Mad #328 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - Bobbitt Issue - June 1994

On June 23, 1993, Ms. Lorena Bobbitt inflicted the ultimate revenge against her abusive husband, John.  The national media fell in love with this story and spent way too much time telling us about it in prime time.  One wonders why the Mad staff took so long to add their satirical ink to the record.  Perhaps this episode will cause red-blooded, American males to think several times before they take advantage of angry women from Ecuador.  On the cover, Mort Drucker inserted a worried Alfred E. Neuman on The Love Connection with Bobbitt, Tonya Harding and Amy Fisher.  Let's hope that Alf chose wisely on that day.  Al Jaffee provided some jokes for the Bobbitt jury ("Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions") including a rather crude weight-loss method.  John Caldwell was not as subtle as the others ("OK, You've Cut It Off!  Now What Do You Do with It") giving 15 really unacceptable uses for Mr. B's missing member.  This self-censored article is not the least bit funny for those of us who still have nightmares about South American kitchen-knife-wielders.  Finally, Jaffee identified the Bobbitt issue ("Mad Fold-In") as one that divides the nation.  I would be one on the side of those who really wanted the story to disappear.

Art Director John Putnam (died November 29, 1980 in Germany) created the strange unnamed bird for Mad #102 (April 1966).  The bird made seven appearances in issue #328 as the editors asked readers to give the bird a name.  In addition, The Mad zeppelin flew twice and Arthur was in four places as the editors continued to emphasize some of the running jokes from past years.  [JAM 6/25/2012]

Mad Producer Thomas Nozkowski  is the young artist in "The Lighter Side of Modern Art" by veteran artist Dave Berg.

Little Annie Fanny is on the beach in "Babewatch."

Departments:
Sending Up Trial Buffoons - Law & Disorder
All Jaffee - Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions (Special Killers & Victims Episodes)
Turning Down the Volumes - New Time-Life Books Series We Never Want to See
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Natural Disasters
Tales From the Duck Side - The Loopy Lavatory Logjam; The Rascally Religious Ruse
Frank on a Roll - The Information Superhighwayman
Hollywood Divined - Cinema vs. Movies
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
Stupid Putt Tricks - Mini Golf for the '90s (The Back Nine0
Drumming the Symbols - Mad's International Signs for the World of Rock
Domicidal Maniacs - Ten Concrete Laws of Home Repair
An Eye for an Idol - Lesser-Known TV Role Models
Dismembers Only - Lorena Bobbitt's "OK, You've Cut It Off! Now What Do You Do with It?
The Mammaries Linger On - Babewatch
Swindler's Listings - Mad Classified Ads

Fold-In - Barney