Mad #256 (Albert Feldstein, Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - Last Feldstein Issue - July 1985

Editor Al Feldstein rescued Mad for publisher Bill Gaines in 1956 when Harvey Kurtzman (1924-1993) quit the magazine and took most of the artists with him.  Feldstein rebuilt the staff by adding superstars Mort Drucker, Don Martin (1931-2000), Dave Berg (1920-2002), Frank Jacobs, Antonio Prohias (1921-1998), Sergio Aragones, George Woodbridge (1930-2004), Angelo Torres and many others.  With a new "gang of idiots," Feldstein shepherded Mad through its most commercially successful period and met 228 deadlines.  He now lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he spends his time painting wildlife scenes.  An excellent interview of Al Feldstein appeared in The Journal of MADness #10 (John Hett, August 2000).

Coincidentally (or maybe not), the departure of Feldstein also marked the return of Mad founders Kurtzman and Will Elder (1921-2008).  After leaving Mad, the team of Kurtzman & Elder struggled to sell publications Trump, Humbug, and Help!  They finally succeeded with Little Annie Fanny that was a very popular feature in Playboy from 1962 to 1988.  In Mad #256, Kutrzman & Elder created a single page (mask of New York anti-mugger Bernard Goetz who shot four alleged muggers in the subway in December 1984) as a "special bonus" on page 35. 

Mad contributors Charlie Kadau and Joe Raiola were promoted to "editorial assistants."

The new editors decided to give credit to those who provided ideas for Don Martin pages.  Mat Jacobs (2) and Don Edwing received writing credit for the three Martin pages in the issue. [JAM 4/3/2011]

Look for Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street in "Beverly Hills Cop Out."

Departments:
Getting Too Big for Its Bitches - Die-Nasty
Don Martin - One Fine Sunday Afternoon in the Jungle; One Fine Tuesday Morning Uptown; One Fine Friday Evening Downtown
Ringsnide Seat - The Mad Wrestling Primer
For Bettor Or Worse - Raising Money with Other Forms of Legalized Gambling
Heaving Can't Wait - The Potrzebie Maneuver
Blanking in the Dark - Porn in the U.S.A.
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
Shelf Abuse - Mad's Trendy Book of the Month Club
Canvassing Business - If Advertisers Made Use of the Old Masters
Crash Course - The Mad Practical Driving Test
A Face Only a Mugger Could ... - The Mad "Goetz Mask"
Tips For Zips - Pastimes For Nerds
Lager Heads - If the Miller Lite Gang Ever Ran the Country
Whys Up - Mad's Really Perplexing Mysteries of Life
Murphy's Flaw - Beverly Hills Cop Out

Fold-In - VHS Tape