Cartoonist. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, he was a Mad Magazine cartoon story illustrator fondly referred to as "Mad's Maddest Artist." After he graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1952, he began a career as freelance cartoonist and illustrator. He illustrated the album covers of a few legendary jazz artists such as Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, before joining the Mad Magazine staff in 1956. For the next thirty-two years (1956-88), his contributions featured many bizarre, humorous and outrageous characters in variety of events. Some of his most popular figures included Fester Bestertester, Lance Parkertip, The Old Salt and Captain Klux which was in its own series titled "The Adventures of Mad" in the 1960s. After he left Mad Magazine, he worked for Cracked Magazine for a few years and later had a comic strip series "The Nutheads" published by Universal Press Syndicate (1989-93). He died of cancer at age 68 in Coconut Grove, Florida, and was posthumously inducted into The Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004.
Cartoonist. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, he was a Mad Magazine cartoon story illustrator fondly referred to as "Mad's Maddest Artist." After he graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1952, he began a career as freelance cartoonist and illustrator. He illustrated the album covers of a few legendary jazz artists such as Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, before joining the Mad Magazine staff in 1956. For the next thirty-two years (1956-88), his contributions featured many bizarre, humorous and outrageous characters in variety of events. Some of his most popular figures included Fester Bestertester, Lance Parkertip, The Old Salt and Captain Klux which was in its own series titled "The Adventures of Mad" in the 1960s. After he left Mad Magazine, he worked for Cracked Magazine for a few years and later had a comic strip series "The Nutheads" published by Universal Press Syndicate (1989-93). He died of cancer at age 68 in Coconut Grove, Florida, and was posthumously inducted into The Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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