Sunday Mailbag- Maddest Artist Edition?

Q: Would you like to see a MAD’s Maddest Artists edition of your work? I personally would love to see one as you are my favorite contributor who is not of the original gang of idiots. Also do you think you have had a big impact on the magazine like others who got their own books: Mort (Drucker), Don (Martin), Sergio (Aragon?¬©s) , and Dave (Berg)?

A: First part: I’m flattered, but I do not have anywhere near the body of work deserving of such a collection, and there are many, many MAD artists more deserving of a collection that I am. Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Bill Elder, Angelo Torres, Sam Viviano, Paul Coker, George Woodbridge, Jack Richard, Bob Clarke, Duck Edwing, Rick Tulka, Paul Peter Porges, John Caldwell, Drew Friedman, Hermann Mejia, Harry North and Tom Bunk come to immediate mind, and a few others no doubt. If they do all of those at a rate of one a year, I’ll have 30 years with MAD and then maybe I’ll have enough work to warrant such a book. That’s a big IF.

Second part: No. Not even close. I am a lesser son of greater sires and can only see the parade because I stand on the shoulder of giants. That’s not false modesty or me fishing for compliments, that is simple truth. I’m carrying on a tradition that better artists than I innovated and made great. I innovated nothing and am only adding my voice to an already heralded chorus. I’m proud to be part of the MAD family but I’m not kidding myself that I belong in the same conversation as the names you mentioned.

Thanks to¬¨‚ĆDavid Frautschi for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!