Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921 – April 10, 2023) was a cartoonist from the United States. He was most known for his work in the satirical magazine Mad, where he created his signature feature, the Mad Fold-in. Jaffee has been a regular contributor to the magazine for 65 years, making him the magazine’s longest-running contributor.
“Serious individuals my age are dead,” Jaffee observed in a 2010 interview.
Jaffee holds the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a comic artist, having worked from 1942 through 2020. Only one issue of Mad was released between April 1964 and April 2013 that did not feature fresh material by Jaffee.
Al Jaffee’s top movies and TV shows
The Mad Magazine TV Special, When We Went MAD!, Mad, Bum Future
Al Jaffee Awards and nominations
Jaffee received the National Cartoonists Society’s Advertising and Illustration Prize in 1973, as well as its Special Features Award in 1971 and 1975, and its Humor Comic Book Award in 1979. He was named Cartoonist of the Year at the Reuben Awards in 2008.
Meanwhile, Motion Theory made a video for recording artist Beck’s song “Girl” in 2005, drawing inspiration from Jaffee’s Mad Fold-Ins; Jaffee’s name appears briefly in the video, on a television screen.
On Jaffee’s 85th birthday, March 13, 2006, an episode of The Colbert Report aired, and comedian Stephen Colbert honored the artist with a Fold-In birthday cake. “Al, you have repeatedly exhibited artistry & care of great credit to your field,” read the remark on the cake. After removing the middle piece of the cake, the remaining text read, “Al, you are old.
