Idiots Online!

A couple of old school Usual Idiots are getting decidedly new school by bringing their legendary foolishness to the Interwebs!

Angelo Torres is one of the most prolific MAD artists ever, appearing in 282 issues since his debut in MAD #130 (Oct 1969). He helped define the movie/TV parody genre with his fantastic caricature work and witty storytelling. His work also appeared in earlier E.C. titles, Atlas Comics and Warren titles like Eerie and Creepy. He’s won numerous awards including the prestigious Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cartoonists Society. In short, Ange is a Big Deal.

Angelo recently launched a website, where you can see tons of his terrific work and even buy an original or two! He also has an Instagram feed where you can see not just some great art but lots of images from the Golden Age of MAD, E.C., and comics in general.

It’s hard to come up with superlatives to do justice to any description of Al Jaffee. No one has invented an appropriate word or adjective for him. “Legend”, “master”, “genius”, “ubermensch”… they just fall short. Al has done it all, from gag cartoons to syndicated comic strips to book illustration to, of course, MAD Magazine. It’s fair to say that Al and MAD are synonymous, his being by far the most prolific MAD writer/artist having appeared in 508 issues since his debut in MAD #25 (Sept 1955). His features like “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions” and the classic “MAD Fold-In” are part of the magazine’s DNA. Al has won too many awards to list here, but some of the highlights would be being inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame, and the Reuben for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society. Al is also in the Guinness Book of World Records as having “the longest career as a comics artist” at 73 years, 3 months (this in March 2016), noting he had worked continuously in comics since his first published work in 1942. Al worked for another 2 plus years after than, breaking the 75 year mark.

See what I mean… what single word describes that???

Al also recently launched a website chock full of his brilliant work, pictures from his career, and even tribute art from other artists! Yes, he has an online store with books, originals, and other fun stuff. Al also has both an Instragram and a Twitter feed, both highly entertaining and very active. Al turns 99 next month, but he still hasn’t run out of jokes.

Do yourselves a favor and follow these two legends. You’re guaranteed some laughs from a couple of Idiots that know from funny.

Note: Thanks to Doug Gilford’s MAD Cover Site and Mike Slaubaugh’s MAD Lists site for the UGOI stats!