Soul of Mad Magazine, Al Feldstein Dies at 88

NY Times ^ | 5/1/2014 | BRUCE WEBER

[Ready4Freddy]

That’s funny, he doesn’t look guruish.

What a talent.

RIP, Al

[Lou L]

For better or worse, I like to think that “Mad” magazine had an influential impact on my sarcastic sense of humor, and love for satire and parody. Growing up in the 1970’s, I loved the magazine.

[Smokin' Joe]

"What, me worry?"

RIP, and thanks for decades of fun.

[CrazyIvan]

Well, there goes my “in before the What me Worry post”

RIP, Al. Thanks for all the laughs.

[ArtDodger]

As Don Martin would say, “Frrissssshpthk, he’s gone.”
RIP

[a fool in paradise]

The heart and brains of Mad died in 1993.

[Iron Munro]

For better or worse, I like to think that “Mad” magazine had an influential impact on my sarcastic sense of humor, and love for satire and parody. Growing up in the 1970’s, I loved the magazine.

Mad Magazine was a Rite Of Passage for the All-American boy.

It seemed that most girls (and parents) never saw the humor while the young boys would be rolling in the streets with hysterical laughter.

[andy58-in-nh]

Mad Magazine is largely responsible for my sense of humor, to this day.

[a fool in paradise]

The magazine today isn't what it once was. Time-Warner has paid advertising now. Bill Gaines said he couldn't ethically accept advertising from Coca Cola while he was introducing skepticism in the advertising claims of Pepsi or some other beverage manufacturer.

I learned far more about advertising from the ORIGINAL Mad Men at EC Publications than I did from some cable tv show.

[a fool in paradise]

When the Senate subcommittee hearings into juvenile delinquency (led by 2 time VP candidate Estes Keffauver D-Tenn.) essentially outlawed Bill Gaines’ comics (*) he switched over to magazine publishing (Picto-Fiction and Mad became a magazine, aimed at the adult/college crowd with pieces written by Ernie Kovacs, Bob & Ray, and others). Harvey Kurtzman’s original model had been the college lampoons published (and even collected into reprint editions by mainstream publishers).

When Harvey was offered whatever he wanted to stay and helm the magazine EXCEPT 51% ownership, he left first to work for Hugh Hefner on a color glossy version of Mad called TRUMP (2 issues published, 3 completed). Then he self-published Humbug (since collected) and later Help (which published Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton before there was an “underground” comics movement).

I began reading Mad around age 9. Even the library had the pocketbook paperbacks. I didn’t buy the issues off the newsstand as regularly for awhile.

(*) even specific words in Gaines’ titles (like ‘Weird’) were prohibited by the “self-regulating” code, there was a code in effect before that EC was a member of... Ray, and others).

[a fool in paradise]

Al Feldstein was also an EC artist:

[Lou L]

young boys would be rolling in the streets with hysterical laughter.

You're absolutely right!

[Second Amendment First]

Wow, what memories of growing up in the 50’s.
I was always at the newsstand (remember those?) to get the latest copies of Mad and Scientific American.

[stevio]

Growing up in the 1970’s, I loved the magazine.

Ditto that.

[ßuddaßudd]

Spy vs Spy
bumpsky

[laotzu]

[Second Amendment First]

[reagandemocrat]

Remember the “Its a Gas” pull out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J-LvMxKvFY

LOL.

[Portcall24]

At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in July, 1943, as an aviation cadet and began his basic training in Blytheville, Arkansas. His cadet class was held in reserve, and he was assigned to Special Services, creating signs and service club murals, decorating planes and flight jackets, drawing comic strips for field newspapers and painting squadron insignias for orderly rooms.