Al Jaffee’s Upcoming Art Show Needs Your Money, So Hand It Over Before Things Get Rough

Al Jaffee, living legend and America's sweetheart, is best known to everyone for his work as a cartoonist for Mad magazine. He did several memorable features including Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions, bizarre inventions, and most notably, the Mad Fold-in. My dad remembers being a kid and recognizing that the cartoonists working in Mad were stars, about three levels of quality above most comic book and even newspaper comic artists. Everyone knows what the Mad Fold-in is, but that's not all there is to Al. Al's been working in comics since the Golden Age of the medium and he still is. Think of all the talents that came and went while Al kept working steadily. Al Jaffee is the Rolling Stones of the comics medium, albeit in a fantasy universe where everything after "Some Girls" wasn't dogshit.

A book about Al's life has just been published by Harper Collins. It's called Al Jaffee's Mad Life, written by Mary-Lou Weisman with illustrations by none other than Al himself. I got a brief account of Al's life and point of view when I interviewed him last year and am feverishly anticipating the owning and reading of this book. Many people hit a point in their lives where they get foggy, and their recollections become idealized. I just finished reading Bozo the Clown's autobiography and that guy comes off as a self-adoring asshole. Al Jaffee's memory is incredibly sharp and honest, meaning that this should be one hell of a read.

Coinciding with the release of the book, MoCCA is hosting a show of Al's art, celebrating the dynamic creative force that is this guy. When I e-mailed Al about the show he was busy working at his summer home and apologized for not responding sooner. What a guy!

Vice: Hey Al, how does it feel to have a book documenting the events of your life while you're still living?
Al Jaffee: Raking through old memories of my life, which was not at all smooth sailing, was surprisingly unemotional for me. I learned to jettison emotion in favor of day to day survival and concentrated on drawing and making things. If I focused on problems I'd have gone mad--which I eventually did. By that I mean MAD, which opened up a whole new world of enjoying art and getting paid to do it. Very sad memories came up constantly while being interviewed but I dealt with it and moved on. All in all it was a rewarding experience and a pleasure to work with my biographer, Mary-Lou Weisman.

Was it strange drawing cartoons of events from your own life?
I did not feel strange about illustrating my early life which stretched back over 80 years. What amazed me is when I started drawing a scene, details that I thought I'd long forgotten popped into my hand as if it was working on its own. I know that sounds weird, but the truth is you can't research your personal experiences. It is in your subconscious and comes to the surface when you scratch at it.

Tell me about this art show that MoCCA's throwing. Why does it need donations?
The MoCCA show will feature several dozen illustrations from Al Jaffee's Mad Life. There will also be many additional pieces of art from my career.

The fundraising is to cover MoCCA's expenses for framing, publicity, etc. We had hoped our publisher would take care of this but it's not a policy they follow. I will personally add my two cents to the pot.

Nicholas, I hope this helps. I'm not much of a straight writer. I'm more comfortable with something silly like Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions. I greatly appreciate that you are doing this in Vice. And thanks for the kind words you said about my career.

If you would like to donate to help shoulder the costs of this show check out the Kickstarter page.

The show opens in 12 days, although a specific time and date have not yet been advertised. Check out MoCCA's site for more info, moccany.org.