The Cartoon Art Museum has posted some more specific information about the upcoming MAD art show I mentioned a few days ago:

What, Me Worry? 60 Years of MAD

April 21 – September 16, 2012

Programming to be announced

 San Francisco, CA: In 1952, editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines launched MAD, one of the most influential and imitated humor publications in the world.  Originally created to parody popular TV shows, movies and, inevitably, comic books, MAD soon expanded into a wide-ranging satire of modern American culture. Features like the MAD Fold-In, “Spy vs. Spy,” the wacky sound effects of “MAD’s Maddest Artist” Don Martin, the “marginal” cartoons of Sergio Aragones, and the motto “What, me worry?” have become indelible parts of popular culture, and the magazine’s mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, is one of the world’s most recognizable faces.

The Cartoon Art Museum’s latest exhibition, What, Me Worry? 60 Years of MAD celebrates the rich history of MAD from the original comic book through the black-and-white magazine to its latest incarnation as a full-color bi-monthly publication supplemented by online content.  This is the museum’s first exhibition to include both the MAD comic book and magazine.

The MAD creators, known affectionately as “The Usual Gang of Idiots,” are among the most highly regarded in the cartooning world, and works from nearly every major MAD contributor will be featured in this gallery.  Exhibition highlights include cover artwork by MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman; pages from the MAD comic book by Will Elder and John Severin; early magazine-era artwork by famed artists Mort Drucker, Don Martin, Wally Wood and George Woodbridge; MAD Fold-ins by Al Jaffee; painted covers by Sergio Aragonés, Jack Davis, Kelly Freas, Norman Mingo and Jack Rickard; The Ligher Side of… by Dave Berg; Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohias; a look at Tom Richmond’s creative process; the dazzling caricatures of Sam Viviano; comics from contemporary contributors Peter Kuper, Ted Rall, Keith Knight and Joey Allison Sayers; a look at MAD Magazine around the world; and much, much more!

Programming featuring MAD creators will be held through the duration of the exhibition.  Please stay tuned for announcements as special guests are confirmed.

This is a very exciting, and perhaps unprecedented, show of MAD artwork. Certainly not since the personal collection of Mark Cohen toured back in the 1990′s has this comprehensive a collection been exhibited. CAM curator Andrew Farago mentioned that he considers this one of, if not THE, greatest collection of artwork he’s ever assembled in his many years at the museum. I have no idea when, but will definitely be going out to San Francisco to see the show, and maybe some of that “programming” they mention above will take place then!

Oh, and if anyone is wondering, my “creative process” as mentioned refers to the fact that I sent them the preliminary pencil roughs, final inks and then a printout of the finished color art for two parody splash pages, which I presume they will be hanging together, so visitors will see some of the stages of a MAD job.

Andrew Farago, curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Fransisco, just spilled the beans on Facebook about their upcoming MAD show:

Love MAD? Our next exhibition is going to be the greatest collection of MAD art ever assembled, going all the way back to MAD #1. Kurtzman covers! Elder splash pages! Aragones! Berg! Richmond! Viviano! Mingo! Drucker! Davis! Jaffee! Martin! Get yourself to San Francisco between April and September, or kick yourself later!

-Andrew Farago, The Cartoon Art Museum

I’ve known this was coming for some time, as Andrew has been gathering pieces from various MAD artists for months. I sent him a couple of splash pages from some movie parodies I did, plus the pencil roughs and prints of the finished colored art, but I don’t know how much will end up in the exhibit. No other details yet on the show but they will be announced shortly. I know the show will run from sometime in April through the summer, but no exact dates. I will definitely have to plan a trip to San Fransisco to check it out!

I’ll post more details as they become available.

UPDATE- Andrew tells me the exhibit dates are April 21st through September 16th. See his comment below for details on some of the work that will be part of the show!

