Mad #280 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - Raiola & Kadau Issue - July 1988

When Editor Al Feldstein retired from Mad (#256), the writing team of Joe Raiola and Charlie Kadau was hired as editorial assistants to Meglin and Ficarra.  By issue #280, they were known as "associate editors."  They are currently known as "senior editors."  After the "lemon" issue (Mad #279), the associate editors apparently decided to take matters into their own hands by writing five articles for Mad #280: "New Cigarette Warning Labels You May Have Missed" (idea by Anne Gaines), "A Mad Peek Behind the Scenes at a High School Prom," "Gary Hartland," "When Other Comic Strips Start Using the 'Far Side' Formula" and the back cover "Vote Mad in '88."  The best of the five is the Far Side parody that Charlie wrote without Joe.  Bob Clarke did a great job of drawing in the style of ten popular cartoonists.  The jokes for Garfield and Cathy were better than those comic strips ever produced.  Raiola & Kadau are certainly capable editors and assets to Mad but how did they miss the fact that two of the movie parodies ended with the same joke (ALF non sequitur) in this issue. [JAM 8/23/2011]

Departments:
Ifs, Ands And Butts - New Cigarette Warning Labels You May Have Missed
The Tux Flocks Here - A Mad Peek Behind the Scenes at a High School Prom
Drum Schtick - Drama on Page 8
Tour of Doody - 3 Morons and a Baby
Anchor Sore - Broadcast Snooze
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Tales From the Duck Side - Duck Edwing Rushes into the Emergency Room
Eyewitness Ruse - Tricks of the Trade in Local TV News
All the Nukes That's Fit to Print - Mad's Post Nuclear Publications
Carnival Knowledge - Gary Hartland
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
Get a Piece of the Schlock - Mad's Comprehensive Modern-Day Disaster, Hazard & Problem Insurance
Frank on a Roll - Schwarzenegger
Grand Larson-y - When Other Comic Strips Start Using "The Far Side" Formula
Gall of the House of Ushers - Mad's Plan for Improving Movie Theatres
Charge of the Tight Brigade - Talk About Cheap!
Where the Wild Things Star - Beauty Is the Beast
Writes of Passage - A Mad Good Luck Chain Letter

Fold-In - Couch Potato