Al Feldstein, RIP -- May 2, 2014

I was sad to learn of the passing of Al Feldstein, who edited Mad Magazine during the entire time that I read it.  He was still in high school when he was hired by the Eisner & Iger shop to work on their many comic book projects.  After serving in World War II, he freelanced until he joined EC in 1948.  He started as an artist, then became a writer, and then an editor. 

Harvey Kurtzman left EC's Mad, which had become a slick magazine, and Feldstein took over as editor.  Mad  helped to shape my sense of humor and helped me learn about many movies which I could not get into theaters to see. 

Kurtzman retired in 1984 and took up painting and ranching. 

The image of Mad Number 166 from April, 1974 is from Doug Gilford's http://www.madcoversite.com/.  My copy probably resides in a box in my mother's basement.  I should dig it out.