DC Entertainment launched a completely redesigned web presence today, with all new looks for the DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD websites:

New Online Destinations for DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD Offer Multimedia Experiences with Exclusive Content, Integrated Community Features and Character Franchise Pages

BURBANK, CA, March 6, 2012 – DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company and home to iconic brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, launched today a portfolio of comprehensive and interactive new websites. The DCComics.com site, currently in beta status, offers fans exclusive new content, integrated community and social media features, and in-depth character franchise pages built around iconic characters including Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. The site, along with VertigoComics.com and MADMagazine.com, feature a broad range of publishing information and content, but also goes one step further with key navigation areas for movies, TV, games, shopping and community – creating a robust online destination for all things DC Entertainment.

Timed to the new website launch, DCComics.com debuted an exclusive BEFORE WATCHMEN image illustrated by Lee Bermejo. The site exclusive is the first group image of the BEFORE WATCHMEN characters.

“The new sites are a true representation of DC Entertainment, and the depth and scope of our characters and brands across all media,” stated Jason James, vice president of interactive marketing for DC Entertainment. “Our goal is to be the one-stop destination for all fans looking for the latest news on comics, TV, games and movies, and a place where fans can engage with us and each other about all things DC Entertainment. Fans should visit DCComics.com daily – we have a lot of surprises in store for them over the next week and beyond.”

Key features of the new sites include:

Integrated social media – Social media features include comments powered by Facebook integrated throughout the site and real-time Twitter feeds from fans and comic talent. Additionally, the new “Fans” section lists upcoming events and links to all DC Entertainment social media pages and feeds, making it easy for fans to follow, like, see trending topics and join the conversation.

Breaking news and exclusive content – The sites will strive to be a document of record by regularly featuring exclusive content, focused on comics and beyond.  And blogs for DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD will continue on the new sites offering breaking news and updated information.

In-depth character experiences – The “Characters” section offers a relational database giving fans extensive search options to gather information and research comics featuring their favorite characters and talent. Franchise pages have been created for iconic characters such as Batman, Superman and Sandman, so fans can get the latest comics, movies, TV, games and merchandise information in one convenient location.

One-stop shopping – The new sites include many shopping options for comic books (both in print and digital), as well as real-time buying options for fans to easily purchase movies, TV shows and games based on their favorite characters, or find out where to buy offline.

Intuitive navigation and branding – New architecture on each site makes it easy to navigate and find a broad range of information and characters making it accessible to both hard-core and casual fans. DC Entertainment’s new brand identity is also incorporated throughout the sites.

James continued, “We’re excited to rollout these new sites that have been rebuilt from the ground up – and this is only the beginning of DC Entertainment’s new presence in the digital space. You will continue to see bold strides from us online and in social media, just as we continue to make bold moves in our publishing business.”

For more information or to view the new site, visit DCComics.com, VertigoComics.com or MADMagazine.com.

This includes a new website for MAD. As the press release says, they are currently in beta stage.

Q: How do I break into MAD?

A: If you want to break into MAD, the easiest way is with a grappling hook, 50 feet of rope, a glass cutter and suction cups. You can bribe your way in on Wednesdays with home baked cookies offered to Dick DeBartolo.

Seriously, getting into MAD is notoriously hard to do, but it isn’t quite the impenetrable fortress it was in the 70′s and 80′s. Back then MAD had their legendary freelancers in their prime, and there was frankly very little work they had in the magazine that one of their established and well known “Usual Gang of Idiots” was not available to do. It was ‘a closed shop’ as was quoted among hopeful freelancers. Today is a little bit different.

MAD‘s long time artists are slowing down, going into retirement, semi-retirement or just plain have less interest in tight deadlines and overwhelming amounts of work. Who can blame them? Their terrific work has defined the magazine for 60 years! Now that the magazine is in color, the dynamic has changed somewhat and artists who work in color have more of a shot at getting their chance than those who work in black and white only. The magazine is also striving to establish a more modern look and identity in the 21st century, and is more open to newer styles and different aesthetics than the traditional MAD look. These changes have opened the doors a little to new artist’s work. Given all that, MAD is still a tough nut to crack. In order to ‘break in’, you need three things firmly in place: have work that they like a lot, demonstrate professionalism and be in the right place at the right time.

