Mad Magazine: Inside Look Behind the Scenes (1987)

Morley Safer goes inside the MAD world of Alfred E. Neuman for an in-depth look at the magazine every kid's mother loves to hate.
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[@thomaslong8401]

Growing up in the 1960s, early 70s, MAD had a profound influence on me. I saved them. My daughter found them in the 90s and read them all. Now she is a MAD devotee. And we share lots of laughs.

[@ApeLikeCreature]

I am a Creative Director today because of MAD Magazine. Thank you to Bill Gaines and the rest of those warped crazies that helped me to never grow up.

[@shimereemoon]

Ape Like Creature good one

[@sha11235]

Where you work?

[@mpatrickthomas]

Wish they had THE LEGEND on here....Al Jaffee.He retired in 2020 at 95.Was with them from basically the beginning in 1955.Also Dave Berg.Usually had the Mad staff in The Lighter Side

[@nowthatsjustducky]

Jaffee, Martin, Berg, Aragones, Prohias, and Gaines. Those are the names I associate with the Usual Gang of Idiots. Going to add Nick Meglin to that now too.

[@mcgannahanskyjellyfetti6854]

I think sadly Don Martin left them around this time... 😔

[@cuda426hemi]

@@nowthatsjustducky Mort Drucker was my singular hero. His caricatures from Bond to Star Wars, Godfather, epic. 👀

[@nowthatsjustducky]

@@cuda426hemi Adding him to the list now too. His was just a name that didn't really click with me at the time, so kinda got forgotten.

[@sha11235]

@@mcgannahanskyjellyfetti6854 Don left later that year.

[@ManInTheBigHat]

I visited these offices in 1970. That was fun. I was ten. I remember Bill behind his desk.

[@sublime8956]

Everytime I see a meme I think of MAD magazine. The humor in memes today are just like the humor you’d find in the the magazine

[@postatility9703]

Gaines,above all,was completely fearless. That was the key to the success of MAD.

[@chrismoll6862]

Mad gave a lad a good sense of humour , matured ,broardened yr humour , and kept old folks young

[@maskenwatch67]

And it still works. 🙃

[@donr2176]

I was 14 back in 1957 when given a copy of the Ballantine Books paperback "Inside Mad" It was the beginning of decades of collecting both the pocket- books and the monthly Mad Magazines! I still have them all- 66 years later! My favorite artists were Wally Wood, Don Martin, Bill Elder and Jack Davis.. Although I have never lived in the USA- just visiting for vacations, Mad magazine kept me very well informed of American TV shows, Films, and many aspects of US culture , including advertising; all the Mad parodies had me in stiches! Sadly the current issues no longer seem to me to be half as funny- however I still can open an old 1960's issue and start laughing once more! Those were indeed "The good old days"..

[@donr2176]

I am getting old- I forgot to add the superb artist who did the movie parodies- Mort Drucker! Such talent Mad had back in the day. I loved the covers also by Frank Kelly Freas!

[@robertmac7833]

Gosh, here’s a huge chunk of my childhood!!

[@slazper]

So many punch lines in that interview :D:D

[@davidsheppard1133]

I have always loved MAD magazine!!!!!😂😂😂😂

[@mortyabc]

I'm from Norway and I just loved Mort Drucker's take on movies :D Thank God we had a Norwegian edition of the magazine in my childhood/youth

[@CanuckFluter]

I like this piece.i have watched it several times.

[@edwinharrison5992]

Honestly comedy is a great way to teach and convey thoughts and ideas folks of all ages will look into subject matter and form thier own opinion when they laugh about it especially from cartoons

[@MrUndersolo]

I saw this just as I started to read MAD. Never thought 60 Minutes would cover them like this! Still a fantastic intro to the magazine...and I still have that Rambo one! #UsualGangofIdiots

[@gooseface2690]

Dick DeBartolo secured them this segment, apparently completely unbeknownst to Bill, and new subscriptions went through the roof after it was aired. To thank him, Bill offered Dick any gift of his own choosing. Reservedly, Dick eventually settled on the very meagre choice of a new desktop computer, which in those days wouldn't have been of much use to him as far as the magazine was concerned. Of course Bill obliged.

[@sha11235]

At first he asked for a boat as a gag.

[@AudioPervert1]

one of the best things, american ... Mad and Alfred !!

