Mad #397 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - David Shayne Issue - September 2000

David Shayne published his first article ("Books to Make Children More Politically Aware") in Mad #330.  Nine issues later he was listed as an assistant editor.  He remained as a member of the editorial staff for 69 issues until he decided to take his writing talent to television while also sending the occasional freelance article to Mad.  However, the pinnacle of Mr. Shayne's professional career occurred on page 42 of Mad #397 in Dave Berg's "The Lighter Side of the Office".  Shayne received the full Berg treatment as the butt of his joke about non-working staff members with Founder Bill Gaines watching from the frame on the wall.  By this time, Shayne has risen within the organization from assistant editor to associate editor while former associate editors Charlie Kadau and Joe Raiola became senior editors.  While Berg delivered his usual product, the best article of the issue was "Alternate Designs for the New $20 Bill" written by Darren Johnson with some great drawings by Scott Bricher.  This issue also included some really tasteless jokes about Taco Bell and a small dog.  [JAM 12/21/2013]

Departments:
Crowe's Feat - Gatorader
Angster's Paradise - Monroe & ... The High Seas Part II
Dumb & Dahmer - Legitimate Gripes of Your Average Serial Killer
The Schmucks Stop Here - Melvin & Jenkins' Guide to Hospitals
The Bucks Flop Here - Alternate Designs for the New $20 Bill
Guided Missive Attacks - Letters to Britney Spears
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
An Embarrassment of Richard's - A Mad Peek Behind the Scenes at a Modern Health Spa
Airing Their Dirty Quandary - Modern Celebrity Couple Dilemmas
The Armed Farces - Mad's Modern Military Course Catalog
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Swimming Pools
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
The Choker's Wild - If Bobby Knight Coached the Special Olympics  [Fake Department]
Piers Today, Gone Tomorrow - Selecting the Right High School Clique for You
Grieving Las Vegas - Mad's Celebrity Cause-of-Death Betting Odds  [The Taco Bell Chihuahua]

Fold-In - George W. Bush