Do work they like- This first point may be the hardest. MAD‘s idea of work they like isn’t necessarily the same as just “great work.” There are lots of artists that are terrific and that the editors and art staff are impressed by, but they feel their work just doesn’t fit the magazine. Many caricaturists fit this mold. I know of several who’s caricature work is exemplary, but who suffer from “caricaturist disease.” That’s a syndrome where a caricature artist thinks the world stops at the neck. They are so focused on the face they ignore the rest of the universe. MAD looks for artists who create their own world as seen through their own eyes, meaning the chairs, cars and toilets they draw have as much personality as their caricatures. MAD also looks for artists who can ‘sell a gag’ as I have mentioned before, meaning their artwork makes a written joke funnier and easier to understand. They also look for uniqueness. They don’t want Mort Drucker or Jack Davis clones. Finally, they are always looking for the “MAD feel”, which doesn’t seem to have a quantifiable definition.

Demonstrate Professionalism- This seems like an oxymoron as MAD is famous for self-deprecation and bucking the rules, but don’t let that facade fool you. These guys know their business and expect their freelancers to hit deadlines, do professional work and take art and editorial direction like a pro. The easiest way to demonstrate this is by having a body of work already established… in comics, magazine illustration, advertising, etc. It’s very, VERY hard to do work for MAD without having established credentials as a cartoonist or illustrator. MAD has been at the top of it’s genre for 50 plus years, and they don’t need to act as a proving ground for young, inexperienced talent. Unfortunately the MAD knock-offs that DID act as such a proving ground are basically all gone now. Having a portfolio with published work is basically a must.

Be in the right place at the right time- This means just get lucky. In order to get work from MAD they first must have a job available to give you. Here’s how the distribution of freelance work happens at MAD (as I understand it): First, the editorial and art staff meet with the features and articles that need art for upcoming issues. They start out with the “A” list of freelancers, or those who’s work is in almost every issue. They assign jobs to them as they see the individual artist’s style fits the piece, taking into account the artist’s availability, etc. Once all the “A’ listers are busy with something, they move on to the “B” list, or those who’s work is in the magazine consistently a few times a year. If there is any work left over at this point, they move on to the ‘best of the rest’, meaning those artists who have done some work in the past but aren’t really regulars. If anything is still left over, they will start considering new artists. As you might imagine, many months might go by without ever reaching that point. It’s even tougher now that there are only 6 issues a year.

There are two features in MAD that allow for new artists to get a ‘tryout’ without MAD having to commit a deadline or multiple pages to: “The Fundalini Pages” and “The Strip Club”. The “Fundalini Pages” is a three page collection of short gags, features and jokes that often need a spot illustration, and I’ve seen numerous new artists crop up there. The “Strip Club” is a multi-page feature containing comic strips that have edgy and quirky subjects and feels to them, and many new artists have appeared in that. Getting work in these sections is a little more likely and can lead to bigger assignments.

There is no secret address or password that will get your work in front of “the right person”. Not even home baked cookies will make any difference. Trust me when I say that anyone who sends work into MAD will get the proper attention paid to it, usually by Sam Viviano himself. Send artwork to “MAD Magazine, Sam Viviano- Art Director, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019″. Writers can submit via e-mail at submissions@madmagazine.com. Do not e-mail any artwork, always mail it. Here is a link to their submission guidelines for more info. My advice is only send them strong, publishable type work, and leave the cool sketches you ripped out of your sketchbook at home. They aren’t interested in your ‘potential’, they just want to see work they could envision reproduced in the magazine.

Finally, be patient. Continue to send submissions in periodically. That way you have the best shot of having your work happen to be on Sam’s desk the day they are looking for someone to do a Fundalini spot. Never send the same thing twice, always make it new work they haven’t seen yet. Don’t get discouraged… after all, if I can get into MAD anybody can!

The above is reposted from a 2006 (with updates) mailbag question because… well… I get this one a lot. 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!

As promised, here is a peek at the MAD parody of the TV Show Mike & Molly, written by Arnie Kogen!

Clicky to Embiggen

Sharp-eyed people might notice the absence of empty word balloons that usually adorn my MAD artwork. I could tell you WHY the folks at MAD have decreed I am no longer allowed to draw in and color around said word boxes . . . but then I’d have to kill you. One day I will be able to tell that story. Until then, you will all have to stew in the land of uncertainty and rumor! MMWUUHAHAHAHA!!

