Al Feldstein

You are currently browsing articles tagged Al Feldstein.

“This Man’s Been Run Over By A Steamroller”

May 1, 2014 in Excerpts, Videos | Permalink

Sad to hear the passing of Al Feldstein, who edited Mad magazine for William M. Gaines during its glory years. He launched a million gags at parents, teachers, advertisers, politicians, capitalists and militarists. Below is a 1974 unaired pilot of a Mad TV spin-off that was deemed too crude to broadcast though it was far from vulgar.

Shows you how groundbreaking SNL was the following year. No more suggesting irreverence on TV. Nor more winking or nodding like Laugh-In. No more innuendos or “betting your sweet bippy.” The real deal in your living room at last.

Tags:

Mad Magazine Rejection Letter From Way Back

August 16, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

The proto-Alfred E. Neuman.

The great Letters of Note website, which publishes antique missives that have some historical value, has published an old rejection letter that Mad magazine used to send out to writers and artists who didn’t quite make the grade. It dates from the reign of editor Al Feldstein, who ran the mag for 29 years, beginning in 1956. See the original letter and stationery, and read the transcript below:

“Dear Contributor:-

Sorry, but we’ve got bad news!

You’ve been rejected!

Don’t take this personally though. All of us feel rejected at one time or another. At least, that’s what our group therapist tells us here at MAD. He says we shouldn’t worry about it.

So that should be your attitude: ‘What-Me worry?’

Besides – although you’ve been rejected, things could have been a lot worse. Your material might have been ACCEPTED!

Then where would you be?

MAD-ly

(Signed, ‘Al Feldstein’)

Al Feldstein
Editor

P.S. Our group therapist also mentioned that many people are so rejected by a rejection that they don’t try again. And we wouldn’t want THAT! We really WOULD like you to keep sending us your article ideas and scripts. . .so we can keep sending you these idiotic rejection slips!”

Tags: