Recurring features in Mad (magazine)
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'' Mad'' is known for many regular and semi-regular recurring features in its pages.


Fold-ins

Every issue but two of ''Mad'' from 1964 to the present has featured a Fold-in, designed by artist
Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...
. They usually appear on the inside back cover, though one issue featured a Fold-in front cover and the year-end "Mad 20" issues move the feature to an interior page. In each Fold-in a question is asked, often of a topical nature. The subject is illustrated by a picture taking up the bulk of the page, with a block of text underneath. When the page is folded inward, the inner and outer fourths of the picture combine to reveal an alternate answer in both picture and words. Jaffee's precise layouts sometimes include false visual cues designed to trick the reader's eye towards an incorrect solution.


"The Lighter Side of..."

' From 1961 to 2002, Dave Berg produced "The Lighter Side of...", which often satirized the suburban lifestyle, capitalism and the
generation gap A generation gap or generational gap is a difference of opinions between one generation and another regarding beliefs, politics, or values. In today's usage, ''generation gap'' often refers to a perceived gap between younger people and their pare ...
. Subjects commonly lampooned include medicine, office life,
parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...
, marriage, psychiatry, shopping, school and other everyday activities. Although this feature eventually became notorious for its corny gags and garishly outdated fashion choices, the ''Mad'' editors reported that it was the magazine's most popular feature. "The Lighter Side" was more pointed in its early years, providing the sort of Americana-based humor that standups such as Shelley Berman and Alan King performed successfully onstage. The feature was retired with Berg's death. Four months after the last Berg artwork was published, his final set of gags, which Berg had written but not penciled, appeared as a tribute. These last "Lighter Side" strips were divided among 18 of the magazine's regular artists, including Jack Davis' last original work for ''Mad''. In 2007, an occasional feature called "The Darker Side of the Lighter Side" debuted. These consist of reprinted Berg strips, with rewritten word balloons that change the gags to references about disease, sex offenders, corpse disposal and other unsavory, un-Berg-like topics.


"Spy vs. Spy"

Antonio Prohías Antonio Prohías (January 17, 1921 – February 24, 1998) was a Cuban-American cartoonist. He was the creator of the satirical comic strip ''Spy vs. Spy'', which he illustrated for '' Mad'' magazine from 1961 to 1987. Biography In 1946, Proh ...
's wordless " Spy vs. Spy," the never-ending battle between the iconic Black Spy and White Spy, ended up outlasting the Cold War that inspired it. Except for the respective black/white color of their clothing, the two spies were identical in appearance and intent. The strip was a silent parable about the futility of mutually-assured destruction, with various elaborate traps designed in Prohías' thick line. Typically, the trap would boomerang back on whichever spy had concocted it. There was no pattern or order dictating which spy would be defeated in a particular episode. A female "Grey Spy" frequently appeared from 1962 through 1965, followed by a 40-year hiatus. After that she made occasional appearances from 2005 to 2020. Unlike her two adversaries, she always prevailed. Although Prohías retired from doing the strip in the late 1980s, "Spy vs. Spy" continued in a series of different hands until 1997, when
Peter Kuper Peter Kuper (; born September 22, 1958) is an American alternative comics artist and illustrator, best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations. Besides his contributions to the political anthology '' World War 3 Illust ...
took over as the full-time writer-artist. However, the original Morse Code byline "by Prohias" remains in each strip's title.


Don Martin gags

Don Martin, billed as "Mad's Maddest Artist", drew gag cartoons, generally one page but sometimes longer, featuring lumpen characters with apparently hinged feet. Martin's absurd sight gags were frequently punctuated by an array of onomatopoeic sound effects such as "GLORK" or "PATWANG-FWEEE", coined by Martin himself (or by frequent ghost writer
Don Edwing Don "Duck" Edwing (1934 – December 26, 2016) was an American gag cartoonist whose work has appeared for years in '' Mad''. His signature "Duck Edwing" was usually accompanied by a small picture of a duck, and duck calls were heard on his answer ...
).Martin, Don. ''The Completely Mad Don Martin'', Running Press, 2007. Martin's wild physical comedy would eventually make him the signature artist of the magazine. When Martin first joined ''Mad'', he employed a nervous, scratchy art style, but this developed into a rounder, more cartoony look. Many of his cartoons used similar expositional titles (e.g., "One Exceedingly Fine Day at the Beach," "On the Elevator," "The Pickpocket"). On occasion these titles became increasingly elaborate (e.g., "One Night in the Acme Ritz Central Arms Waldorf Plaza Statler Hilton Grand Hotel", "One Hot Sunny Afternoon in the Middle of the Ocean", or "One Fine Day at the Corner of South Finster Boulevard and Fonebone Street"). Martin's 31-year association with ''Mad'' ended in some rancor over the ownership of his original artwork. Not long after leaving ''Mad'', Martin ended up working at ''Mads competitor ''
Cracked Cracked may refer to: Television * ''Cracked'' (British TV series), a 2008 British comedy-drama television series that aired on STV * ''Cracked'' (Canadian TV series), a 2013 Canadian crime drama series that aired on CBC * "Cracked", a Season 8 ( ...
'', which, unlike ''Mad'', allowed creators to keep their pages. In 1994, Martin left ''Cracked'' and published a handful of issues of his own self-titled publication.


"A Mad Look at..." and "Drawn-Out Dramas"

Sergio Aragonés Sergio Aragonés Domenech ( , ; born September 6, 1937) is a Spanish/Mexican cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to '' Mad'' magazine and creating the comic book '' Groo the Wanderer''. Among his peers and fans, Aragonés is ...
has written and drawn his "A Mad Look At..." feature since his debut in ''Mad'' #76 (January 1963), which began to be sold on November 13, 1962. Each is a series of gag strips with a common theme. Aragonés' ''Mad'' cartooning is notable for almost never using word balloons; when they occur at all, they will most often feature a drawing of whatever is being discussed. Aragonés will periodically bend this rule for a store window sign, a stray "Gesundheit", or some other dialogue vital to the punchline. Aragonés also provides the "Mad Marginals" or "Drawn-out Dramas", which are small gag images that appear throughout the magazine in its corners, margins or the narrow spaces between panels. Aragonés also debuted the feature in ''Mad'' #76, and it has appeared in every issue of the magazine since, except for ''Mad'' #111. According to Aragonés, his work for that issue was lost in the mail.


