Al Jaffee

Allan Jaffee (born March 13, 1921), known as Al, born Abraham, is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine Mad, including his trademark feature, the Mad Fold-in. As of 2014, Jaffee remains a regular in the magazine after 59 years and is its longest-running contributor. In the half century between April 1964 and April 2013, only one issue of Mad was published without containing new material by Jaffee. In a 2010 interview, Jaffee said, "Serious people my age are dead."

In 2008, Jaffee was honored by the Reuben Awards as the Cartoonist of the Year. New Yorker cartoonist Arnold Roth said, "Al Jaffee is one of the great cartoonists of our time." Describing Jaffee, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz wrote, "Al can cartoon anything."

Early life

Jaffee was born March 13, 1921 in Savannah, Georgia to Mildred and Morris Jaffee, the oldest of four children, all sons. His parents were both immigrants from Zarasai, Lithuania. His father had a management job at a department store. In 1927, Mildred Jaffee took her four sons, with Morris's acquiescence, to Zarasai. After one year, Morris Jaffee showed up and took the family back to the United States. After a year, Mildred took the four sons back to Lithuania. After four more years, Morris showed up, and took the eldest three sons back to the United States. The youngest son would get out in 1940, and Mildred presumably perished after the Nazi invasion. He studied at the High School of Music & Art in New York City in the late 1930s, along with his brother Harry and future Mad personnel Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin and Al Feldstein.