MAD

q&a Mad Magazine has been running its back-page satire Fold-In since 1964. What many don't realize is that one man has been the driving artistic force behind every Fold-In since then: Al Jaffee.

Now 91, Jaffee is still painting the Fold-In monthly, and says he has no plans to give it up. It started as a parody of a regular feature called the fold-out in much higher-brow (and higher-profile) publications of the time, and caught the public's attention instantly.

He now has numerous collections and books out, including "Tall Tales," a collection of his syndicated comic strip from the New York Herald-Tribune that had a unique vertical orientation; "The Mad Fold-In Collection: 1964-2010"; and a biography by Mary-Lou Weisman called "Al Jaffee's Mad Life: A Biography."

Jaffee hasn't missed an issue since he started, and his work is widely appreciated. In 2006, Stephen Colbert celebrated Jaffee's 85th birthday with the birthday cake equivalent of a Fold-In.

Since the Fold-In in this month's Mad answers the question, "What's the only thing unavailable on the Internet?" we figured we'd turn the tables on Jaffee and ask him some far less humorous questions of our own. … Read more

The Batcave is located in Gotham and the Daily Planet in Metropolis, but when I was in New York City recently, I got a chance to see where Alfred E. Neuman, Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince, and other comics characters really come from.

Getting a camera inside DC Comics is no mean feat, since photos can potentially reveal sensitive storyline information, and in the comics business, there's often a direct connection between storyline and marketing plan. At times I felt like I was visiting NORAD. … Read more

Despite Apple's ostensibly strict rules that prevent inappropriate content from its App Store, DC Entertainment, publisher of such upstanding heroes as Superman and Wonder Woman, is about to sneak through its first dedicated MAD Magazine app.

Not available until Sunday, which is known to watercooler comedians as both April Fools' Day and the birthday of MAD mascot Alfred E. Neuman, the MAD app might surprise you: it's not a waste of time.

Guarantees against it insulting your intelligence, however, have yet to be made.

The app itself will be free and offer some free content, although full issues … Read more

"Mad Men" returned to television last night after an interminably long wait. Mad Men: The Game on YouTube should help tide you over until the next episode airs.

There are more than 40 different videos in the game, so you have quite a few paths to explore -- with plenty of hard liquor and 8-bit cigarette smoke along the way. The game comes from the Fine Brothers, the same guys who brought us the "Saved by the Bell" interactive YouTube game.… Read more

It's March and at CBS that means NCAA hoops! March Madness officially kicks off with "Selection Sunday," the annual reveal of which 68 teams have been chosen to participate in the "Big Dance."

Players, teams, and fans across America eagerly await the announcement--broadcast live on CBS--and the analysis that ensues. Why? Because come the next morning, they'll either be practicing for their big shot at basketball greatness or filling out a bracket to take a crack at the office pool. A victory in either ensures eternal bragging rights!

Watch the 2012 NCAA Basketball Championship … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Wireless headsets for consoles are nothing new, but one that's officially licensed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 is totally unheard of.

Today Mad Catz introduced the very first of its kind under its newly acquired Tritton division, and it's shipping immediately. Dubbed The Primer, the wireless stereo headset was developed closely with Microsoft to "look and sound superb." Mad Catz claims it's the best value at its price ($100), but I'll be weighing in with what I think when I review the cans in the coming weeks.

Information is still vague on how exactly The Primer will connect to a 360, but a base station is still part of the setup. I'm not sure if the rig will bypass the annoying controller tether that all of these wireless headsets have historically required, but one would hope the codevelopment with Microsoft resulted in perks that go beyond just a seal of approval.

The rest of the headset's specs seem par for the course, including separate game and chat volume controls and an adjustable boom mic all operating on a 5.8GHz wireless spectrum.… Read more

CES isn't exactly gaming's biggest stage, but it seems each year its presence increases. At CES 2012, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo will all be at the big show. While it doesn't appear that Microsoft will have any new hardware on display, both Sony and Nintendo have lots to show off.

Sony is sure to be pushing the Vita, and I'm hoping to get a better idea of how the device will interact with its big cousin, the PlayStation 3. Sony has also told CNET there will be some new Vita games on the show floor for … Read more

One of my favorite products on the Schoolhouse Electric & Supply site is a replica of IBM's standard-issue wall clock from the '60s, sure to make it onto Don Draper's holiday wish list this year.

This run is technically the first, as Schoolhouse Electric hit up IBM to make these iconic clocks available to all of us who didn't work in IBM offices, warehouses, and schools during the mid-20th century.

They're all assembled by hand in the company's factory in Portland, Ore., and each clock is bound by a spun-steel case with the original graphic hands and domed glass lens.

As is usually the case with historical relics, getting your hands on one of these will empty your wallet--the IBM standard-issue wall clock retails for $235 in the Schoolhouse Electric marketplace.

(Via A Continuous Lean)… Read more

This is beautiful.

In the way slow motion scenes of individual back hairs being plucked by a Rottweiler's teeth to a Johann Strauss waltz would be beautiful.

Created by a very interesting man called Eric Leist, this is the story of how Facebook Timeline was sold to corporate America. By the ultimate American mad man, Don Draper, aka Jon Hamm.

It's done with feeling. For it is, in fact, Draper's presentation from the TV show "Mad Men" of the Kodak Carousel to some allegedly sane men whose clothes are currently available at Banana Republic-- doctored … Read more