Movie and TV show parodies

A typical issue will include at least one full parody of a popular movie or television show. The titles are changed to create a play on words; for instance, ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'' became ''The Adnauseum Family.'' The character names are generally switched in the same fashion. These articles run for several pages, and are presented as a sequential storyline with caricatures and word balloons. The opening page or two-page splash usually consists of the cast of the show introducing themselves directly to the reader. In some parodies, the writers sometimes attempt to circumvent this convention by presenting the characters without such direct exposition. Many parodies end with the abrupt ''
deus ex machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( , ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; English "god out of the machine") is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function ...
'' appearance of outside characters or pop culture figures who are thematically tied into the nature to the movie or TV series being parodied, or who comment satirically on the theme. For example, Dr. Phil arrives to counsel the psychologically damaged '' Desperate Housewives''; in another spoof, the former cast of ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
'' are hired as the new hookers for another HBO series, '' Deadwood''. The parodies frequently make comedic use of the
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
,
breaking character In theatre (especially in the illusionistic Western tradition), breaking character occurs when an actor ceases to maintain the illusion that they are identical with the character they are portraying. This is a more acceptable occurrence while in ...
, and
meta-reference Meta-reference is a special type of self-reference that can occur in all media or media artifacts, for instance literature, film, painting, TV series, comic strips, or video games. It includes all references to, or comments on, a specific medium, ...
s. Within an ostensibly self-contained storyline, the characters may refer to the technical aspects of filmmaking, the publicity, hype or box office surrounding their project, their own past roles or real-life circumstances, and critical analysis of clichés. In the final panel of "The $ound of Money", the magazine's 1966 parody of ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...
'', Julie Andrews sings a parody of the song "
Climb Ev'ry Mountain "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music.'' It is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess. It is themed as an inspirational piece, to encourage people to take every s ...
". The rewritten lyrics reference both the producers' decision to create scarcity and maximize box office profits by running the film in just one theater per city at inflated ticket prices ("Charge high admissions; / Let people wait; / That will make them think they're / Seeing something great!"), as well as
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
' decision to replace Andrews with Audrey Hepburn in its movie adaptation of ''
My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...
''. Andrews had been a great success as
Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play '' Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''. Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Prof ...
in the original Broadway production, but she was passed over for the film role. Despite the high-profile snub, Andrews made an Oscar-winning debut in ''
Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...
'' – released four months before ''My Fair Lady'' – and solidifying her big screen success with ''The Sound of Music''. Concluding the ''Mad'' parody, Andrews gleefully sings: :"With all these profits, :Things will be fine! :When we top "Fair Lady", :Ven-geance... will... be... mine!" Several show business stars have been quoted to the effect that the moment when they knew they had finally "made it" was when they saw themselves thus depicted in the pages of ''Mad''. Many celebrities parodied by the magazine have posed for photographs which were printed in ''Mads letters column, generally holding the copy of the magazine they appeared in, and frequently, reacting in some comical way. After the magazine depicted the main cast of ''
L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
'' on a 1987 cover, the actors responded with a photo in which the actors mimicked their caricatured poses and placement, with series creator Steven Bochco blacking out a tooth and taking the place of Alfred E. Neuman. Guns N' Roses guitarist
Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...
told ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...
'', "The magazine cover that has meant the most to me was probably when I appeared in ''Mad Magazine'', as a caricature of Alfred E. Neuman (#330, 1994). That was when I felt that I'd arrived." Film critic Roger Ebert said that being parodied by ''Mad'' was "the ultimate honor." In an appearance on ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'',
Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...
told Johnny Carson that he knew he had made it in show business "when
Mort Drucker Morris "Mort" Drucker (March 22, 1929 – April 9, 2020) was an American caricaturist and comics artist best known as a contributor for over five decades in '' Mad'', where he specialized in satires on the leading feature films and televisio ...
drew my head."
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...
has often talked about what the magazine meant to him, as in January 2009 when he said, "My greatest career highlight was being on the cover of Mad Magazine." He revisited the topic in October 2013, saying, "It really was the pinnacle of success for me, that I could be on the cover of MAD Magazine, with Alfred E. Neuman plunging my head into a toilet bowl. I was just so thrilled and happy... I couldn't believe it."


''Monroe''

''Monroe'' was an ongoing storyline about an angst-filled teenaged loser. It depicted the title character's travails in school, his dysfunctional home and his relentless troubles elsewhere. Written by Anthony Barbieri, it was illustrated by Bill Wray from 1997 to 2006. The previously black-and-white feature was colorized in 2005, and went on hiatus for much of 2006. When it returned, it was drawn by Tom Fowler with Barbieri remaining the writer. It last appeared in January 2010.


