After 67 years, satirical cartoon magazine MAD is winding down, ceasing regular publication of new material after the current edition’s tenth issue this fall. In a statement provided to ABC News, publisher DC Comics declared, “After issue #10 this fall there will no longer be new content — except for the end-of-year specials which will always be all new. So starting with issue #11 the magazine will feature classic, best-of and nostalgic content from the last 67 years.” Furthermore, the new iteration of the title will only be available in comic book shops and to subscribers.
Launched under editor and cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman in 1952, MAD magazine became one of the most influential and iconic comedy institutions in the US: singer “Weird Al” Yankovic commented, “I can’t begin to describe the impact it had on me as a young kid – it’s pretty much the reason I turned out weird. Goodbye to one of the all-time greatest American institutions.” At its peak in 1973, the magazine had 2.8 million subscribers, but by 2017, circulation had fallen to just 140,000 copies. After 550 issues, DC relaunched the title with a new #1 in April 2018, which evidently did little to turnaround the title’s decline in popularity.
Allie Goertz, the most recent editor of MAD magazine, tweeted, “Working at MAD was a childhood dream come true. MAD is an institution with such a rich history. It informed just about every comedian and writer I (and probably you) look up to. I worked with ICONS. Sergio Aragonés visits were common. Al Jaffee still does the fold-in! 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.”
