Who was MAD Magazine cartoonist Al Jaffee?
ALLAN “Al” Jaffee worked for MAD Magazine for 65 years, making him its longest-running collaborator.
He passed away on April 10, 2023 at the age of 102, and now readers want to know more about his life and career.
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Who was Mad Magazine cartoonist Al Jaffee?
Al Jaffee was a cartoonist known for his work with MAD Magazine.
He began his career as a comic artist in 1942 at the age of 21 and has since published his work in MAD, Joker Comics, Timely Comics and Atlas Comics, among others.
He’s released countless strips over the years, but he’s arguably best known for creating the Mad Fold-In, an “illustration-with-text” feature on the inside back cover of the magazine designed to deliver at first glance seemed like a simple message,” according to the New York Times.
“It was really going to be a one-shot,” he recalled in a 1993 interview with The Kansas City Star via The Times.
“But because of overwhelming demand from three or four of my relatives, it went on a second time and so on.”
The first fold-in was released in April 1964 and satirized Elizabeth Taylor’s failed marriages.
Due to the length of his career, he was awarded the Guinness World Records title for ‘Longest Career as a Comic Artist’ at the age of 95.
He retired four years later at the age of 99.
“I’ve had two jobs my whole life,” Jaffee later told the Times. “One of them was to earn a living. The second was to entertain. I hope that I managed to some extent.”
What was the cause of Al Jaffee’s death?
Jaffee’s death was first confirmed by his granddaughter, Fani Thomson.
She revealed that he died of multisystem organ failure in a Manhattan hospital, according to The Times.
“Al Jaffee was an incredibly gifted man who touched our hearts and never failed to make us laugh,” said Jim Lee, DC’s chief creative officer and publisher, in a statement.
John Ficarra, MAD’s former editor-in-chief, added: “Al was a rascal at heart. He always had a playful wink and brought that sensitivity to everything he created.”
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Suzy Hutchinson, Art Director of MAD Magazine, added of the awards: “Al embodied the true spirit of MAD and so many comedians, cartoonists and creatives will find inspiration in his work for generations to come.
“He was a national treasure and it was an honor to work with and learn from such a brilliant, caring and utterly creative soul, the best of the Original Gang of Idiots.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jaffee preceded his 43-year-old wife, Joyce Revenson, in death and is survived by his children, Richard and Deborah, stepdaughters, Tracey and Jody, five grandchildren, a step-granddaughter, and three great-grandchildren.
What was Al Jaffee’s net worth?
Jaffee’s successful career, which included the 2008 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, allowed him to amass a fortune before his death.
At this point, his exact net worth is unclear, but according to various online reports, it is said to have ranged from $1 million to $5 million.
This estimate comes from his freelance work at MAD and other business ventures.