Mad #388 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - Y2K Issue - December 1999

The digital collapse that was expected when the millennium clock struck twelve was a huge non-event.  There was much hand-wringing and speculation in advance of "Y2K".  The Mad editors probably thought that this mass hysteria was a potential for humor but they were wrong as well.  Rick Geary was given the first swing at the subject with "End-of-the-Millennium War Awards" that is more about the horrors of war than some arbitrary date change.  Strike one.  Barry Liebmann went looking for "The Positive Side of the Y2K Problem".  His ideas, that primarily consisted of stealing money from various organizations, are not convincing but I like the Paul Coker drawings.  Strike two.  Finally, the clean-up hitter (Mike Snider) took a quick look at "Other Y2K Problems Guaranteed to Make Your Life Miserable".  Snider's ideas provided enough material for six of the rare Monte Wolverton drawings.  Wolverton drawings (pere & fils) are always welcome in Mad but alas this concept was strike three for Y2K humor.  Although the new-year jump from 1999 to 2000 was anti-climactic, in the end it is the Al Jaffee fold-in that revealed the real danger of the year 2000 - the election of George W. Bush.  The world suffered from that huge mistake for eight long years.  [JAM 11/6/2013]

Departments:
Aye, There's the Stub - Mad Looks at What's on the Back of Your Ticket
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Funerals
Angster's Paradise - Monroe & ... The Candy
An Embarrassment of Richard's - SlimeDish Digital Television
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Prose And Conflict - End-of-the-Millennium War Awards
Grist for the Mill-ennium - The Positive Side of the Y2K Problem
Missives in Action - Absentee Excuse Notes Through History
Let's Get Ready to Fumble! - Clues Your High School's Football Team Really Sucks
Tales From the Duck Side - They Shoot Horses' Asses, Don't They?
A Dolt's Education - The Spending Annex Winter Catalog
Oy Ve Can You See - Scenes of Americana, Yesterday & Today
A Poke in the Itinerary - Sean "Puffy" Combs Day Planner
More Grist for the Mill-ennium - Other Y2K Problems Guaranteed to Make Your Life Miserable
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side
Much Perdue About Nothing - If It Tastes Like Chicken, Then How Come ...?  [Fake Department]
Alley Oops! - Moronica's Closet
Grieving Las Vegas - Mad's Celebrity Cause-of-Death Betting Odds  [Ricky Martin]

Fold-In - George W. Bush