show and Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life.
McAfee developed a versatile classical technique by studying at the Chouinard Art Institute and the Art Students League under Frank Mason. She spent two years replicating masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, acquiring a command of diverse styles that formed the foundation for her commercial and fine art success. Debuting at New York’s Amel Gallery in 1962, her fine art blended meticulous classical execution with modern, subversive subjects. Her paintings gained immediate traction in definitive early Pop Art movement exhibitions, including Pop Goes the Easel (1963), Mixed Media and Pop Art (1963), and Pop Art USA (1964).
By the 1970s, McAfee transitioned to prominent commercial illustration, creating highly regarded parodic cover art for National Lampoon magazine. Her illustrations frequently spoofed canonical works of Western art with sharp social commentary and a distinct feminist perspective. Notable examples of her work include her famous August 1978 "Today's Teens" cover—a Norman Rockwell style parody—and an illustrated edition of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. This unique synthesis of academic mastery and sharp cultural irreverence defined her artistic legacy.
© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Mara McAfee or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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| Ms. Mara McAfee, the artist |
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| Ms. Mara McAfee, the actress |
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| This image shows an original theatrical release poster for the 1955 film noir classic Kiss Me Deadly |
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This image shows the original theatrical release poster for
the 1956 musical comedy-crime film He Laughed Last |
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| Marvelous Modern Mechanical Men, 1963 |
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| You'll Never Catch Me, 1963 |
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| Opening Act, 1964 |
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| Opening Act, 1964 |
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| Believe Not Every Tale, 1965 |
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| The Homecoming, 1965 |
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| Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Cover illustration, 1976 |
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| Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe parody, 1976 |
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| Portrait of James Cagney, 1976 |
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| Today's Teens, cover, August 1978 |
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| Wuthering High (School), 1978 |
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| Chauvinistic Fantasies, 1979 |
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| Meatballs, 1979 |
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| Sports Issue, July 1979 |
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| The Artist's Deadline, 1979 |
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| The Love Issue, November 1979 |
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| The Transformation, 1979 |
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| This image shows the back cover of the 1981 anthology book The Art of Mara McAfee |
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| Unknown title (Featured in the Love Issue), 1979 |
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| Last Chance, 1979-81 |
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| Cover, 1980 |
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| Songs from the Stars, 1980 |
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| the Bartlett's Quotes poster, 1981 |
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| Print advertisement, 1982 |
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