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Cooley Hurd

(26,877 posts)
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 05:35 PM Jul 2016

MAD Magazine illustrator Jack Davis dies

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/jack-davis-legendary-mad-magazine-ec-comics-artist-dead-91-article-1.2728531

Jack Davis, the iconic cartoonist who fleshed out the grisly horror titles at the heart of the ‘50s crusade against comics and humored the readers of Mad Magazine, has died, Athens, Georgia's WGAU radio reported.

He was 91.

</snip>

Davis eventually found even greater fame when he started contributing work for another of Gaines’ fledgling publications — a humor magazine called “Mad.” He contributed to the first 30 issues, and then returned in the mid ‘60s and became a mainstay for several decades.

His wacky doodlings couldn’t be contained on the page: Davis contributed a number of memorable movie posters to cinemas, including “American Graffiti,” “Animal House,” “It’s a Mad, Mad World” and Woody Allen’s “Bananas.”

</snip>


You know his art:



Cross gently, Jack, and THANK YOU!!!
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MAD Magazine illustrator Jack Davis dies (Original Post) Cooley Hurd Jul 2016 OP
He was part of my life malaise Jul 2016 #1
Me too! Cooley Hurd Jul 2016 #2
Me Three Big_K Jul 2016 #27
Oh, no! I grew up with MAD, my Dad was a long time subscriber Rhiannon12866 Jul 2016 #3
My second subscription as a child (after Highlights) was MAD... Cooley Hurd Jul 2016 #4
We got comics and my Dad got MAD, LOL Rhiannon12866 Jul 2016 #9
And the originals! Archae Jul 2016 #35
Same here. nt awoke_in_2003 Jul 2016 #14
Those were the days. Even my Dad liked Mad. Eleanors38 Jul 2016 #5
:-( I am grieving with Alfred E. Newman CentralMass Jul 2016 #6
K&R He will be missed. Photographer Jul 2016 #7
One of the genuine greats in his field. RIP. (nt) Paladin Jul 2016 #8
His fans will have to learn to get by with fewer smiles now that he is gone... TheDebbieDee Jul 2016 #10
That makes me so sad PlanetBev Jul 2016 #11
It's doubly tough for us Georgia fans and alumni. GaYellowDawg Jul 2016 #12
loved his work R.I P. Demonaut Jul 2016 #13
I was a faithful Mad reader back in the day workinclasszero Jul 2016 #15
This was sad news for me. HughBeaumont Jul 2016 #16
The best! Scurrilous Jul 2016 #17
How 'Bout Them Dawgs! jpak Jul 2016 #18
I grew up with and cherish this man's artwork. Frank Cannon Jul 2016 #19
Potrzebie. Iggo Jul 2016 #20
Junior High staple BumRushDaShow Jul 2016 #21
I met him 25-30 years ago. Wonderful man. RIP Jack. nt TeamPooka Jul 2016 #22
**SIGH** 2naSalit Jul 2016 #23
Aw man. Classic stuff...great memories of MAD. cyberswede Jul 2016 #24
My 6th grade teacher smacked me on the back of the head once Tarc Jul 2016 #25
I grew up on Mad Magazine. This sucks that all the old timers are dying Feeling the Bern Jul 2016 #26
Sorry JoeOtterbein Jul 2016 #28
Loved the MAD of my youth (and before my time.) They were brilliant! GreenPartyVoter Jul 2016 #29
Rarely has someone's work, wit and p.o.v. fit the times so perfectly. TonyPDX Jul 2016 #30
I worked with him decades ago Auggie Jul 2016 #31
loved his work forever eleny Jul 2016 #32
Jack say Hello to George........ Historic NY Jul 2016 #33
requiescat in pace niyad Jul 2016 #34

Rhiannon12866

(222,956 posts)
3. Oh, no! I grew up with MAD, my Dad was a long time subscriber
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 05:39 PM
Jul 2016

My brother and I read them, too, though we probably didn't understand half of it. That is very sad...

Rhiannon12866

(222,956 posts)
9. We got comics and my Dad got MAD, LOL
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 05:46 PM
Jul 2016

I imagine they are still somewhere in the basement. And I still can remember a lot of their parody songs!

PlanetBev

(4,220 posts)
11. That makes me so sad
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 05:55 PM
Jul 2016

Mad was so far ahead of it's time. I remember I was eleven years old when "Like Mad" came out, with Alfred E. Newman as a beatnik. From then on I was hooked. I also loved the cartooning of Mort Drucker. His specialty was political characters like JFK.

R.I.P Jack.

GaYellowDawg

(4,886 posts)
12. It's doubly tough for us Georgia fans and alumni.
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 05:56 PM
Jul 2016

Davis loved our alma mater, and did a whole lot of UGA-themed artwork. He is as big a loss to UGA fans as Larry Munson was.









We are really going to miss him.

HughBeaumont

(24,461 posts)
16. This was sad news for me.
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 06:09 PM
Jul 2016

He was a 70s staple, but I was surprised how long of a career he had . . . he was with Mad since they were a comic book and the last surviving member of the EC horror comics.

Frank Cannon

(7,570 posts)
19. I grew up with and cherish this man's artwork.
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 06:20 PM
Jul 2016

I wish that we had cartoonists today that could carry on his legacy. I don't know of anyone who produces his level of detail and humor in every panel created. That was a MAD magazine thing that he got competing with other artists like Will Elder and Wally Wood, and he carried that "humor density" with him everywhere he went.

This has really been a shitty year for original artists.

Godspeed you, Jack Davis. You are one of my artistic heroes.

2naSalit

(92,969 posts)
23. **SIGH**
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 06:36 PM
Jul 2016

MAD Magazine was one of the mags that made sense of the world for me a s kid in rural New England, my older sister, rest her soul, bought every issue for many years and I would always borrow it. And this the week of the year that she passed last year.



cyberswede

(26,117 posts)
24. Aw man. Classic stuff...great memories of MAD.
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 06:40 PM
Jul 2016

I just turned my 13 yo daughter on to some old MAD paperbacks I have. Bummer.

Tarc

(10,575 posts)
25. My 6th grade teacher smacked me on the back of the head once
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 06:45 PM
Jul 2016

It's almost too stereotypical to be believable, but I really was doing the hide-a-MAD-Magazine-inside-the-textbook, and got caught.

 

Feeling the Bern

(3,839 posts)
26. I grew up on Mad Magazine. This sucks that all the old timers are dying
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 06:56 PM
Jul 2016

Prohias was the first I mourned. . .he died and Spy V. Spy died.

TonyPDX

(962 posts)
30. Rarely has someone's work, wit and p.o.v. fit the times so perfectly.
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 07:12 PM
Jul 2016

His brilliant, irreverent work introduced me to satire and informed me that others were out there laughing at the hypocrisy and bullshit around us. I am so happy Jack Davis was born, and wish I could have thanked him personally for his vision.

Auggie

(31,822 posts)
31. I worked with him decades ago
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 07:20 PM
Jul 2016

hired him freelance for advertising assignments. Like a lot of boomers I grew with Mad, so working with Davis was a dream come true. Classy guy. Real pro.

eleny

(46,166 posts)
32. loved his work forever
Wed Jul 27, 2016, 07:35 PM
Jul 2016

we have the big bananas poster in our living room. i know it's controversial now because of w.a. but it's jack davis first & foremost.

rip, jack, and thank you for keeping me such a kid after all these many decades.

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