Irregular recurring features

Several ''Mad'' premises have been successful enough to warrant additional installments, though not with the regularity of the above. These include: * The Mad Academy Awards for ____ – typically written by Stan Hart, these would mimic the Oscar telecast by showing nominated "performance clips" in non-film areas of life (such as parenting or small business ownership). * Advertising parodies – too numerous to catalog, though many have been written by
Dick DeBartolo Dick DeBartolo (born October 19, 1945) is an American writer, most famous for writing for '' Mad''. He is occasionally referred to as "''Mads Maddest Writer," this being a twist on Don Martin's former status as "''Mads Maddest Artist." De ...
; these have ranged from TV ad spoofs to national print campaigns to home marketing and have long provided one of the most durable sources of the magazine's humor. A separate paperback of original material titled ''Madvertising'' was published in 1972, and an extensive reprint collection appeared with the same title in 2005. * Alfred's Poor Almanac – written by
Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...
over several issues in 1962 and 1974, this text-heavy page featured quick one-liners, puns, faux anniversaries and other arcana, supposedly matched to each day of that month. * Badly-Needed Warning Labels for Rock Albums – written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
, this series of articles mocked both the ongoing
Parental Advisory Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
labelling controversy, as well as the musicians of the day, with specifically written warning labels for particular recordings. * Behind the Scenes at ____ – written and illustrated by various, these frequently take a bird's eye view of a scene, such as a television studio or office. Various vignettes and conversations play out simultaneously, showing the reader how the participants "really" think and behave. * Believe It Or Nuts! – written and illustrated by various (though most often drawn by
Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood (June 17, 1927 – November 2, 1981) was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, widely known for his work on EC Comics's titles such as '' Weird Science'', '' Weird Fantasy'', and ''MAD Magazine'' fr ...
or Bob Clarke), this parody of the print version of '' Ripley's Believe It Or Not!'' depicted alleged marvels and mundanities of the world. In the late 1950s, Mad also published regular installments of "Kovacs' Strangely Believe It!", another Ripley's parody written by
Ernie Kovacs Ernest Edward Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was a Hungarian-American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years aft ...
. * Celebrity Cause-of-Death Betting Odds – written by
Mike Snider Mike Snider is a comedy writer Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other ente ...
, this long-running feature listed and "ranked" possible methods of future death for one well-known person at a time. It usually contained a tombstone with a caricature of the celebrity (usually drawn by
Hermann Mejia Hermann or Herrmann may refer to: * Hermann (name), list of people with this name * Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language * Éditions Hermann, French publisher * Hermann, Miss ...
). A shorter version later ran in the "Fundalini" section, illustrated by
Rick Tulka Rick Tulka (born Brooklyn, New York in 1955) is an illustrator and caricaturist whose work has appeared in ''Mad'' magazine since 1988. He has been living and working in Paris since the mid-1990s. Early life and education He was born in Brookly ...
. * Celebrity Wallets – usually written by
Arnie Kogen Arnie Kogen is an American comedy writer and producer. He has written for TV, film, and is a longtime writer for ''Mad Magazine''. Among his hundreds of ''Mad'' bylines, Kogen has written more than 100 film or television parodies. Born in Brookly ...
, this was a series of peeks at the notes, photographs and other memorabilia being carried around in the pockets of the famous. * Cents-less Coupons – written by Scott Maiko, these imitate the giveaway coupon packets found in Sunday newspapers but promote ludicrous products such as "Inbred Valley Imitation Squirrel Meat". * Chilling Thoughts – written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
and illustrated by
Rick Tulka Rick Tulka (born Brooklyn, New York in 1955) is an illustrator and caricaturist whose work has appeared in ''Mad'' magazine since 1988. He has been living and working in Paris since the mid-1990s. Early life and education He was born in Brookly ...
or
Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himsel ...
, these feature observations or predictions about both the culture and everyday life that have supposedly dire implications. * A Day in the Life of... – written by Scott Maiko, these articles depict the purported hour-by-hour activities of a particular celebrity, such as George Lucas, Dick Cheney, Adam Sandler, or
Dane Cook Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released six comedy albums: '' Harmful If Swallowed''; ''Retaliation''; ''Vicious Circle''; '' Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garde ...
. * ''Mad'' Deconstructs Talk Shows – written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
, these take on one show at a time and purport to reveal the minute-by-minute format breakdown of America's not too spontaneous chat programs. * Do-It-Yourself Newspaper Story – written by
Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...
, these are short text news items containing a number of blank spaces. Each space has a corresponding list of numbered fill-in-the-blank options, which grow increasingly absurd. The premise is that with appropriate mixing and matching, the article can be read in a vast number of permutations. The same format has also been applied by Jacobs to other areas as poetry, press releases, or speechmaking. * Duke Bissell's Tales of Undisputed Interest – written and illustrated by P.C. Vey, these absurdist one-page strips presented a series of non sequiturs and bizarre references in the guise of a linear storyline. * 15 Minutes of Fame – written by
Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...
, it consists of short poems about lesser celebrities and news figures. * The 50 Worst Things About ____ – written and illustrated by various, this is an annual article format which has thus far dealt with large catch-all topics such as "TV," "comedy," "cartoons", "food" or "sports." * The ''Mad'' Guide to Man Boobs – written by Ryan Pagelow and illustrated by Drew Friedman, these one-page articles depict an assortment of topless men whose breasts are uniquely misshapen or unsightly, with an official descriptive name given to each configuration, such as "Stalacteats" or "Belt Sniffers." * The ''Mad'' Hate File – written and illustrated by
Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...
, these contained a series of observational one-liners about common irritations. * Hawks & Doves – written and illustrated by
Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...
during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
era, this was a series of cartoons in which the autocratic Major Hawks is exasperated by the rebellious Private Doves, who keeps finding unexpected ways to create the
peace symbol A number of peace symbols have been used many ways in various cultures and contexts. The dove and olive branch was used symbolically by early Christians and then eventually became a secular peace symbol, popularized by a ''Dove'' lithograph b ...
on his military base. * Horrifying Clichés – illustrated by
Paul Coker Jr. Paul Coker Jr. (March 5, 1929 – July 23, 2022) was an American illustrator. He worked in many media, including '' Mad'', character design for Rankin-Bass TV specials, greeting cards, and advertising. Career Coker was born in Lawrence, Kansa ...
and often written by Phil Hahn, these articles visually depicted florid turns of phraseology such as "tripping the light fantastic", "racking one's thoughts" or "laboring under a misconception"; the verbs are taken literally, and all the nouns are characterized as bizarre horned, scaled or otherwise unusual creatures; ''Mad'' also published a separate paperback of these. * The Mad Library of Extremely Thin Books – written by
Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...
, these two-page articles were laid out to look like a bookshelf in which only the spines of the books were visible. The various titles would suggest books that could not possibly contain much content, such as "Making It On Your Own" by
