This weekend, we learned of the death of Nick Meglin, longstanding editor of Mad Magazine, who died of a heart attack on Saturday, aged 82. He worked on the satirical comedy magazine as a writer and editor for forty-eight years until his retirement in 2004. He was also an art instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, his books include The Art of Humorous Illustration and Drawing from Within as well as writing for musical theatre.
His friends and co-workers have been sharing their memories.
I met Nick several years ago at a National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards convention. We traded wisecracks over breakfast and became instant friends. When I stepped into his old job he was delighted and extremely supportive. Over the past year he became my mentor as well as my dear friend, offering advice and guidance. Nick's influence on MAD cannot be overstated. I will miss him as a friend and comedy guru, and the community of MAD will greatly mourn the loss of the man who was responsible for so much MADness.
It's impossible to over-estimate Nick's importance to MAD. For over 50 years he was, in the words of MAD's founder and publisher, Bill Gaines, "the heart of the magazine." More than just an editor, he was a finder and nurturer of many of MAD's contributors, myself included. He was also a confidant, advisor and loyal friend. Countless MAD covers, articles, and premises came from Nick's endlessly creative mind. He was also a shameless punster. (George Washington Cross -Dressing the Delaware," yup, that was Nick. In addition to being very a funny writer and brilliant editor, Nick was a true modern day Renaissance man with deep knowledge of and passion for art, the theatre, films, opera, and sports — especially tennis. (For years his MAD business card listed him as "tennis editor".) It was my true honor to have known Nick and worked side by side with him for over 25 years.
I worked closely with Nick for over 20 years and never once stopped thinking that he wasn't a total pain in the ass. I loved the guy. Nick's original title in the MAD masthead was "ideas." That's one thing Nick was never short of, ideas, though he would be the first to admit that 90% of his ideas sucked. Maybe so. But the other 10% of his ideas reflect the history of MAD in all its intelligent ridiculousness for nearly a half century. MAD's impact on generations of comedy writers is immeasurable. The same can be said of Nick's impact on MAD. He was, without question, one of the greats.
In 1999, I joined the MAD staff as art director. For the next five years, I got to know Nick much, much better, because I worked with him every day. I have often joked that his main function at MAD was to bring a fruit plate from office to office each afternoon, but it really wasn't a joke. Those fruit plates represented Nick's firm belief that no matter how hard we worked (and putting out that magazine was much harder work than I had ever imagined), we should always take some time out to reconnect with the smaller pleasures in life.
I treasured the four short years Nick was still on staff while I was contributing. More than that, I treasure the eighteen years I was privileged to be able to call Nick my friend. Anna and I loved him and his wonderful lady Linda dearly. We will miss him, our hearts are broken for Linda and his family, as well as for the many MAD people who knew him far longer and worked with him more closely than I. He was one of a kind. Thank God I got to spend some time with him at the NCS Reubens in Philly last weekend.
Many of us are especially jarred because we spent last weekend with Nick at the National Cartoonists Society convention in Philadelphia. I had lunch with Nick a week ago today and a week ago tomorrow, moderated a MAD panel in which he participated. He was alert and funny and seemed like a guy in good health for a man of 82.
But, getting back to MAD: I want you all to know this about my friend Nick. The sense of humor that permeated that magazine from about 1957 into the eighties was mainly Nick's. The editor of MAD for much of that period, Al Feldstein, was a skilled craftsman at producing a magazine on time and in giving the best possible presentation to the work of his freelance writers and artists…but Feldstein wasn't all that funny.
Meglin was funny. He wrote much of MAD's editorial material (intros, ads, etc.). He rewrote or punched-up articles that were in need of extra laughs. And he recognized comedic talent in writers who submitted work and encouraged them and guided them. At least half of MAD's best writers during that period were "found" by Nick as were many of its artists. When I researched my now-outta print book, MAD Art, I interviewed just about everyone who'd ever worked for the magazine and was still around to be interviewed. A lot of those folks told me that had it not been for Nick, they never would have had their proud association with the magazine.
Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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