The iconic Mad Magazine is coming to the silver screen, in a new documentary by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, D.C., and R.J. Cutler’s production hub This Machine. The movie is set to be directed by Jessica Yu, who won the Academy Award in 1996 for Best Documentary Short with her film Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien. Yu also directed the movie, Quiz Lady in 2023 starring Sandra Oh, Awkwafina, and Will Ferrell. The magazine that has been a part of American culture for 71 years is getting a ticket to Hollywood.
Mad Magazine was created in 1952 by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines. The magazine is known for its sharp, witty, and often divisive satirical humor. The magazine gained wide success following its first publication and has taken its place within the zeitgeist of many generations as a voice of political and cultural dissent within the world of absurd, often brash humor.
The documentary, which is yet to have a title, is set to explore Mad Magazine’s origins up until its final issue in April of 2018. D.C., the owners of the magazine, have given Yu and the rest of her filmmaking team full access to archives for the movie.
In April, American cartoonist, Al Jaffee, passed away at the age of 102. Jaffee was the longest-running contributor to Mad Magazine working with the magazine for 65 years. Jaffee is responsible for the trademark feature of the ‘Mad Fold-Ins,” which was an image that would reveal itself when folded into thirds. The cartoons became a staple of the magazine up until its shutdown in 2018.
The documentary is currently in production, however, no release date has been set.
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