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...
, "Wonderful Things That a Nickel Will Still Buy", "Out-Spoken Feminists in the Arab World", or "Prominent Black Yachtsmen". * ''Mads ____ of the Year – written and illustrated by various, these four-to-six-page articles would enact an interview with a fictional representative of a particular practice or element of society (i.e. "MAD's Summer Camp Owner of the Year"; "MAD's Movie Producer of the Year"). * Meanwhile... – by
Ian Boothby Ian Boothby (born June 8, 1967) is a multiple Shuster Award, Harvey Award and Eisner Award nominee and an Eisner Award–winning comic book creator best known for his work as the lead writer on '' Simpsons Comics'' and ''Futurama Comics'' for M ...
and
Pia Guerra Pia Jasmin Guerra is an American-born Canadian comic book artist and editorial cartoonist, best known for her work as co-creator and lead penciller on the Vertigo title '' Y: The Last Man''. She has worked in the comics industry since the 1990s, a ...
, two pages of four one panel gag strips. * Melvin and Jenkins' Guide to _____ – written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
and illustrated by Kevin Pope, these "guides" present the behavioral or attitudinal "do's and don'ts" on a variety of topics, as demonstrated by the titular pair (Jenkins doing the proper thing, while Melvin does not). An abbreviated version runs in the "Fundalini" section. * Movie Outtakes – these are screen captures of upcoming films (generally taken from the
movie trailer A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and techni ...
), given new word balloons; MAD typically times these pieces to coincide with the movie's general release, either in advance of the full parody or in lieu of it. * The ''Mad'' Nasty File – typically written by
Tom Koch Thomas Freeman Koch (May 13, 1925 – March 22, 2015) was an American humorist and writer. He wrote for ''Mad Magazine'' for 37 years. Early life Koch (pronounced "Cook") was born in Charleston, Illinois, and spent his youth in Indianapolis b ...
and illustrated by Harry North or Gerry Gersten, these insult articles caricatured a variety of public figures and proceeded to abuse them verbally. * Obituaries for ____ Characters – generally written by
Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...
, these alleged newspaper clippings detail the appropriate demises for fictional characters from a genre such as comic strips, advertising, or television. * People Watcher's Guide to ____ – often written by
Mike Snider Mike Snider is a comedy writer Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other ente ...
and illustrated by Tom Bunk, these articles used a scenario such as "the mall" or "a cemetery" to mock specific observed behaviors. * Planet Tad!!!!! – written by
Tim Carvell Tim Carvell is an American writer and television producer known for his work on the TV satirical news series ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' and ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', as well as for his print work in publications including '' ...
and illustrated by Brian Durniak, this purports to be the
LiveJournal LiveJournal (russian: Живой Журнал), stylised as LiVEJOURNAL, is a Russian-owned social networking service where users can keep a blog, journal, or diary. American programmer Brad Fitzpatrick started LiveJournal on April 15, 1999, a ...
-like webpage of teenaged loser Tad's blog, which inadvertently reveals his various personal traumas and general idiocy. * Pop-Off Videos – written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
and illustrated with music video screen captures, these one-page articles mimicked the VH1 series "
Pop-Up Video ''Pop Up Video'' is a VH1 television show that shows music videos annotated via "pop-up" bubbles — officially called "info nuggets" — containing trivia and witticisms relating to the video in question. The show was created by Woody T ...
," which enhanced music videos with small bits of information. ''Mad'' also published a separate standalone special issue of these. * The ''Mad'' _____ Primer – written and illustrated by various, ''Mad'' Primers mimicked the writing style of
Dick and Jane ''Dick and Jane'' are the two main characters created by Zerna Sharp for a series of basal readers written by William S. Gray to teach children to read. The characters first appeared in the ''Elson-Gray Readers'' in 1930 and continued in a sub ...
and dealt with a wide variety of subjects from bigotry to hockey to religion; ''Mad'' also published a ''Cradle to Grave Primer'' as a separate paperback, showing the complete misery-filled life of one man. * ____ Revisited – "conceived" by
Max Brandel Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...
according to his credit, these photographic pieces would take a long-established piece of text, such as the Preamble to the
U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...
, or the
Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...
, and systematically illustrate the text with ironically-chosen photo images. * Scenes We'd Like to See – written and illustrated by various, these were generally one-page vignettes which inverted the common conventions of moviemaking, advertising, or the culture at large, ending with a clichéd character in a clichéd setting, acting cowardly or saying something atypically honest. * Six Degrees of Separation Between Anyone and Anything – written by
Mike Snider Mike Snider is a comedy writer Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other ente ...
and illustrated by
Rick Tulka Rick Tulka (born Brooklyn, New York in 1955) is an illustrator and caricaturist whose work has appeared in ''Mad'' magazine since 1988. He has been living and working in Paris since the mid-1990s. Early life and education He was born in Brookly ...
, this feature exploited the
Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...
-based game of links to humorously connect various items or people in thematic or painstakingly phrased ways rather than proximity. * Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions – written and illustrated by
Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...
, this long-running series reproduces unnecessary questions ( i.e., "Is that an octopus?" "Are you a jogger?") and supplies three sarcastic responses for each, along with a blank box for the reader to supply their own snappy answer. A mini-version of this feature occasionally appears in the magazine's "Fundalini" section, consisting of just one question. ''Mad'' has also published several separate, standalone paperbacks of these. * Seven Periods Closer to Death – written and illustrated by
Ted Rall Frederick Theodore Rall III (born August 26, 1963) is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cart ...
, this one-page strip takes a satirical look at life in high school. * What Is A ____? – written by
Tom Koch Thomas Freeman Koch (May 13, 1925 – March 22, 2015) was an American humorist and writer. He wrote for ''Mad Magazine'' for 37 years. Early life Koch (pronounced "Cook") was born in Charleston, Illinois, and spent his youth in Indianapolis b ...
, these text-heavy articles would describe the characteristics of a personality type, such as an introvert, a "big man on campus", or a party-pooper. * When ____ Go Bad – written and illustrated by John Caldwell, each article depicts the outrageous behavior allegedly found within the worst element of a certain culture or profession (i.e. "When Nuns Go Bad"; "When Clowns Go Bad"; "When The Morbidly Obese Go Bad"; "When Minions Go Really, ''Really'' Bad"). * The Year in Film – written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
, these ironically juxtaposed movie titles of the past calendar year with photographs of topical news events or celebrities. * You Know You're Really ___ When... – written and illustrated by various, these took a common condition ("You're Really Overweight When...") and presented several one-liners on the theme. Besides the above, ''Mad'' has returned to certain themes and areas again and again, such as fullblown imaginary magazines, greeting cards, nursery rhymes, Christmas carols, song parodies and other poetry (including several versions of "
Casey at the Bat Casey at the Bat is a poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. Casey at the Bat may also refer to: * ''Casey at the Bat'' (1916 film), a film based on the poem * ''Casey at the Bat'' (1927 film), a film based on the poem * ''Casey at the Bat'', a ...
"), comic strip takeoffs and others.


