Mad #544 (John Ficarra) - Not Another Trump - April 2017

If only.  Sadly, Mad editors could not possibly ignore the election of a new president; no matter how dysfunctional he may be.  The artists and writers try very hard to make light of this tragic event.  But, this man has no sense of humor.  Where will Mad go from here?  The "Letters and Tomatoes" page show this incredibly egotistical man bragging about his image on magazine covers including Mad (exploding head) and Esquire ("Hater in Chief").  Does he realize at all that most of these editors are mocking him?  "The Fundalini Pages" make fun of Trump fans: Chris Christie, Linda McMahon and Vlad Putin; his bizarre opinions re Broadway Shows; and his love for Twitter.  Is any of this funny?  Not for me.  Writer Jeff Kruse compares Trump to all of the previous presidents ("How Donald Trump Stacks Up Against the Other 43 U.S. Presidents").  This is a clever exercise but also deeply depressing.  The best of the Trump jokes appear in Desmond Devlin's parody of Family Circus ("The Trump Family Circus") with excellent drawings by Mad veteran, Tom Richmond.  Again, The Minority President Trump is portrayed as a humorless and dangerous hulk.  Richmond's drawings of the Trump children as adolescents, and Republicans Ryan and McConnell as hapless witnesses, are right on the money.  Writer Nick Nomad and Artist Alejandro Rivas put Trump on Mount Rushmore ("One Miserable Day in North Dakota").  And, the writer/artist combination of Evan Waite and James Warhola place one subtle word ("Fear") in "An Advance Look at The Obama Presidential Library."  Matt Furie's Pepe-like frog and Al Jaffee's fold-in statement complete the issue's obsession with the results of the 2016 election.  Where can the Mad editors go from here?

Overshadowed by the Trump dump are two excellent non-political articles.  Writer Desmond Devlin and Artist Anton Emdin shine with the movie parody of the issue ("Fanatic Dweebs and How to Fleece Them").  The Emdin style is a welcome addition to the history of Mad movie spoofs.  The second great feature is "Dewey Derwin Destroys the World" written by Kenny Keil with Justin Peterson doing the artwork.  This four-page syfy adventure is the only really surprising offering in the current issue; and maybe the first new approach to humor in Mad in many years.  This first of the "Dewey" series opens a new door that may appeal to Millennials and others for years to come.  More of this, please!  [JAM 2/11/2017]

Departments:
Random Acts of Mindless - The Fundalini Pages
Out with the Old, in with the Newt - Fanatic Dweebs and How to Fleece Them
Rank And Vile - How Donald Trump Stacks Up Against Other U.S. Presidents
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Drones
Unsafe at Any Feed - Signs of an Unsuccessful Food Truck
In Blog We Trust - Planet Tad!!!!!
Keane Observations - The Trump Family Circus
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Berg's-Eye Askew - The Darker Side of ... The Lighter Side
Bad to the Stone - One Miserable Day in North Dakota
Wide And Prejudice - Mad Examines America's Fattest Bigot [fake department]
Pen And Stink - The Mad Strip Club
Evil Does It - Dewey Derwin Destroys the World
May the Floors Be with You - Mad's Elevator Inspection Certificate
Rotten to the Encore - The Mad Vault
Ear Today, Gone Tomorrow - Places Your Lost AirPod is Sure to Wind Up
Barack to the Future - An Advance Look at the Obama Presidential Library
Out with the Old, in with the Neuman - The Gap-Toothed Gallery

Fold-In - Cubs