Dick Debartolo

DeBartolo, who has had material published in every issue dating back to 1966, started with MAD after its formative years but before it had become a cultural institution. His relationship with Gaines forms the center of the book, showing how he creating and shepherded magazine through the years. Gaines’s personality is a curious one—he would lavish his staff with intermittent trips but not approve pay raises and question long distance charges on the bill. He would spend money to ensure that the magazine looked “cheap.”

Of more interest are the constant “forewords” sprinkled throughout the book. These two-page snippets allow the other MAD contributors to shine, all while waxing nostalgic about their former boss. Much like the magazine itself, there are small nuggets of humor buried throughout the margins and extra pages. While the history of magazine was interesting, it’s these extras that make the book worth it.

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