AJ

One of the first things I learned from Mary-Lou Weisman's biography of cartoonist Al Jaffee is that he's still at MAD magazine.  I haven't read it since I was a kid, but he was, in fact, a regular there before I was even born.

Considering how important MAD has been in Jaffee's life and legend, the book spends surprisingly little time on his years there.  In fact, there are only two chapters devoted to MAD.  Most of the book is taken up with his childhood and early adult years.  Not what I would have chosen, but since this is the only book likely to be written on the subject, you take what you can get. And one other thing you get is illustrations by Jaffee himself--has that ever happened in a biography, pictures but no words?

Jaffee was a great cartoonist before he joined MAD, and became one of the most popular of the "usual gang of idiots." He created at least two regular items for which he's still remembered.

One is the Fold-In.  Other magazines had foldouts, so Jaffee decided to do the opposite.  In each issue he'd create a cartoon on the back inside page that would fold in to reveal a different drawing, with the worlds printed below revealing the answer to the question asked. Jaffee was not only clever enough to come up with the idea, but also had the talent to pull it off month after month.

The other feature, which may be even more famous, is his "Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions." Of all the many comic concepts he introduced to MAD this took off as no other.  You're probably familiar with it--Jaffee would draw a picture where someone asks someone else something obvious.  On the right would be three word-balloons with smart alec answers plus a fourth you could fill in with your own response. (Did anyone ever fill them in?)  For example, one character says to someone who's just wrapped his car around a tree "Have an accident?" The three answers are "No, thanks!  I already have one!,"  "No, I'm a modern sculptor!" and "No, I'm starting a junk yard!"

Both these features were collected into a series of popular books.  But Jaffee did a lot more. For instance, he created another bit, "Don't You Hate...," that was also turned into a number of books.  And he came up with ridiculous inventions, some of which were later patented by others, such as a Ferris Wheel for parking cars, or an ashtray with suction to take in the smoke.

Mad isn't what it once was.  What magazine is?  But I get the feeling his stuff will be remembered long after the magazine is gone.