[@morenofranco9235]

Ahhh! The USUAL GANG OF IDIOTS! I started reading MAD in about 1964 - 65. It changed my view of the world, politics and society. "What? Me Worry?" As Alfred was fond of saying. MAD FOR EVER!

[@hobonickel]

Same here. My aunt was seven years older than me and subscribed to MAD so I got to read them when she was finished. Lucky me!

[@paulcoffey359]

I found out about three mile island through MAD magazine @7:08 whislt growing up in Australia. MAD was instrumental in forming my world views around politics and commerce.

[@Dr.Quarex]

I still remember my 5th grade teacher sheepishly acknowledging the next day I had been right when I told her about Thorfinn Karlsefni, after reading about him in the History of MAD, when she said only Leif Erickson had ever made the journey to America. I was too young to realize that could have been totally made up, yet something told me they would have made a funnier name if they had.

[@LIONTAMER3D]

Bill Gaines had a wine cellar of legendary proportions

[@aaronclements2230]

I'm reminded of what The Simpsons was like in its prime when I watch this. The Simpsons told jokes that were funny regardless of whether you knew the reference, event or famous person or not. If you didn't, it was still funny, and if you did, it's even funnier. MAD was the same. :)

[@bobbyberetta4206]

I just recently purchased my old copies I once owned back in 87, can't wait!

[@trinapatterson8905]

I got all my brother’s old issues and added to them over the years. I now have more boxes than I can remember!

[@BradThePitts]

The MAD sarcasm could have only come from New York!

[@sha11235]

That's why moving it to Burbank was a failure.

[@SuV33358]

I have a foot and a half stack of MAD magazines. I treasure them 💯❤️ What, me worry?

[@mpatrickthomas]

Someone moved from a house down the road several years ago.They left,in perfect condition about 40 Cracked and Mads from the 80s.I snatched them up so quick.😁.I noticed Cracked copied so much from Mad.

[@nowthatsjustducky]

@@mpatrickthomas I pretty much had all the dialog from Cracked's The Empire Strikes Out again memorized (thinking it would be fun to do a school or community play of it) back around 1981 / 1982.

[@Newton14alan]

Thank you for giving this profile the 1080p delivery that it deserves. You are awesome!

[@orialon-ray7803]

Thank you so much for uploading it!

[@peterbooth1525]

When I was an Acolyte I was best friends with the Reverends son. One disagreement we did have was which was best, Cracked or MAD. I was on the side of MAD of coarse.

[@mpatrickthomas]

Cracked copied so many things from MAD that it's pitiful.Someone moved from a house about 7 years ago and left stacks of 1980s MAD and CRACKED in perfect condition.About 40 total.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

Sure, until Don Martin quit mad and did some Cracked for 6 yrs.

[@roxammon5858]

i used to love Don Martin Dept, and the Mad Fold in

[@juggalomagicninjamcl5936]

Its a shame, Mad died with all the old talent--modern writers and creative directors have driven the magazine into the ground.

[@richsackett3423]

That's moronic to blame anyone who worked there. It died because young people have moved on from comic books.

[@paullachapelle8278]

Couldnt wait for it to come every month --------if you read mad magazine and watched the 3 stooges --you wouldnt be right either

[@roberttemple2521]

Very good! I, too, loved MAD. Now, the world has truly gone mad, sad to say.

[@Mallrat79]

Rest in peace, sir. 😢

[@sentimentalbloke185]

"Hopefully, they don't watch 60 Minutes." lol Good one

[@barbariancauldron3284]

I learned a lot from this video. If you look for the joke in everything, all you'll find are laughs.

[@leegoddard2618]

Nice catch by Bill at the end. 😜👍

[@derekroberts6654]

My 2 Magazine publisher hero’s: Bill Gaines and Hugh Hefner..❤️❤️

[@johnfisher9639]

Bill Gaines had integrity and class. After he died the magazine went straight down hill.

[@Mimilastar70]

A very good report, BUT, there are a lot of parts cut out, I have the original airing back in 1987 of this on vhs, and there are parts were Gains is in Washington talking about his horror comics, other dialogue bits cut out..and so on..!

[@harrymingelickr883]

Remember that Half of History is Hidding the Truth, and History is Written by the Victor.

