A Mad Mag Birthday Card and A Lovely Review. How nice.

It’s time for more happy stuff around here, to counter the lousy news of the world.  First off, a couple of days ago, I mentioned it was Al Jaffee’s 90th Birthday, and the gang at Mad was tasked to make Genius Jaffee some gifts and cards.  Here’s mine…

And now…folded in…

Okay, okay…it’s corny, I admit.  But until you’ve tried one, you have NO idea how difficult it is to create a fold-in.  I used to think Jaffee was merely a talented guy, but after trying to walk into his shoes, I cannot conceive of how his brain works —  to be able to come up with these fold-in images month in, month out, for fifty years and every one of them, much cleverer than anything I could do — AHH!

Again Happy Birthday Mr. Jaffee.  Clearly I believe you look like some blinged-out moron’s hairy ears.

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click the image to read a gushing review!

And now, one of the nicer reviews that Northern Guard #2 has gotten this week.  We’ve had a couple of good ones, and some “okay” reviews, (and nary a bad one…yet!).  This one from Ain’t It Cool News, however, went full out drooling happy, and that puts a little whistle in my tune and a spring in my step.

Go HERE to read it.  And when you’re done, stomp down to your retailer and DEMAND he order more copies of the first two issues…(and a TON of the third…) we need a little support for this book…who knew Golden Age Canadian Super-heroes didn’t set the American imagination on fire?  If you like snow, radioactive Russian scientists, fur bikinis, and explosions, we’re your one stop shopping experience.  All that and Johnny Canuck?  Grab your maple syrup and run!

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your Al Jaffee Fold-In Moment:

Tom Toles, one of the best political cartoonists of our time, did this wonderful tribute to Mr. Jaffe, May 2008.

If you’re not following the great Tom Toles at the Washington Post, you’re missing out! Oh, and here’s what the ‘toon looks like folded in.

(kts–You can check out more of Tole’s work at the link–the archive links don’t seem to be working at the moment to link to the original cartoon posting).

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY AL JAFFEE!

Mr. Jaffee demonstrating how a Reuben Award can be weaponized.

Yesterday was the official 90th birthday of one of the great, great cartoonists of the 20th (and 21st) century.  Mr. Fold-in, Mr. Snappy-Answers-to-Stupid-Questions, and Mr. Inventions-We-Need is still at work, still supplying art for Mad Magazine  every issue, after more than fifty years of doing so.  And like the genius he is, they’re still as beautiful as they’ve always been.

I always like Jaffee’s self portrait.  It’s as iconic as as Alfred E. himself.

Al Jaffee's SECOND fold-in ever shows the level of inventive clever required for each one of these...

The usual gang of idiots is celebrating the birthday of the master with a collection of amazing cards, gifts and b-day wishes for the Sensei today (at least it was today, the last I heard about it).  Though I can’t be there to see it happen,   I’ve contributed a card to this meshuga.  You guys will get to see it eventually, but I’m saving it to show off here until AFTER the party for the Master of Madness has finished off, and Mr. Jaffee has his fun.

In the meantime, here’s a Jaffee fact most of you don’t know:  He started his career at Marvel, editing and drawing MILLIE THE MODEL, PATSY WALKER and others in the “girl’s line” of Timely back in the 40s.

Al Jaffee edits and draws! Doesn't this character end up in the Avengers as a demon powered cat-lady?

Personally, I first encounter the genius of Jaffee with a Snappy Answer to a Stupid Question feature in a Mad from the late 60s.  The book pictured below is a treasure from my childhood that I have held onto since I was about ten years old…

I filled in every blank balloon in this book when I was young, marking the first time Al Jaffee and I worked together.

So happy 90th birthday, Al.  There’s no exaggeration in saying you are one of the bedrock DNA influences on my career, and I’ll never get over the idea that I sometimes get to contribute to the  magazine you helped make a household word and a national treasure.  I sincerely hope I’ll be seeing you in the pages of  Mad Magazine as long they still let us print it on trees.  It wouldn’t be the same without you.

With genuine love,

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your Al Jaffee comic book moment:

I'm not sure what's going on here with those guys on the right, but if you fold in this cover, Patsy is kissing the guy in the orange blazer...is this where it all began...?