LOS ANGELES, Friday: The long-running humour publication Mad Magazine – a Gen X staple for decades – will effectively shut down next month after a 67-year run.
The comedy mag will be pulled from newsstands after the release of issue nine in August and from then on will be sold exclusively via subscriptions. Starting with issue 11 in October, “new” issues of Mad will only feature new cover art, while the rest of the magazine will comprise articles pulled from previous issues.
Mad has been a reliable source source of satire and parody of pop culture and politics since Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines founded the comic book-turned-magazine in 1952.
“The magazine is part of the bedrock of contemporary American (and Kiwi) comedy.”
The magazine is part of the bedrock of contemporary American (and Kiwi) comedy, and many of its most famous features are part of the cultural lexicon, from mascot and frequent cover star Alfred E Neuman, to comics like Spy vs. Spy and its famous back-cover fold-in.
The news drew tributes on social media, with Weird Al Yankovic — who became Mad’s first guest editor in 2015 — writing, “I am profoundly sad to hear that after 67 years, Mad Magazine is ceasing publication.
“I can’t begin to describe the impact it had on me as a young kid – it’s pretty much the reason I turned out weird. Goodbye to one of the all-time greatest American institutions.”
Share this Post
