The squiggly self portrait that doubles as Al Jaffee's signature is how we always picture him: Curly-haired and bearded, with a spiky mustache protruding from under his circular nose, slightly self-deprecating and entirely goofy. It was a fitting image to go with the wry fold-ins at the back of Mad Magazine, issues we collected under our bed from the time we were eight, and which we blame for our early-onset cynicism. The man behind the quirky signature and delightfully absurd cartoons, however, has a far less humorous story to tell. more ›

The NY Sun reports on a 4-page parody ad for "Sucker City" that runs in the latest issue of MAD Magazine. Circuit City was displeased to find the spread, which "pokes fun at high prices, the breaking of promises found in advertisements, and the employees who save sold-out merchandise for friends." Reportedly a "humor-impaired" employee ordered that all magazines be removed from Circuit City newsstands...yeah, don't worry, MAD's editor-in-chief was equally confused, saying, "We at MAD were shocked and confused by this entire incident — mainly because we had no idea Circuit City even sells magazines." After their removal, the issues were then ordered to be destroyed. That order has now been reversed, and the company has apologized to the magazine. more ›