Tom's Mad Blog
October 12th, 2022 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Here’s another in our series of TV detective sketches, James Garner as “Jim Rockford” from “The Rockford Files”. This one I remember well from watching as it aired on TV, as my parents never missed the show. James Garner was terrific as the lead, and his character was very atypical as a TV private detective. Unlike the usual trope of the tough guy who would take on multiple bad guys often, Rockford tried to avoid physical fights and preferred to talk his way out of trouble (although if necessary he was plenty capable with his fists). He played the role with a charisma and everyman charm that… READ MORE
October 10th, 2022 | Posted in MAD Magazine
There’s no place like Monday! There’s no place like Monday! It’s time for another trip over the rainbow with another look back at my work for MAD. Today we drop in on one of the most unique pieces I ever did for the magazine. Is it a movie parody? Yes.. sort of. Is it a political piece? Yes, definitely. Does it contain a ridiculous number of caricatures of political reporters, commentators and satirists? That would be a big “you betcha”. We are not in Kansas anymore! Desmond Devlin wrote this six pager called “The Wizard of O” for MAD #505, Oct 2010. This was a… READ MORE
October 5th, 2022 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
I had a lot of fun drawing Peter Falk last week and I thought a series of caricatures of famous TV detectives, both the professional and amateur type, would be fun as well. So, the second subject in our series of sleuths is Angela Lansbury, who starred in the long running and immensely popular show “Murder, She Wrote” back in the 80’s/90’s. Despite being a huge ratings hit, running for 12 seasons, AND being nominated for an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series a record TWELVE times (one for each season), she never won one… which is also a record. She did better with the Golden Globes,… READ MORE
October 4th, 2022 | Posted in MAD Magazine
I haven’t done one of these for two years because… why ? MAD is almost all reprinted classic material these days. Not this issue, though! There are a number of new pieces in MAD #28 (aka MAD #578, Dec 2022) to celebrate the magazine’s 70th anniversary! This issue officially released today, and while MAD is usually only available by subscription and in comic book shops, this issue is available at Barnes & Noble. Cover: Mark Fredrickson, Suzy Hutchinson (writer) Weird Al Loves Wacky Jaffee- “Weird Al” Yankovic, “Plain Ed” Steckley MAD Reader– Harvey Kurtzman, Basil Wolverton (MAD #11, May 1954) The MAD “Effluent Society” Pollution… READ MORE
October 3rd, 2022 | Posted in MAD Magazine
It’s Monday! That means it’s time to race headlong into another look back at the car wreck that was my work for MAD Magazine. This week’s MADness is a look back at a three pager my CLAPTRAP cohort Desmond Devlin and I did for MAD #504, August 2010. Back then Toyota was in some hot water for an “unexplained acceleration” issue with their card that resulted in a lawsuit and investigation. This was a play on that with the Toy Story gang. Originally I just did a movie poster spoof that was a little different than the above for the MAD website, but then they expanded it into a short story for… READ MORE
September 28th, 2022 | Posted in MAD Magazine
As promised, here’s one more close up sneak peek of a part of the splash page from Desmond Devlin and my new movie spoof in the 70th anniversary issue of MAD, due out Oct. 4. Yes, that’s Des and me making a cameo! MAD let the bat out of the bag (!!) last week and told everyone the movie is “The Batman”. Look for it along with a number of other new pieces by the likes of Dick DeBartolo, Sergio Aragonés, Sam Viviano, John Ficarra, Tom Bunk, Peter Kuper, Johnny Sampson, and special guests “Weird Al” Yankovic (with Ed Steckley art) and Jordan Peele (with… READ MORE
September 28th, 2022 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
I was a bit young to have watched “Columbo” in its first run, but it was a favorite of my parents so I remember it through osmosis. Peter Falk created one of the most memorable TV detectives of all time in Frank Columbo. His trademark rumpled overcoat and suit, half smoked cigar, unkept appearance and mild mannered, unassuming demeanor have become the stuff of television legend along with his trademark remark “just one more thing…” before springing a crucial question on a suspect that leads to closing his case. This is the first in a new series of “famous TV sleuths” I’m going to be doing for the… READ MORE
September 26th, 2022 | Posted in Mailbag
Don’t go getting your quarks all in a bunch… I know it’s Monday and that means it’s time to get our hadrons on and examine more of the decaying matter that was my work for MAD Magazine. This week we pick up where we left off last Monday, and look at the other piece I had in MAD #503, May 2010. That was a very short parody of the TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”, written by my CLAPTRAP cohort Desmond Devlin. The part about this job I remember most was trying to figure out the best way to handle the “chalkboard” caricatures that were… READ MORE