Table of Contents

The first page of each issue lists all the articles to follow, including their "Department" headings, which are plays on words. For example, a parody of a pizza chain's menu appeared under "The Passion of the Crust Department", while an article entitled "William Shakespeare, Sports Commentator" was part of "The Play-By-Play's the Thing Department". Long-running features had equally long-running headers: ''Spy vs. Spy'' is filed under the "Joke and Dagger Department", Dave Berg's "Lighter Side of..." always ran within the "Berg's Eye View Department", and many of
Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...
' articles come under the "Frank on a Roll Department". Don Martin's crazy cartoons were simply labelled "Don Martin Department", with further fanfare presumably being unnecessary. Dick DeBartolo's articles occasionally are headed under the "Dick DePartment", while some of Duck Edwing's articles were labeled as the "Tales from The Duck Side" Dept. Most of the magazine's other recurring features have had their own continuing "Department". Each Table of Contents cites one article that does not actually exist. Examples of these imaginary listings have included "Santa Claus, Porn Star"; "What if Cap'n Crunch Was Brought Before a Military Tribunal?"; "If Bobby Knight Coached the Special Olympics"; "Only the Assistant Undersecretary of Transportation Would Possibly Believe..."; "What if Daffy and Donald Duck Went To Prison?"; and "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions During the Bombing of Belgrade". In one instance, the fake title listed, "If Chickens Could Time Travel", showed up as a genuine article in the next issue. Each Table of Contents also includes a quote or aphorism attributed to Alfred E. Neuman. With a handful of exceptions, this is the only time the character ever "speaks".


Letters and Tomatoes Dept.

An esoteric version of the standard "Letters to the Editors", this section of the magazine includes correspondence from readers, reader drawings or craft projects, celebrity photos, references to ''Mad'' in other media, and so forth. In recent years, all letters are typically answered in a snide and insulting manner, and always include a pun or twist on the sender's name. The first "Letters" section (then called "Mad Mumblings") appeared in ''MAD'' #3 (January–February 1953). The first letter printed came from a
Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
corporal named Eugene F. Shanlin, who said he "had never heard people laugh out loud at a comic magazine before!" (Shanlin later became an officer with the
NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
and died in 2000.) There have been a few recurring sub-departments, including the "Make a Dumb Wish Foundation" which promised to make readers' stupid requests come true (a parody of the
Make a Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headquar ...
); "Antiques Freakshow with Hans Brickface", in which photographs of readers' bizarre household items were appraised by the slightly psychotic Hans; absurd one-sentence observations called "MAD Mumblings", which were typically non sequiturs posted online by the readers; and celebrity "Two-Question Interviews" which were essentially over before they began, thus revealing nothing. The magazine solicits reader photos of famous people posing with a copy of ''Mad''. Once a year, ''Mad'' publishes "The Nifty Fifty", listing 50 famous people they hope to see in upcoming "Celebrity Snaps". A reader who successfully gets one of the fifty to pose in a photo gets a free three-year subscription (provided that the celebrity is touching the issue). Some celebrities send in photos of themselves, typically in response to the magazine having targeted them in a previous issue. The magazine was delighted to publish a photo of
Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...
unwittingly holding the "PROOFREADER WANTED" cover of ''Mad'' #355, on which the magazine's logo appeared as ''MAAD''. During a photo op in 1992, the then-Vice President had incorrectly "corrected" an elementary school student on the way Quayle thought the word "potato" should be spelled.


The Fundalini Pages

Beginning with its February 2004 edition, ''Mad'' has led off its issues with this catch-all section of various bits, which are far shorter or smaller than normal ''Mad'' articles. They often appear as many as three to six per page. Some of these pieces are produced in-house; others are the work of freelancers. All contributors for each month were credited en masse, as "Friends of Fundalini". For this reason, it is not always apparent which contributor is responsible for which item, particularly the writers. Beginning with issue number 500 (June 2009), writers and artists (except editorial staff members) have been given credit for individual contributions. Most Fundalini features are one-shot gags that never appear again, some have appeared multiple times, and a few have become regular features. Among the recurring elements in the Fundalini section are:


