Al Jaffee.

Back when I'd read Mad Magazine in the 1970s or 80s I'd usually finish with the back cover that would have a unique creation spawned by artist Al Jaffee: The Mad Fold-In.

He is retired now, but back in his day he was one of the original artists on Mad Magazine who would routinely put in his delightfully rotund and saturated people. He started the Fold-In in 1964, mocking the Beatles with an unorthodox diagonal fold.

What was a fold in?

Basically, you'd see a quick painted illustration depicting one aspect of current events or culture in a normal, straight vein. Then, by the magic of collapsing the image you'd literally 'fold' the magazine in the back along two lines, joining them into a new image in the center that mocked the original depiction in a satirical way.

 

Smoking as revenge.

The suffering brought on by White Man's inhumanity to Native Americans has its payback: White Man dies of lung cancer from smoking (introduced by the Indian).

Dealing with the heat.

Workmen will have a long hard summer dealing with rising temperatures... ... brought on by 'hot pants' (a 1970s fashion trend).

Come back, Al!

Mad Magazine's strength lay in humor like Al Jaffee's, the quick in-and-out, jab to the gut approach. Even though he's 101 years old, I do wish he would keep drawing something funny again.

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