Mad recurring features
From 1961 to 2002, Dave Berg produced "The Lighter Side of…", which often satirized the suburban lifestyle, capitalism and the generation gap. Subjects commonly lampooned include medicine, office life, parties, marriage, psychiatry, shopping, school and other everyday activities. Although this feature eventually became notorious for its corny gags and garishly outdated fashion choices, the Mad editors reported that it was the magazine's most popular feature. "The Lighter Side" was more pointed in its early years, providing the sort of Americana-based humor that standups such as Shelley Berman and Alan King performed successfully onstage. The feature was retired with Berg's death.
Sergio Aragonés has written and drawn his "A Mad Look At…" feature for over 40 years. Each is a series of gag strips with a common theme. Aragonés' Mad cartooning is notable for the fact that it almost never uses word balloons; when they occur at all, they will most often feature a drawing of whatever is being discussed. Aragonés will periodically bend this rule for a store window sign, a stray "Gesundheit," or some other dialogue vital to the punchline.
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