Created for Fundalini

* Bitterman, a short comic strip by Garth Gerhart about a hateful slacker; * Classified ads; these frequently deal in absurdity and non sequiturs; * The Cover We Didn't Use, purporting to be the "second choice" for that issue's front cover; * The Fast 5, a Top 5 list similar to David Letterman's Top 10 lists; * Foto News, in which topical photographs are given word balloons (similar to fumetti, though without that genre's narrative storyline aspect); * Gag panels by cartoonists such as Tom Cheney ("Pull My Cheney!"), or P.C. Vey ("Vey to Go!", later called ''Oy Vey!''). * The Godfrey Report, a small 3x 3 grid showing three classes of objects and their current cultural status, which is arbitrarily rated as "In", "Five Minutes Ago", or "Out". (e.g. Stoolies: In, Squealers: Five Minutes Ago, Turncoats: Out); * Graphic Novel Review, written by
Desmond Devlin Desmond Devlin is an American comedy writer. His work has appeared in '' Mad'' since 1984, and with more than 450 bylined articles, he ranks as one of the magazine's three most frequent non-illustrating writers. Devlin's recurring features have i ...
, which analyzes fictional comic collections and graphic novels such as ''The Anally Complete
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...
'' or ''
Tintin Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to: ''The Adventures of Tintin'' * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series ** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
in Fallujah''; * The Kitchen Sink, a lengthy barrage of spoof titles for topics such as "Reality Shows Currently Under Development" or "Proposed Star Wars Sequel Titles"; * Monkeys Are Always Funny, by
Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himsel ...
, showing famous news photographs with the image of a monkey Photoshopped in (e.g. the raid on Elian Gonzalez's closet, or the Hindenburg explosion); * The NFL's Ref Report, written by Kiernan P. Schmitt, which illustrates a topic by using generic drawings of a referee's hand signals; * The Puzzle Nook, a multiple choice fill-in-the-blank phrase; * Saddam Sez, which reused the same photograph of
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
speaking at his 2006 trial. A word balloon was added, making a random reference having nothing to do with Hussein or Iraq. The March 2007 issue of Mad contained a statement that "''Due to circumstances beyond our control''" the Saddam Sez feature would be put on "indefinite hiatus". Fidel Castro later replaced Saddam with "Castro Comments"; A Wikipedia parody has appeared twice, first called "Wonkypedia", and then "Wakipedia". Both entries featured a convoluted assortment of unrelated facts, in the style of an inaccurate or vandalized Wikipedia page (e.g. the "article" on
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...
discussed
Mao Tse-Tung Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (P ...
's surprise attack and how it led to the bombing of
Chernobyl Chernobyl ( , ; russian: Чернобыль, ) or Chornobyl ( uk, Чорнобиль, ) is a partially abandoned city in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, situated in the Vyshhorod Raion of northern Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Chernobyl is about no ...
). Wonkypedia is now an actual website. Truncated versions of two pre-existing features, *Celebrity Cause of Death Betting Odds" and *Melvin and Jenkins' Guide to..." have been moved to Fundalini.


The Strip Club

An assortment of short gag comic strips drawn by various artists, it has appeared roughly every other month since its debut in the July 2005 issue. It typically runs three pages, and is a combination of one-shot gags and recurring features. Among the repeated strip characters are an omnipotent superhero called Fantabulaman; a hero robot named Santon; Rob, the Evil Backstabbing Robot Temp; Father O'Flannity, a priest who conducts celebrity interviews in a hot tub; Trigger McBride, a horse cop; the unnamed protagonists who use "The Machine that Travels Through Time"; Jeff, a man whose roommate is oblivious to the fact that he is a serial killer despite obvious evidence; and Patience Man, a superhero who takes too long to stop crimes.


Go Fetch!

Blurring the line between advertising and content was Go Fetch!, a 2005-06 list of newly released media products such as videogames, DVD releases, music albums and books. Each product listing had ''The Hype'' and ''The Snipe'', in which its good and bad qualities were expounded. Each Go Fetch! also promoted "the Must Have", an idiosyncratic (but real) product which no ''Mad'' reader should be without, such as cold galvanizing spray, or a pneumatic jackhammer. Go Fetch! was an odd cross between the wise-ass ''Mad'' mentality and the sort of product ratings generally associated with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. It was an overtly commercial feature, with some one-liners thrown in with the apparent hope of making it more palatable. As such, Go Fetch! was heavily criticized by many of the magazine's loyal readers as a betrayal of the magazine's original satiric mission. In its year of existence, Go Fetch! appeared in eight of 12 issues, but the feature has been defunct since June 2006.


"The Mad 20"

