Celebrating Al Jaffee and My Unforgettable Encounter with Mad Magazine Artists

In 1973, I was a 16-year-old boy drawing cartoons on an airplane. My family was flying to Acapulco for a short vacation. My dad was an airline pilot back then, so we could fly pretty inexpensively. I had been an artist and musician since I was about 4 or 5 years old, entertaining myself by drawing either serious pictures or cartoons in my various sketchbooks.

An artist from MAD magazine (Sergio Aragones, who drew the little cartoons in the margins, among other great things) was also on the plane, and he saw what I was doing as he passed by my seat. He asked me if I wanted to be an artist, and I said YES. Five minutes later, I was sitting among most of the staff of MAD magazine, including Jack Davis, Jack Rickard, Sergio Aragones, Al Jaffee, Dave Berg, and more - plus some editors like John Putnam and Nick Meglin. The magazine sent their artists and staff on a company-paid vacation each Summer, and they were all headed to Acapulco for that. What a coincidence!

Of course, I read MAD magazine whenever I could, marveling at the creativity and humor that filled every page. And there were no ads in the magazine, which I appreciated. It was 100% good fun and sardonic humor. There are a few bromides that I read in MAD 50 years ago that I still use today, like the somewhat sarcastic "Don't go away mad ... just go away!" and "Summer is the time of year when they close the regular roads and open the detours." Being a teenager, I appreciated the humor.

Al Jaffee drew this picture of himself for me on the airplane. I lost this picture for decades, which is why it isn't framed like the other ones. I will have it framed soon, to match the others.

We all drew pictures for each other, and I treasure the ones that they made for me and of me. It was quite a long flight, and it seemed to go on for hours, and maybe it did. I didn't want it to end. I was surrounded by successful artists and editors who were paying attention to me and complimenting me on my (young) skills. Heaven.

Today, I especially treasure what Al Jaffee drew for me, as he recently passed away at 102 years old. He was a legend and an American treasure. He drew for MAD for more than 50 years. He was so kind to me when I was only a teenager. All of the artists were.

They invited me to their offices in Manhattan, and I went the following year, where I met publisher Bill Gaines and the rest of the team. It was amazing.

I took this picture of Bill Gaines during my visit to his office on Madison Avenue. His office was a fantastic collection of all the things that he loved, including King Kong, Zeppelins, and his Tales of the Crypt memorabilia.

Jack Rickard was exceptionally kind, and he invited me to visit his studio in New York when I was in town, so I did that, too. He showed me his large drawing board and all the pens and colored markers he used to create his drawings. He encouraged me to stay in school and earn a degree before coming to New York to pursue a career as an artist. He was a good man.

Jack Rickard drew this great caricature of Sergio Aragones for me. Sergio laughed appreciatively when he saw it.

Jack Davis drew this picture of me on the plane. I was 16 years old. Jack was an extremely successful artist, having illustrated the covers of magazines such as TIME and many others with his distinctive style. For years after, I'd be at a newsstand and I'd see his covers - they were instantly recognizable.

Each one of these artists had a distinctive style. Antonio Prohias is best remembered for his classic Spy vs. Spy cartoons. He drew one for me:

And Dave Berg was similarly well-known for his humorous and instantly recognizable work:

Editor-in-Chief John Putnam was very kind to me on the plane and during my visit to their offices the following year. He spent some time showing me around and showing me how they put together each issue. The offices were not opulent or fancy. It was very much a workplace, with artwork crammed into rows and columns of nooks and crannies in every room.

Editor Nick Meglin did the same. He drew me a tongue-in-cheek art lesson extolling the virtues of learning how to place your work on the page. It was a self-portrait intentionally placed poorly on the page:

Godspeed and rest in peace, Al Jaffee - and the other MAD artists who have passed. They were so kind to me when I was just a kid. I treasure these memories, and I am eternally grateful for the kindness and generosity of these men.