It’s kind of sad to think that a lot of people don’t even know who Mort Drucker is, but he was in part responsible for Mad magazine becoming one of the greatest publications ever printed until it shut down recently. Drucker’s long history at the magazine is one of the main reasons he was such a well-known individual in his field, but his skill at drawing was absolutely legendary since it gave Mad magazine just a huge upswing that it became one of the most popular publications in the country thanks to the fact that Mort’s caricatures were so spot-on and that the material presented was absolutely hilarious. A lot of us can probably recall buying the new issue of Mad magazine and poring through it only to find ourselves smiling and even laughing at some of the stories and pictures that were featured inside. Mort had a lot to do with this and it was thanks to his absolute love of drawing to tell a story that allowed him to become so great in his own time. Sadly Mort passed away just a few days back, but already it’s easy to bid him a fond farewell and a very hearty thank you for his contributions since for a huge chunk of his life he spent his every working moment dedicating himself to his passion and to making people laugh aloud at what he had to offer.
Starting out at 18 years of age in the business, Mort went through plenty of years with other companies before latching onto Mad magazine where he would stick around for a long time before the publication finally ended. A lot of us are likely able to remember picking up an issue of the magazine when we were younger or even as we got older and finding something appealing withing the pages since it was designed to be a complete spoof rag that had one goal: create comedy and get people to laugh. From the main feature to the smaller comics that were plastered throughout each issue, Mad magazine was something that entertained a lot of readers that wanted something goofy and off the wall to follow and gave them a different look at entertainment since there weren’t a lot of people or movies and TV shows that were spared from gracing the pages of Mad at one point or another. A lot of comedians and actors went on to state that Mad magazine actually helped them in their career since it was a mark of high praise to be featured within the pages of each issue.
At one point the magazine even spoofed The Empire Strikes Back and George Lucas’ lawyers jumped the gun and wrote a cease and desist order to get the issue pulled and everything to do with the issue destroyed. What’s funny about that story is that, unbeknownst to the lawyers, George Lucas wrote the magazine and stated that he actually enjoyed the piece that they did. Eventually George came to stand between his lawyers and Mad magazine since he didn’t really care if they spoofed his material as just like so many others he came to realize that as much as the magazine parodied his work, they did so out of mutual respect and because people actually enjoyed it without losing any respect for the source material that Mad pulled from. There have definitely been some individuals over the years that didn’t really care to see themselves in the magazine but overall the process has been a positive one and Mort Drucker was there for a lot of it as he kind of led the way with his stunning artwork and ability to pull together a story with his craft. In fact a lot of people would say that for a while he was one of the most important people involved with the magazine, and that without him things would have been very different.
Every now and then there are those that come along that help change the course of something that eventually becomes historical and is known wide and far by a multitude of people. Mad magazine has been around since before a lot of us were born and had a chance to thrive for a good long while as it became one of the funniest rags on the newsstand for a time. Mort’s contributions were seen in pretty much every issue and as an artist he became one of the most widely known among his peers and one of those that many celebrities came to know since he drew their likeness a dozen times or more. At one point being drawn by Mort Drucker was high praise, and it still is today since it’s a testament to his skill and his attention to detail. Like all those who make their mark in this world he’s going to be missed. Rest in peace sir.
Follow Us
