Tom's Mad Blog
July 23rd, 2015 | Posted in General
I have finally found some time to post the remainder of the Special Editions of my “Men of Steel” print for purchase online. If you are not familiar with the Special Editions, what I do is set aside one print for each of the caricatures in the print, and then number them “SE X/8” or however many there are. Each Special Edition comes with the original inked artwork for the correspondingly numbered character. So, for example, “Men of Steel SE 1/8” comes with the original of Superman #1, Kirk Alyn. The originals are approximately 9″ x 13″, on bristol board with ink pen and brush.… READ MORE
July 22nd, 2015 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
After I did the MAD parody of the first season of “True Detective”, I was looking forward to the new season. I know it would not have Matthew McConaughay and Woody Harrelson in it, but the first season was riveting so I had faith the second one would be just as good. The Lovely Anna and I watched the first episode and decided not to watch another one. It was so over-the-top depressing we could not help getting the feeling it was almost a parody of itself… “Let’s see how dark and despairing we can make all of the characters in the show”. You have… READ MORE
July 21st, 2015 | Posted in General
I’ve gotten a number of emails and comments saying that this Orphan Works thing is being taken way out of context, that it is fear mongering, that the fears about it are based on inaccuracies, and we should all just shut up. Granted, I did cut and paste the Illustrators Partnership response and call to arms without reading the current proposal, which is different than some of the past bills that have actually made it to Congress. I have since read the proposal. My take: both sides are spinning it a little too far, but the pro Orphan Works folks are doing it with their… READ MORE
July 20th, 2015 | Posted in Monday MADness
Some years back MAD started a new line of hardcover books entitled “MAD‘s Greatest Artists”, which now has volumes for Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg and Mort Drucker… no doubt with more on the way. I was remiss in pointing out back in early May that the first of MAD‘s corresponding new “MAD‘s Greatest Writers” line of books is finally out and available for purchase. The first subject being the great Frank Jacobs. Frank is the most prolific MAD writer ever, with nearly 600 articles published in the magazine. He’s of course best known for his song parodies (“Sing to the Tune of…”), which makes the… READ MORE
July 19th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Is there any movie/TV show you wanted to draw a spoof of, but never did? A: Sure, many of them. As for recent movies I’d have loved to do a spoof of “Captian Phillips (Captain F’s Up)”, “Dallas Buyer’s Club (Dullest Buyers Clubbed)”, “Birdman (Birdbrained)”, “Argo (ARRRRRGH-O)”, or “American Hustle (American’s… Hustled)”, among others. Possible spoof titles all mine… I missed me calling. For TV shows I’m still hoping I get to do “Sherlock”, “The Blacklist”, “Arrow” or “The Flash”, “Penny Dreadful” (“Really Dreadful”… see, MAD! I’ve already written the title for you!), “Doctor Who” and “Person of Interest”. Those are all just off… READ MORE
July 17th, 2015 | Posted in General
Cartoon by Nick Anderson, used with permission After admittedly posting this below from the Illustrator’s Partnership without doing any research into the latest copyright reform proposal, I did said research and a few days later posted this more even-handed take on this issue. Since several people seem intent on linking only to this early post and not to the one where I agree much of what is said here in the IP response is overblown and downright misleading, here’s a link to that later post. The more recent version of the Orphan Works proposal is less awful that previous ones, but it still leave a… READ MORE
July 16th, 2015 | Posted in General
I got back late last night after a LOOOOONG drive from San Diego to Minnesota (9 states, 2000 miles, lots of regrettable choices at fast food restaurants), to find my iMac was dead… logic board fried. Never fun. Actually it started having problems just a few hours before I left for San Diego Comic Con when it started rebooting in a perpetual loop, but the techies at the Apple Store declared it dead officially today. It’s a good thing I keep backups of everything. Once I get the new iMac, I’ll be back up and running in short order. Unfortunately this delayed my being able… READ MORE
July 14th, 2015 | Posted in General
I’m sitting in my hotel room in San Diego packing up and getting ready to drive… yes DRIVE… back to Minnesota tomorrow with Number One Son Thomas. We had to stay and extra night because I had a job for the next issue of MAD due today and pulled an all-nighter to wrap it up by about 3 pm San Diego time. Then Tom and I wondered around the Gaslamp district where we didn’t have to wade through the enormous Comic-Con crowds anymore. Very relaxing and healing. Anyway it was thanks to that MAD job I have been remiss in my blogging this week. My… READ MORE