Anyway, go buy a fershlugginer copy, already!

Oh, yeah—Happy Valentines Day.

On news stands Feb 21st, in comic book shops this week and in subscriber mailboxes today:

MAD # 514 (April 2012)

• Cover (Mark Fredrickson)
• The Fundalini Pages (Jeff Kruse, Charles Akins, Kenny Keil, Rick Tulka, Jason Yungbluth, Evan Dorkin & Sarah Dyer, Ward Sutton, John Caldwell, Darrenn Johnson, Paul Coker, Dick DeBartolo, Tom Bunk )
• Bigg & Bulky (Arnie Kogen, Tom Richmond)
• The MAD Guide to Smartphone Etiquette (Kenny Keil, Tim Hamilton)
• MAD’s Make Your Own Twilight Movies (Uncredited)
• Spy vs Spy (Peter Kuper)
• The Soft Stool Diner Placemat (Scott Maiko, Photos: various)
• MAD’s Dreadfully Undercooked The Hunger Games Outtakes (Uncredited)
• The MAD Vault (Paul Coker, Stan Hart- from MAD #207, June 1979)
• The Strip Club (Kit Lively & Scott Nickel, Jason Yungbluth, Box Brown, Noah Van Sciver, Christopher Baldwin, Peet Tamburino, Jacob Lambert, Douglas Paszkiewicz)
• Banana Republican Catalog (Frank Santopadre, Scott Bricher)
• 7 Periods Closer to Death (Ted Rall)
• Planet TAD!!!!! (Writer: Tim Carvell)
• Clues You’ve Hired a Not-So-Certified Personal Trainer (Teresa Burns Parkhurst)
• A MAD Look At The Filthy Rich (Sergio Aragonés, Colors: Tom Luth)
• Inappropriate Questions to Ask During a Job Interview (Matt Lassen, Tom Bunk)
• More Movie mash-Ups We’d Hate to See (Artist: Scott Bricher)
• Love Is…(Special Mike and Molly Edition) (Uncredited)
• MAD Fold-In (Al Jaffee)
• Drawn Out Dramas (Sergio Aragonés)

My work in this issue was the art for a six page parody of the TV show Mike and Molly, written by Arnie Kogen. I will post a sneak peek of that tomorrow.

What are you waiting for, clod?!? Go out and buy a fershlugginer copy already!

I don’t post often enough about the good stuff being done on MAD’s official blog The Idiotical. The other day they posted their predictions for the 2012 Oscars:

Click to visit The Idiotical

There are daily updates with combinations of stuff from the magazine (both classic and current), plus a lot of original content. If you don’t regularly visit, you are missing out on some daily chuckles.

Clicky to Embiggen

It’s been a long time since I got a new piece for the Wall of Shame, but this arrived in the mail the other day and is going to be proudly framed and hung in the studio.

For those not familiar with my “Wall of Shame”… I occasionally get calls from the producer, director or some star of a TV show of movie that I did the parody art for in MAD who wants to buy some of the original art. I usually cut a deal that includes my sending them an oversized print of the splash page to get signed by the cast and creators. You can see some of my little collection in these posts.

This one came about when I got a chance to meet MAD Men actor Rich Sommer here in Minnesota about this time last year. It took this long to get this back because the show went through contract negotiaions and a long hiatus, but they must be back to work as this little gem was at my door Tuesday. Signatures from left to right: Robert Morse, John Slattery, Elisabeth Moss, John Hamm, Jessica Pare, Jared Harris, Jay R. Ferguson, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, Aaron Staton and Rich Sommer.

Working for MAD has it’s moments!

Here’s what’s cooking in the studio right now:

• MAD parody- Wrapping this up this week, can’t reveal the subject until it’s out in MAD #514.
• TV commercial character design- blogged about this earlier.
• Major book project- This was pending for a while but it looks like a “go”. Not a MAD book—I’ll be illustrating another author’s concept. This will take months.
• More Jeff Dunham art- Ongoing project.

Over on MAD‘s official blog, The Idiotical, the editors have announced that you can now purchase select MAD books for download on the Kindle Fire. Can the magazine itself be far behind?