Mad #415 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - Smellville Issue - March 2002

At this stage of his artistic career, Mort Drucker was limited to three or four full parodies per year with some single drawings here and there.  Unlike some other artists of his age (not named here), the quality of Drucker's drawings never declined.  If anything, the 2002 drawings are good as any in his long Mad career.  For #415, Drucker the cover and the featured five-page parody of Smallville written by Dick DeBartolo.  The double-splash-page is excellent and every caricature is right on the money.  In addition, the Drucker humor is evident throughout the article.  I love the fact that the microphone cord of the school reporter is plugged into her navel.  Drucker also added "Max Korn" to a football; there is an unusual hood ornament on the fertilizer truck; and why is there a spittoon on the picnic table?  Forty-five years after his first appearance in Mad #32, Mort Drucker is going strong.  Every issue of Mad is better with his drawings in it. 

Four months after the traumatic attackss of September 11, 2001, some of the Mad writers were starting to ease back into current events for their subject matters.  Desmond Devlin contributed three pages aimed at the president's "Environmental Plan".  Joe Raiola & Charlie Kadau delved into controversial territory with "The Taliban-Related Book Craze" that included "Where's Osama? In Afghanistan" and "Are You There Allah?  It's Me Osama".  And, Al Jaffee jumped back into the fray with his provocative question: "What civil liberty will Americans never give up, even during international conflicts?"  In these dangerous and confusing times, we need to see the truth in the pages of Mad. [JAM 3/12/2014]

Color Pages: 34 of 56 pages (61%)
Humorous Content: 47 of 56 pages (84%)

Departments:
Tales From the Clark Side - Smellville
All Bidding Aside - Mad's Ecchbay Item of the Month
The Hogwarts Distress - Rejected Harry Potter Merchandise
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Street Vendors
The Truth is in There - Still More Instant Movie Reviews
Angster's Paradise - Monroe & ... The Congressman
Ginger Ails - Unintended and Unfortunate Consequences of "It"
Position Control - Ways NASA Can Appeal to the 18-34 Male Demographic
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
Cereal Killers - What if Capt. Crunch Was Brought Before a Military Tribunal?  [fake department]
Oil's Fair in Love And War - Key Points of George W. Bush's Environmental Plan
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Head of the Crass - When Teachers Go Bad
Plane Stupid - Behind Empty Lines
Grieving Las Vegas - Mad's Celebrity Cause-of-Death Betting Odds  [Madonna]
Shelf Abuse - New Children's Titles to Cash in on the Taliban-Related Book Craze

Fold-In - SUV