Mad #493 (John Ficarra) - Barack Obama Issue - September 2008

The Mad editors correctly predicted the winner of the 2008 Presidential election with the cover drawing of Obama/Alfred by Mark Fredrickson.  Mr. Obama was also featured as the "46-Year-Old Political Virgin" in a Mad Political Poster.  At the same time, Republican candidate John McCain is the star of the "No Country for Old Man" poster.  Artist Gary Hallgren continues his comic strip parodies with one more "Calvin and Jobs" in Fundalini and seven "Amy" strips replacing Cathy as the human train-wreck.  Ms. Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) was also the subject of Al Jaffee's fold-in.  In addition, the summer movie parodies have finally arrived with "Inadiaper Jones and the Kingdom of the Creative Dry Spell" appearing three months after the IndianaAlf cover; and "The Chronic-ills of Yawnia: Prince Thespian" coming two months after the NarniaAlf cover.  Mad writer Arnie Kogen changed Indiana's name 12 times: Inadiaper, Inbanana, Incontinent, Influenza, Incompetent, Inadequate, Imby, Indigestion, Inconsistent, Impertinent, Incorrigible and Inanimate.  Both articles are excellent parodies that seem to be out of place in this issue.  [JAM 12/14/2014]

Departments:
Random Acts of Mindless - The Fundalini Pages  [Celebrity Cause-of-Death Betting Odds - Miley Cyrus]
Rookie Monster - The 46-Year-Old Political Virgin
An Indy Film - Inadiaper Jones and the Kingdom of the Creative Dry Spell
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Summer Fun
Crack is Aack! - Amy by Amy Winehouse
In Blog We Trust - Planet Tad!!!!!
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Sloppy Disc - Now That's What I Call Monotony!
Angster's Paradise - Monroe and ... The New Phone
Hitting the Snail on the Head - What if Slugs Fought in Fixed Martial Arts Competition?  [fake department]
The High Corpse of Living - When the Recession Hits Funeral Homes
Lauren Order - Mad Heads for The Hills Outtakes
Trip Tease - The Mad World of Travel
Leave it to Geezer - No Country for Old Man
Whose Lion is it Anyway? - The Chonic-ills of Yawnia - Prince Thespian
Observation Dreck - What the Heck is the Difference?

Fold-In - Amy Winehouse