Mad About MAD

Last issue

When I think of MAD Magazine and cover boy Alfred E. Neuman...

I think of myself sitting in the Westwood office of Dr. Alfred T. Baum, an adolescent SJG with a mouth full of braces. A visit to the orthodontist doesn't scream fun, but there was something about it I didn't mind.

First issue

And that something was MAD Magazine. I adored it. I may have only been a pre-teen, and in some instances, the political satire may have gone over my head, but I loved reading it. MAD was hilarious, subversive and kinda naughty. I loved the cartoons and the crazy spoofs of movies and TV. I took pride in the fact that MAD was founded by Jews and resonated with Jewish humor. 

MAD founders Al Jaffee and Will Elder, NY 1936

At some point, after the braces came off and the retainer landed in the trash, my visits to Dr. Alfred T. tapered off. But my love of Alfred E. survived, thanks to my brother John, who kept his MAD subscription going for years. To this day, he still sings MAD's parody of "Hello, Dolly":

Hello, Deli

This is Joe, Deli

Would you please send up

A nice corned beef on rye?

A box of RITZ, Deli,

And some Schlitz, Deli

And a sliver of your apple pie?

Turkey Legs, Deli

Hard boiled eggs, Deli

And a plate of those potatoes you french fry, oh

Don't be late, Deli

I just can't wait, Deli

Deli without breakfast, I'd just die.

My junior high romance with MAD ushered in my lifelong crush on parody and led to my high school worship of Dr. Demento on the radio (a little bit of heaven... 94.7... KMET... twiddle dee).  So thank you, MAD. Thank you for all the laughter. I'll carry your sense of the absurd, the ridiculous and everything in between with me forever.