[@officialARMYclan]

Please upload it

[@NotTheWheel]

I would have killed to have been an artist and writer for this incarnation of Mad Magazine.

[@randycunningham7318]

My favorite was always Don Martin.

[@troofball4]

I can't believe how much I used to anticipate the next issue of this magazine

[@lelanddthompsonlll8560]

Mad magazine is the opposite of artificial intelligence.

[@BIGM-gg9ln]

grew up on mad mag.

[@LIONTAMER3D]

same

[@davidzasloff8797]

Regarding that last question as to whether young MAD readers would be horrified to see these four old farts in charge - I was a huge fan of MAD Magazine when I was about eight years old, and the magazine showed Bill Gaines and the rest of them in caricature all through the thing. If I’d seen this story or anything like it at the time, so far from being horrified, I would have laughed myself silly. I loved that the staff and the usual gang of idiots seemed to trust the audience. RIP Bill.

[@nowthatsjustducky]

So, was Kaputnik Berg's own personal caricature of himself? It was only a few installments of The Lighter Side that got me suspecting as much.

[@danthaman03]

@@nowthatsjustducky yes

[@sha11235]

They weren't that old then.

[@serigraph73]

Gaines was a legend. I think he'd be turning over in his grave at what happened to the magazine pretty much right after he died. It went completely down hill almost immediately upon his death

[@sha11235]

No, he wouldn't because he was cremated.

[@joseluistrigosrodriguez9598]

R.I.P MAD Magazine...

[@forrestunderwood3174]

MAD was the only honest political commentary and pop culture critique available to a 10 year old in the 70s. And possibly Hustler.

[@everettamador9885]

I wish they could have kept Don Martin

[@sha11235]

Had to do with owning the rights to his artwork and Bill not giving him that.

[@shimereemoon]

Bringing back 60's memories of my big brother who hit the magazine section faithfully to get the new Mad each release! I still have so much trashy halarious & twisted ideals roaming freely & at random such as the moon river song starting out as, "Chopped liver, onions on the side, my social life has died from you...etc" Then another issue he'd gotten the book cover that was the center fold itam that month that said,"In case of fire, throw in!" I got A kick out of reading them after he did or while he wasnt using them for entertainment. Rememer those days when snow theatre came on after the star spangled banner and we made our own fun at that point and reading Mad was A frequent form of entertainment for us. Although it was too twisted for colored television it was fine because at that time we had only the black & white tvs and the antennas on the tv itself ir the big metal apparatuses on our roofs to get A signal. Now back in that day the Mads were especially unique whoever the authors were. The writers had A good sense of humor and witty sick & twisted issues are now floating around even in the seniors heads down to the children of the more modern magazine if its still out there. Makes me want to google it now. Thanks yall for the fun memories!!

[@shimereemoon]

Found it 4 u kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4aao6aPnJtkp5Isi=LkIxe3mKx8V2auLf

[@sha11235]

And now sadly, it is no more.

[@mpatrickthomas]

I dont like the new MADs.Their best years was mid 60s thru early 90s.All the great ones are sad!y passed save Sergio and Al Jaffee.

[@cha5]

Sadly since MAD moved to Burbank from NYC it’s just not the same.

[@sha11235]

@@cha5 I knew it was a mistake but nobody listened to me. And I've said this on FB's Mad page that had I been a contributor to Mad I would not have contributed once it moved to Burbank because I felt I couldn't do that to John, Charlie, Joe, Sam, and the staff at the time. I did not care that other contributors kept going and did not consider them traitors for doing this. I just felt I couldn't do this. Maybe I was taking a page from Bill Gaines about there being some things you can't forgive.

[@kierank1982]

In England, we had two major sources for entertaining topical US issues: Mad and Doonesbury. Nothing else came close.

[@robertmac7833]

What’s the hardest part of putting together the magazine? Stapling it!!

[@sha11235]

And a stapling company heard this and wrote to them offering to help them, not realizing Dick was joking.

[@greer8288]

Mad magazine cracks me up

[@benjaminrodriguez7356]

Just curious. The "cracks" in "cracks me up ", are you referring to a "different " magazine?

[@PatrolOfficer161]

The kids in this video would be 45 now! I'm 68!

[@mikespencer4922]

When I got divorced I took my clothes, my fishing rod and my collection of Mad magazines. I told my ex and her lawyer their getting my Mags would be like giving strawberries to pigs.

