The word is out that MAD Magazine will soon be no more. Two more new issues will be published, and then some reprints done up to finish off mail order subscriptions, and that’ll be the end.
This isn’t unexpected, of course, but it’s sad to see the disappearance of yet another formerly grand outlet for great cartooning. As a matter of historical note, MAD was the last remaining vestige of what had been Entertaining Comics.
Regular kids made MAD huge, and when general interest began to fade the hardcore fans kept it going. Cracked exists as a Web site. Kogen was a writer for comedian Morty Gunty, and I was thankful when he explained Morty’s departure from his kid’s show on WOR-TV.
No!!! I loved these, and read every single thing in each issue. Don Martin was different, but very funny. “Spy v Spy” took a while for me to warm up to, as well. The best part was when my first boyfriend’s uncle, Emmy-winning comedy writer Arnie Kogen, teamed up with Mort Drucker to do a movie or TV parody. I can’t stand the thought of “The usual gang of idiots” going away. Wonder if the lesser rip-off “Cracked” is still around?