Since 1998, in every January issue, ''Mad'' has commemorated the "20 Dumbest People, Events and Things" of the year. These emphasize the visual motif above all else, parodying such things as movie posters, famous paintings, or magazine covers, though one or two text-heavier takeoffs are usually sprinkled into each year's assortment. The feature is reminiscent of the old ''
Spy Magazine ''Spy'' was a satirical monthly magazine published from 1986 to 1998. Based in New York City, the magazine was founded by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips Jr., its first publisher. '' ...
s "Spy 100" list, which purported to catalogue "Our Annual Census of the 100 Most Annoying, Alarming, and Appalling People, Places and Things". Though the "20 Dumbest People, Events and Things" are numbered 1-20, the "rankings" appear to be essentially random. The "20th dumbest" slot of 2001 was awarded to ''Mad'' itself for its "slide down the slippery slope of greedy commercialism" in finally permitting advertising in its pages. Keeping in mind the indiscriminate positioning, these were the "#1" selections for the various years: * 1998: "Starr Wars", a movie poster parody of the partisan
Kenneth Starr Kenneth Winston Starr (July 21, 1946 – September 13, 2022) was an American lawyer and judge who authored the Starr Report, which led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He headed an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, know ...
investigation, depicting Starr as
Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
, and
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
holding a cigar instead of a light saber; * 1999: "Y2K Panic", a chaotic cartoon showing a crashing airplane displacing the
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
New Year's Ball, sending it careening into a terror-stricken crowd; * 2000: A rewritten Presidential oath of office. The issue went to press one week after the disputed 2000 election; the editors had thought they would be able to plug in the winner, but were obliged to publish two versions of the image, one with
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...
being sworn in, the other depicting
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
; * 2001: "A.I. Asinine Ideology", a movie poster parody of the Steven Spielberg film ''
A.I. Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech rec ...
'' highlighting Jerry Falwell's placing blame on the
9/11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
on gays, feminists, abortion care providers and the ACLU; * 2002: "Martha Stewart Lying", a magazine spoof of
Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pu ...
's insider trading scandal; * 2003: "Term Eliminator", a movie poster parody of the third ''
Terminator Terminator may refer to: Science and technology Genetics * Terminator (genetics), the end of a gene for transcription * Terminator technology, proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation s ...
'' film mocking Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory in the California recall election; * 2004: " Donny Rumsfeld and the Prisoners of Abu Ghraib", a book cover in the style of the third Harry Potter jacket, ''
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the '' Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of ...
''; * 2005: "Where's W?", a book parody in the style of the '' Where's Waldo?'' series. The cover shows a tableau of the crowded, flooded streets of
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
completely impossible to find; * 2006: "The Iraqi Quagmire Chess Set", in the style of a
Franklin Mint The Franklin Mint is a private mint founded by Joseph Segel in 1964 in Wawa, Pennsylvania. The building is in Middletown Township. The brand name was previously owned by Sequential Brands Group headquartered in New York City, New York. It is ...
collectable. Literal chess pieces were sculpted and photographed, depicting such figures as Dick Cheney,
Joseph Lieberman Joseph Isadore Lieberman (; born February 24, 1942) is an American politician, lobbyist, and attorney who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was its nominee for V ...
, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi and
Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr ( ar, مقتدى الصدر, Muqtadā aṣ-Ṣadr; born 4 August 1974) is an Iraqi politician and militia leader. He is the leader of the Sadrist Movement and the leader of the Peace Companies, a successor to the militia he had p ...
; * 2007: "Michael & Me", A parody of the book ''
Marley and Me ''Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog'' is an autobiographical book by journalist John Grogan, published in 2005, about the 13 years he and his family spent with their yellow Labrador Retriever, Marley. The dog is poorly b ...
'' and ostensibly written from the perspective of one of
Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...
's illegal fighting
pit bull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
s. The book cover depicts Vick strangling a dog; * 2008: "Clueless", a parody of the board game
Clue Clue may refer to: People with the name * DJ Clue (born 1975), mixtape DJ * Arthur Clues (1924–1998), Australian rugby league footballer * Ivan Clues * Tim Cluess Arts, entertainment, and media ''Clue'' entertainment franchise * ''Cluedo ...
featuring losing vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. It included rules of play which mimicked Palin's rhetoric and speaking style. The rooms, weapons, characters were also changed to reflect her persona and associations. * 2009: "The Canonization of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
", a religious icon which poked fun at media, fans and other hangers-on who spent the weeks following Jackson's death ignoring or whitewashing the child molestation accusations, his eccentric habits and his penchant for self-glorification. (Jackson's personal physician, who is widely blamed for causing the singer's death by overdose, was given his own entry at #20: a parody of Jackson's "Thriller" album, renamed "Killer"); * 2010: "Creators of the Black Lagoon", a poster parody of the 1954 monster movie satirizing the malfeasance before and after the
BP oil spill The ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill (also referred to as the "BP oil spill") was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considered ...
in the Gulf of Mexico. * 2011: "The Walking Debt", a parody of the AMC series '' The Walking Dead'' mocking the partisan battle over the previously perfunctory adjustment to the U.S. debt ceiling.
President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
, Nancy Pelosi,
Harry Reid Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Sena ...
, John Boehner,
Eric Cantor Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Minori ...
and Mitch McConnell are among the politicians shown as shuffling, mindless
zombie A zombie ( Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in w ...
s. * 2012: "Paint Misbehavin' ", a parody of the 1960
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
painting "Triple Self-Portrait" which was changed to satirize Cecilia Gimenez's botched "restoration" of the religious '' Ecce Homo'' fresco in
Borja, Zaragoza Borja is a town and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, community of Aragon, northeastern Spain. As of 2014, its population was 4,931. Geography The municipality borders with Ablitas (in Navarre) Agón, Ainzón, Alberite de San Juan, Al ...
. * 2013: "National Buffoons' Abysmal House", a parody of the movie poster for the 1978 comedy film ''
Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...
'', mocking John Boehner and the Republican Party-led
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
for triggering the
government shutdown A government shutdown occurs when the legislative branch does not pass key bills which fund or authorize the operations of the executive branch, resulting in the cessation of some or all operations of a government. Government shutdowns in the Un ...
. * 2014: "GoodellFellas", a parody of the movie poster for the 1990 gangster film ''
Goodfellas ''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' W ...
'', mocking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the league's lack of punishment against Ray Rice for beating his wife in an elevator, and Adrian Peterson's abuse of his son with a tree branch. * 2015: "The Great Gasbag", a parody of the movie poster for the 2013 film ''
The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby ...
'', mocking
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's abusive "verbal diarrhea" towards
Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush, who grew up in Houston, was the second son of former President George H. W. Bush ...
, Megyn Kelly and others during his bombastic campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination. ''Mad'' had previously used the title "The Great Gasbag" for its parody of the 1974 Robert Redford-
Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...
film adaptation. * 2016: "The Toxic Contender", a parody of the movie poster for the 1984 film '' The Toxic Avenger'', mocking
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's "name-calling", "fact-free", "soul-crushingly noxious" campaign. It was the first of four Trump entries, the most for any target in any "MAD 20" issue (the other three were about Trump's team of advisors, his sexist remarks, his paying no taxes, and investigations of the
Trump Foundation The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a New York-based tax-exempt private foundation formed in 1988 by Donald Trump and dissolved by court order in 2019 after various legal violations came to light. The foundation was created to receive royalties ...
). * 2017: "Russkie Business", a parody of the movie poster for the 1983 film '' Risky Business'', mocking
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's association with the ongoing investigation into collusion and Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential election. It was the first of a full dozen Trump-related entries, though Trump only had a supporting role in some of them, such as Vice President Mike Pence,
Kathy Griffin Kathleen Mary Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an American comedian and actress who has starred in television comedy specials and has released comedy albums. In 2007 and 2008, Griffin won Primetime Emmy Awards for her reality show '' Kathy ...
's much-criticized photo of a beheaded Trump, the reactions to quarterback
Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt du ...
's civil rights protest, or the racist white supremacist/Nazi rally in
Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...
. * 2018: "Infamous Monsters of Movieland," a parody of the 1960s/70s horror/sci-fi magazine
Famous Monsters of Filmland ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' is an American genre-specific film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' directly inspired the creation of many other similar publica ...
, mocking the various celebrities accused or convicted of sexual misconduct or rape, including
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
,
Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films includ ...
,
Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...
,
Les Moonves Leslie Roy Moonves (; born October 6, 1949) is an American media executive who was the chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation from 2003 until his resignation in September 2018 following numerous allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and ...
,
Matt Lauer Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...
,
Roger Ailes Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republica ...
, Bill O'Reilly, Charlie Rose and
Louis CK Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...
. A woman is holding the magazine with a look of horror, and her hair sticking up in fright.


