Today would have been the 103rd birthday of William Maxwell “Bill” Gaines, publisher of that great literary periodical known as MAD Magazine. Gaines sadly passed away on June 3, 1992 at the age of 70.

It just so happens that one of the three books I am currently reading is “Unconditionally MAD – The First Unauthorized History of MAD Magazine – Part 1” and I am enjoying reading about the history and behind-the-scenes information regarding this humor magazine of my youth…and maybe into young adulthood.

I think I read my first issue of MAD Magazine when I was around 10 or 11 years old and it held my attention for several years as I progressed into the teenage years and twenties…maybe even my thirties. It didn’t take me long to recognize on sight the artwork of Mort Drucker, Dave Berg and others. I loved the satires they did of popular movies, TV shows, books and cultural zeitgeist of the times.

Here’s to Bill Gaines. Happy Birthday to the guy who started it all.