I haven't written about it, or much of anything for that matter, so I thought I'd blog a bit about the newly restructured Mad Magazine. Or rather, my part in it!
As of the first of this year, Mad has been run out of LA, uprooted from their original home in NYC. There was a lot of trepidation about this move- how could such a New York institution survive in California? Well, they're four issues in, and I'm happy to say the magazine is really doing great. I've been in all but one of the LA issues, and the editorial staff out there is really working hard to keep one toe in the roots of Mad, while branching out with content to attract a whole new audience. In particular, Executive Editor Bill Morrison and Art Director Suzy Hutchinson (basically the two I primarily work with) have a very clear and concise vision for the updated magazine and it's future.
If you see the new Mad on the stands, pick up a copy! There's lots of stuff in there you'll recognize, and lots of new things going on, making it a worthwhile waste of your time!
If you follow my Instagram (@edsteckley), you'll see I also do a lot for their social media outlets that aren't in the magazine as well.
The current issue is the Halloween issue- here's the cover:
As a huge fan of The Shining, this one really is great. Illustrator Gary Pullen did this one. Super cool.
Me, I've got a feature on the back cover, an article entitled 'Don't Die This Halloween', written by the great Dick DeBartolo.
Here's the rundown of this magazine, shamelessly swiped from my buddy Tom Richmond's blog:
• Cover (Gary Pullin)
• ToC Art (Ron English)
• Rejected Monster Cereals (Jeff Kruse, Dean Macadam)
• Sad New Ways to Feel Good About Yourself (Teresa Burns Parkhurst)
• Sven, Golly, It’s… Svengoolie (Ian Boothby, Tom Richmond)
• A Slasher Movie Scene We’d Like to See (David DeGrand)
• Melania Trump Paper Doll (Sina Grace)
• Cthasper the Friendly Elder God (Peter-John Byrnes, Nick “The Hat” Gucker)
• Stink Lines Through Art History (Maria Bamford, Scott Marvel Cassidy)
• The Ghastlygun Tinies (Matt Cohen, Marc Palm)
• A MAD Look at Dia de los Muertos (Sergio Aragonés, Colors: Tom Luth)
• Spy vs. Spy (Peter Kuper)
• MAD’s Tom Bunk Goes Trick or Treating (Tom Bunk)
• The Wisenheim Museum (Gris Grimly)
• The Potrzebie of Fear
• Cover (John Lucas, Colors: Nathan Kane)
• The Chancers (Luke McGarry)
• Spaghetti & Meatball (George A. Escobar & Bob Lizarraga, Bob Lizarraga)
• Lukey & Mukey (Bob Fingerman)
• Differences Between the Original Halloween & Halloween 2018 (Brian Posehn, Gideon Kendall)
• Let’s Have Fun with What You Hate About Thanksgiving (Teresa Burns Parkhurst)
Shorts & Briefs
• Panel Cartoon (Johnny Sampson)
• Panel Cartoon (Kit Lively, Scott Nichol)
• A Guide to Feminist Halloween Costumes (Allison Stevenson, By A Person)
• How to Defeat a Werewolf in 2018 (Brokton McKinney, Paul Wee)
• Humor While you Wait- Left Overs (Kyle Bridgett)
• Panel Cartoon (Peter Kuper)
• Panel Cartoon (P.C. Vey)
• If Trump Had Given the Gettysburg Address (Steve McGarry)
• Make Your Own Halloween Costumes… Cheap! (Rob Kutner, Travis Millard)
• Panel Cartoons (Jason Chatfield)
• INCOMING! (Reader Letters answered by intern Alex Taffer)
• The MADifesto (Chris Stephens, Mike Loew)
• Real Dumb (Mike Holmes, submitted by Grace Staley)
• The MAD Fold-In (Al Jaffee)
• Drawn Out Dramas (Sergio Aragonés)
• Back Cover- Don’t Die This Halloween (Dick DeBartolo, Schmuck)
Here's the art and some graphics from my contribution- If you want to read the gags, go get a copy!