Running gags and recurring images

''Mad'' has made frequent use of esoteric words, including
potrzebie Potrzebie (; dative/ locative of '' potrzeba'', "a need") 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. Origin ''Mad'' editor Harvey Kurtzma ...
, furshlugginer, veeblefetzer,
Moxie Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that is among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It was created around 1876 by Augustin Thompson as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food" and was produced in Lowell, Mass ...
, ganef, halavah, and
axolotl The axolotl (; from nci, āxōlōtl ), ''Ambystoma mexicanum'', is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. I ...
. Many, but not all of these words are of
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
or Jewish origin. Favored humorous names included Melvin, Bitsko, Kaputnik, Cowznofski, and Fonebone. ''Mad'' used the word "ecch" or its cousins "blecch" and "yecch" as an all-purpose expression of disgust so often that even ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' later made passing references to the practice, showing ''Mad'' covers with the unseen parodies "Beauty and the Blecch" and "NYPD Blecch". The word "hoohah" was an early
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. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
, often exclaimed by excited characters in the comic book issues written by
Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman (; October 3, 1924 – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and editor. His best-known work includes writing and editing the parodic comic book '' Mad'' from 1952 until 1956, and writing the ''Little Ann ...
; the first story in the first issue of ''Mad'' was titled "Hoohah!". Its Eastern European feel was a perfect fit for the New York Jewish style of the publication. The precise origin of " hoohah" is unknown, although it may have sprung from the Hungarian word for "wow", which is ''hűha''. "It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide" was a non sequitur-ish phrase that found its way into ''Mad'' on several occasions in the 1950s; this was dated British slang meaning "It's madness to bribe a policeman with counterfeit money." (The phrase originated in
Margery Allingham Margery Louise Allingham (20 May 1904 – 30 June 1966) was an English novelist from the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", and considered one of its four "Queens of Crime", alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. Alli ...
's mid-thirties detective novel, ''The Fashion in Shrouds'').Allingham, Margery. ''The Fashion in Shrouds'', New York: Felony & Mayhem Press, 2008, p. 58. The speaker is
Albert Campion Albert Campion is a fictional character in a series of detective novels and short stories by Margery Allingham. He first appeared as a supporting character in ''The Crime at Black Dudley'' (1929), an adventure story involving a ring of criminals ...
's "male person's gentleman",
Magersfontein Lugg Magersfontein Lugg is a fictional character in the Albert Campion detective novels, written by Margery Allingham. Servant and factotum to Mr Campion, Lugg is a former burglar, with a gruff manner, who hinders Campion socially as much as he helps d ...
, a former burglar with aspirations of bettering himself. He has been increasing his education by way of reading "a small dictionary of quotations", and tosses the sentence out as a possible entry in his own work of that sort.
Some of the magazine's visual elements are whimsical, frequently appearing in the artwork without context or explanation. Among these are a potted
avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...
plant named
Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
(reportedly based on art director John Putnam's personal marijuana plant); a domed trashcan wearing an overcoat; a pointing six-fingered hand; the Mad
Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...
(which more closely resembles an early experimental
non-rigid airship A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is an airship (dirigible) without an internal structural framework or a keel. Unlike semi-rigid and rigid airships (e.g. Zeppelins), blimps rely on the pressure of the lifting gas (usually helium, rather than hydr ...
); and an emaciated long-beaked creature who went unidentified for decades before being dubbed "Flip the Bird". In late 1964, ''Mad'' was tricked into purchasing the "rights" to an optical illusion already in the
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...
, featuring a sort of three-pronged tuning fork whose appearance defies physical possibility. The magazine dubbed it the "Mad poiuyt" after the six rightmost letter keys on a
QWERTY QWERTY () is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets. The name comes from the order of the first six keys on the top left letter row of the keyboard ( ). The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden t ...
keyboard in reverse order, not realizing that the existing image was already known to engineers and usually called a
blivet An impossible trident, also known as an impossible fork, blivet, poiuyt, or devil's tuning fork,Brooks Masterton, John M. Kennedy"Building the Devil's Tuning Fork" ''Perception'', 1975, vol. 4, pp. 107-109 is a drawing of an impossible object (un ...
. ''Mad'' cartoonists have regularly drawn themselves, fellow contributors and editors, and family members into the articles, most famously Dave Berg's self-caricature "Roger Kaputnik".
Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...
sometimes incorporates a self-caricature into his signature, most notably in his fold-ins. The magazine's photo spreads have typically featured ''Mads own staff. Originally, the magazine tried hiring models for its photo shoots, but found that many were unwilling to make the exaggerated faces the magazine wanted. While trying to prompt the reluctant outsiders with demonstrations, the magazine staff soon decided that they were better suited for foolish posing than the professionals, and more cost-effective. In the 1990s and 2000s, the magazine has made periodic references to "the monkey juice", generally in the context of over-imbibing with same. Many letter column responses are punctuated with the breezy interjection "Fa fa fa!". The mysterious name "Max Korn" has popped up for years; reader requests to clarify Korn's true identity have been greeted with increasingly outlandish explanations. Regardless of the amount, the changing cover price of ''Mad'' has long been followed by the word "Cheap!". Variants have occasionally appeared; following an increase from 25 to 30 cents, the successive issues claimed to be "Cheap" (but X'd out), "Cheap?", and "Kinda Cheap". A rise to 40 cents sparked almost a year's worth of variations: "Ouch!", "Outrageous!", "No Laughing Matter", "Relatively Cheap", "Cheap (Considering)", and again, "Cheap?". Other price increases were billed as "Almost Cheap", "Inflated!", and for a cover featuring Bonnie and Clyde, "Highway Robbery".


References


External links


Madcoversite.com attempts to group the irregularly recurring features
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mad Recurring Features Mad (magazine) Humor-related lists Magazine-related lists