Mad #545 (John Ficarra) - Arnie Kogen Issue - June 2017

Arnie Kogen is a prolific comedy writer who has been a Mad writer since 1959 (Mad #48 - "Graduation Speeches").  In the early days, he created the "Celebrity Wallet" feature and then became one the best known writers of movie and television parodies.  "Decimated Survivor" in this issue is 44th television series parody by Kogen.  He has also written 71 movie parodies including "Rosemia's Boo-Boo", "Botch Casually and the Somedunce Kid", "The Zing", "Casabonkers", "Fairest Shlump", "Plot Friction", "Bore of the Worlds" and "Spider-Sham 3".  His TV parodies include "The Man from A.U.N.T.I.E.", "Kojerk", "Crappy Days", "Beers", "Lotus & Cluck", and "The Olden Girls" (with son Jay).  Writing over seven decades for Mad, this is his 179th issue, exceeded only by Mad legendary writers Dick DeBartolo (460), Frank Jacobs (312), Desmond Devlin (212), Stan Hart (202) and Tom Koch (180).  In addition to his work for Mad, Kogen has been an outstanding television comedy writer - performing as a member of the three-time, Emmy-winning team with The Carol Burnett Show; and writing volumes of classic humor for Don Adams, Jan Murray, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, Soupy Sales, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Mary Tyler Moore, Rich Little, Tim Conway, Bob Newhart, Flip Wilson, Dick Van Dyke and many others.  Tom Bunk's double-splash page for Kogen's parody shows Mad editors Ficarra, Kadau, Raiola, Croatto; Alfred E. Neuman; Janitor Vladimir Putin; the Mad Zeppelin; Sponge Bob; and way-too-many Republican politicians.  [JAM 4/11/2017]

Departments:
Random Acts of Mindless - The Fundalini Pages
Symbol Pleasures - Hidden Messages in World Flags
A Death Star Is Born - Rough One: A Star Bores Snorer
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at YouTube
Alt-Write - No, Donald
Your Gas Is as Good as Mine - Trums
Rotten to the Encore - The Mad Vault
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
An Honest Day's Workout - Mad's Quick and Easy Office Exercises
Character Flawed - Dewey Derwin Destroys the World
Pen And Stink - The Mad Strip Club
Hail to the Kief - Decimated Survivor
Yakety Yak - If Wild Oxen Could Talk [fake department]
Torts Illustrated - Supreme Court Cases Waiting to be Heard
Out with the Old, in with the Neuman - The Gap-Toothed Gallery

Fold-In - Fracking