Sunday Mailbag

Q: What is your favorite movie parody? What is the favorite movie parody you have drawn?

A. The mailbag questions have begun to flow again!

I will assume the first part of your question is my favorite movie parody ever, whether I worked on it or not. I have not read every one MAD has ever published, but I have read a lot of them, and I think my favorite is “The Oddfather”, art by Mort Drucker and written by Larry Siegel. I know that sounds like an obvious answer, but I can’t help it. First, “The Godfather” is one of the greatest movies ever made, and the subject matter doesn’t get any better. Second, it was a long and satisfying nine pages. Third, it was funny, and the writing ran the gambit from one panel gags to multi panel gags, gags that worked within the story and gags that stepped out of the story, particularly the ending. Finally, I consider this the best art by Mort in this long and brilliant career with MAD. Mort’s style, like with any great artist, evolved over the years. It was always great, but personally I think he hit a stylistic peak with this parody. Early in his career with MAD his comic book roots were heavily apparent in his work, and he slowly grew into the caricature/continuity/illustration style until his caricatures became seamless with his figure work and scenes, and he established and perfected his totally unique look. Today his work has evolved more into the illustrative, with a softer approach using textures and less line. For “The Oddfather” it is obvious the subject matter, the faces, the script and the timing all combined at just the right point in his work that magic literally happened. The crowd scenes, action and secondary characters combined with some of his most vivid and strong caricatures to make the best parody art ever in the magazine… in my humble opinion, at least.

As for the favorite movie parody I have drawn… it might be “Barebutt Mountain”. “Battyman Begone” I also liked, but I had more fun with visual gags in “Barebutt”, even if some of the art didn’t turn out as well as I’d have liked.