[@longjohn7992]

Where is Sergio?

[@LIONTAMER3D]

or don martin?

[@sha11235]

He was in California and Don Martin in Florida.

[@lubarrantes4569]

Jeff bridges could play this guy

[@SuV33358]

Very true!

[@clownnookie]

You can still subscribe to MAD. Help support them so they can get back to producing new material.

[@thomaslong8401]

I’ve read almost all MADs. I can remember only two movies they did that did not make fun of it, but accentuated the point. American Graffiti and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

[@nowthatsjustducky]

I am guessing they still speak not of "Up the Academy?"

[@johnnymcneal5914]

You know I despite its pricey magazines I still love it today if I were to guess today they would be what 60 years old by now

[@mariashelly4812]

7:00 "You really don't learn anything from it...." says the girl. Wrong. I began reading this in the 1960s as a child. My reading level went way up, I was on the Governor's Honor Roll in High School and easily went through eight years of college, earning a doctorate. I give Mad Magazine the benefit of rapidly increasing my vocabulary and my socio and political knowledge.

[@keithammleter3824]

Girls say what they think you want to hear. Not what they really think.

[@GoodMrDawes]

Legends

[@darthsatanus]

everybody at MAD's offices loved "El Bosso."

[@jimpawlak7806]

RIP mad magazine

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

Don Martin MADE Mad. after he left, I did too.

[@Steve-nb9kg]

Parents concerned about MAD magazine...such innocent times.

[@jovanweismiller7114]

I read the magazine from childhood until well into adulthood. I every issue.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

They said they refused to sell advertising space or merchandise. I got news for them...😢

[@DesiluTrek]

Anyone else creeped out that Alfred appears to be staring down Morley?

[@hollymartins6913]

There was a sister comedy magazine called Panic.

[@XAVIERAZADI]

GOOD STUFF

[@johnkoval1898]

Back in the 70s my parents were perpetually annoyed at my reading of both Mad Magazine and Heavy Metal magazine.

[@butch405]

God, I love(d) these Guys!

[@angelacarville3442]

My generation went from Mad to National Lampoon. And yes, they both died for electronic reasons...

[@jasonz7788]

Bravo

[@davidhayes7596]

There's always a certain kid that buys it and passed around on the school bus eventually finding it's way to me. Irony meets sarcasm.

[@BB120776]

5:58 "Dumb" doesn't necessarily mean "bad".

[@johnnymcneal5914]

They even drove their closest competitor Cracked magazine out of business

[@MrGaryg20047]

MAD magazine should have created something about 60 minutes HA!

[@TheGuerillapatriot]

Genius.

[@lelanddthompsonlll8560]

This MAM Is MAD

[@arthurtripp6922]

WE WILL MISS THIS PART OF AMERICA'S FUN .

[@rollboy2989]

The reporter looks like the father of prince alfer e neumann :D

[@richsackett3423]

Yes, Morely it was dying and is now dead. RIP Mad Magazine.

[@TheGuerillapatriot]

I never thought it was for kids

[@everettamador9885]

The best Anti-smoking Ads...

[@ChristophBartlett]

“… what’s the title?”

[@mahmerkhan1287]

6:46

[@malvinderkaur541]

how dare they say you guys are idiots.. its such wonderfool humor including the animation drawing and quips and stories and sketches especially political ones..

[@lelanddthompsonlll8560]

From the dark side to the good side.

[@harrymingelickr883]

Before there was south Park

[@jamessherosick2747]

Yeah, don't believe everything you hear on 60 minutes.

[@JohnLee-mk1tj]

Wow would love to see what they would do with todays madness and crazy's 🤣

[@jasondashney]

They would've had to go woke unless they were on some South Park shit. They seem to be the only ones able to do and say whatever they want.

[@iansouthward7991]

I wondered whatever happened to the BeeGees!

[@BOMBER_GBF_DBL_SUK_FBI]

From Bill Gaines to Bill Gates …

[@vladimirarellano3715]

Is that a fucking noose in the background

[@madeleinevandevelde5011]

Loved Mad. Pity american spirit has changed.

[@lelanddthompsonlll8560]

What is wrong with 60 minutes don't they know it's educational????? I learned tons of stuff... Bye weight The Most"

[@sliat1981]

Sadly Mad is dead now