MAD Magazine to cease publication after 67 years
Internationally beloved satire publication, MAD Magazine will no longer be sold on newsstands after the August issue.
The future two remaining editions will not be featuring any of the new content. Instead, the magazine, famous for the grinning face of character Alfred E. Neuman and his slogan, “What, me worry?”, will shift to previously published material, with new covers.
“After the next two issues, MAD will no longer be publishing original material. Instead, it will publish reprinted material until its subscription responsibilities are fulfilled & then the magazine will cease publication”, reveals a statement.
Mad is an American humor magazine which was founded in 1952 by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines, launched as a comic book before it became a magazine.
Both of them led the magazine for almost 30 years, who brought the outlet to national and later to international prominence, especially in the 1970s.
It peaked at 2.8 million subscribers in 1973 but had just 140,000 left as of 2017.
In April 2018, the magazine was “rebooted” and began with issue No. 1. It’s eighth, and the most recent, issue was published on June 12. Prior to its reboot, Mad magazine had published 550 issues.
Allie Goertz, who served as an editor at the magazine up until last month, tweeted, “I am so proud of what the new team accomplished, am such a fan of the team before us, and am forever in awe of the original gang of idiots.”
I am so proud of what the new team accomplished, am such a fan of the team before us, and am forever in awe of the original gang of idiots. I look forward to receiving vintage @MADmagazine pieces on my door step, but it’s bittersweet to say the least.
— Allie Goertz (@AllieGoertz) July 4, 2019
This news has left millions of the MAD fans devastated worldwide, many took to social media to express their grief:
Bummed to hear that @MADmagazine is coming to an end: made it almost 70 years and changed the face of US humor & cartooning.
— Dr. Carol Tilley is on sabbatical (@AnUncivilPhD) July 4, 2019
Be sad that a cultural touchstone of humor is going away.
Lament that the publisher is shutting it down.
But-
Were you buying it?
Were your kids?
Did you give it a passing thought before these rumors popped up?There you go.#MADMagazine pic.twitter.com/EPfS12GCLZ
— Jim Zub (@JimZub) July 4, 2019
Fortunately when mad magazine folds it will reveal a hilarious picture.
— James Colley (@JamColley) July 4, 2019
Wow that's rough if that MAD Magazine Cancellation rumor turns out to be true. While I didn't read it regularly the impact MAD had on generations of comedians cant be understated. Heck me and my dad both loved MAD. pic.twitter.com/GgRsfvbKU5
— Caped-Joel Daly (@CapedJoel) July 4, 2019
RIP, MAD Magazine. Here's the very first comic I did for the magazine back in 2011. pic.twitter.com/vA9WRSNgFH
— Phil McAndrew (@philmcandrew) July 4, 2019
Mad Magazine was the first magazine I ever loved, and a regular part of my life from ages 8 to 12. Pretty sure it’s the first thing I ever read that said, “The world is crazy & full of dumb people but if you can laugh at it you’ll be okay.” Indispensable. https://t.co/L79uuOIsIZ
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) July 4, 2019
MAD MAGAZINE, RIP to this hilarious, brilliant, subversive publication. It taught me what satire was, taught me critical thinking on advertising, how to distinguish between artists, and along with PEANUTS and THE THREE INVESTIGATORS was the foundation of my young love of reading
— What's the Buzz (@tomthedog) July 4, 2019
I was an intern at MAD Magazine in 1994. I had no apt in NY so I kept my belongings in the archives & took a daypack & crashed on couches for 3 months.
In the writers room they had a drum kit to do rim shots on bad jokes. Great memories. I’ll miss it https://t.co/xGjrTeefXI— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) July 4, 2019
Sad to hear about MAD Magazine. Also reminder that MAD Magazine wrote the best joke about wrestling ever: pic.twitter.com/5m4jLqbgyL
— TAPE (@tapemachines) July 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/ScottWamplerBMD/status/1146641211006095360
